Alex Fisher Singing Teaching

When starting out in musical theatre, the sheer variety of vocal styles, technical demands, and song choices can be overwhelming. Whether you’re new to the genre or an experienced singer refining your craft, finding the right repertoire and understanding your vocal strengths is key. This guide will help you explore different styles, develop healthy vocal techniques, and discover what works best for your unique voice.

Recording yourself, working with a singing teacher, and experimenting with different styles can help you gain clarity on where your voice thrives.

Understanding Vocal Technique for Musical Theatre

Musical theatre requires versatility, and different styles demand different vocal approaches. Here are key techniques to develop:

1. Breath Support & Control

Proper breath management is crucial across all vocal styles. Diaphragmatic breathing allows singers to sustain long phrases, control dynamics, and support powerful high notes without strain (McKinney, 2005).

2. Registration & Mix Voice

• Head Voice (Legit, classical singing) – Often used in golden age musicals (1945 – 1970), requiring a light, resonant tone with controlled vibrato (Miller, 1996).
• Chest Voice (Belting, contemporary styles) – Used in pop/rock musicals for a strong, speech-like quality. Needs careful breath control to avoid tension (Estill, 2005).
• Mix Voice (Balanced technique for range & power) – Essential for singers who need to transition smoothly between registers without vocal strain (LoVetri, 2008).

3. Resonance & Placement

• Classical singing focuses on lifted soft palate resonance (pharyngeal space), this can be heard in operatic technique where the performers have a very clear sound, particularly when approaching open vowels, while contemporary styles often place resonance more forward for a ‘speech-like’ quality (Kayes, 2004).

4. Articulation & Diction

Different styles require different levels of precision. Golden age legit singing demands crisp diction, whereas contemporary styles may use more relaxed pronunciation.

5. Healthy Belting

True musical theatre belting is not just “shouting high notes” – it involves safe laryngeal tilt, twang (narrowed aryepiglottic space), and controlled breath pressure to maintain vocal health (Sundberg, 1987). Many singers tend to ‘swallow’ higher belted notes and don’t take the time to consider how to use placement techniques to properly fit their individual voice.

Identifying Your Own Vocal Style

Before diving into repertoire, it’s important to assess your vocal qualities and vocal range:

• Tessitura & Range – Where does your voice naturally sit? Do you feel comfortable in higher or lower registers?
• Tone Quality – Is your voice bright and nimble, warm and lyrical, or bold and powerful?
• Strengths & Weaknesses – Do you find classical legit singing easier, or do you naturally lean towards contemporary or belt-heavy styles?
• Acting & Storytelling – Musical theatre is about more than just vocal ability. What kinds of characters and emotions do you connect with?

To find your vocal range there are many resources online to help you, many are simple videos going up through the piano with notes written above such as this video:

Find Your Vocal Range

These can be useful for a basic understanding of your range but the best way to do this is alongside a teacher who can explain your different ranges, whether they be in chest voice, mix or head voice.

Repertoire for Different Vocal Styles

Once you understand your voice, you can explore repertoire that fits your style. Below are song suggestions for different vocal types, with both male and female examples, as well as flexible choices that suit multiple voice types.

Legit (Classical Musical Theatre)

These songs emphasize sustained breath control, vibrato, and classical tone.

• Beginner:
  • Female: I Could Have Danced All Night – My Fair Lady (Lerner & Loewe)
  • Male: Younger Than Springtime – South Pacific (Rodgers & Hammerstein)
  • Flexible: Edelweiss – The Sound of Music (Rodgers & Hammerstein)
• Intermediate:
  • Female: Green Finch and Linnet Bird – Sweeney Todd (Sondheim)
  • Male: Ten Minutes Ago – Cinderella (Rodgers & Hammerstein)
  • Flexible: Somewhere – West Side Story (Bernstein)
• Advanced:
  • Female: Glitter and Be Gay – Candide (Bernstein)
  • Male: Maria – West Side Story (Bernstein)
  • Flexible: If I Loved You – Carousel (Rodgers & Hammerstein)

Contemporary (Modern Musical Theatre)

These songs use a mix of speech-based singing, strong mix voice, and contemporary phrasing.

• Beginner:
  • Female: Astonishing – Little Women (Howland)
  • Male: Evermore – Beauty and The Beast (Menken)
  • Flexible: Seasons of Love – Rent (Larson)
• Intermediate:
  • Female: The Life I Never Led – Sister Act (Menken)
  • Male: Santa Fe – Newsies (Menken)
  • Flexible: You Will Be Found – Dear Evan Hansen (Pasek & Paul)
• Advanced:
  • Female: I Didn’t Plan It – Waitress (Bareilles)
  • Male: Michael in the Bathroom – Be More Chill (Iconis)
  • Flexible: What You Own – Rent (Larson)

Character Songs

These emphasize acting, comedic timing, and storytelling over pure vocal ability.

• Beginner:
  • Female: Adelaide’s Lament – Guys and Dolls (Loesser)
  • Male: I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General – The Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert & Sullivan)
  • Flexible: Put On a Happy Face – Bye Bye Birdie (Strouse)

Belting

These require a mix of chest voice strength and healthy technique.

• Beginner:
  • Female: Tomorrow – Annie (Strouse)
  • Male: Go the Distance – Hercules (Menken)
• Advanced:
  • Female: Let It Go – Frozen (Lopez & Anderson-Lopez)
  • Male: Til I Hear You Sing – Love Never Dies (Lloyd Webber)

Finding and Working with a Singing Teacher

A vocal coach can help you refine technique, build confidence, and select appropriate repertoire. When looking for a teacher, consider:

• Their expertise in musical theatre styles
• Whether they focus on healthy vocal technique
• Their ability to provide constructive feedback and guidance

Trial lessons can help you determine if their teaching approach suits your needs.

Final Thoughts

Finding your musical theatre voice is a journey of exploration. Whether you lean towards legit, contemporary, character-driven, or belting-heavy songs, the most important thing is that you enjoy singing and continue to grow as a performer.

References

• Estill, J. (2005). Estill Voice Training Level One & Two. Estill Voice International.
• Kayes, G. (2004). Singing and the Actor. A&C Black.
• LoVetri, J. (2008). “Contemporary Commercial Music: More Than One Way to Use a Voice.” Journal of Singing, 64(1), 77-80.
• McKinney, J. (2005). The Diagnosis and Correction of Vocal Faults. Genovex Music Group.
• Miller, R. (1996). The Structure of Singing: System and Art in Vocal Technique. Schirmer Books.
• Sundberg, J. (1987). The Science of the Singing Voice. Northern Illinois University Press.