How to Sing Gospel
When you hear someone say sing gospel songs, the first thing that you probably think of is Andrae Crouch or the great Mahalia Jackson. If you ever heard those persons, you’ll know the power and beauty of their voices in singing gospel songs augmented by their energy and expression of performance.
If gospel songs can be so powerful, why do they fall flat when the average church choir attempts them? To sing gospel music, you need a different mindset and different techniques than traditional, classical church music.
Gospel music arose from the Negro spirituals of the American South in the mid-to-late 19th century. African slaves were mostly illiterate (and in some areas forbidden by law or by their owners to become literate), so they were taught the Christian faith through repetitive call-and-response songs.
A leader sings a line or phrase and the group repeats it back, that is what they call a ‘call-and-response’ song. A refrain or chorus usually exists in a song where it is sung by everyone. The structure is simple, the lyrics repetitive, and the emotion heartfelt.
Check out Charles’ Wesley or Isaac Watt’s classic hymns and compare. The difference is that the lyrics isn’t repetitive and there are multiple verses but both are beautiful. A person who can’t read, can’t sing them! With little to no emotions, that is what many choirs and congregations deliver these songs.In some churches, there is a general belief that too much emotion is inappropriate or unseemly.
The mindset required to sing gospel is, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!” Relax, unleash, and have fun! That doesn’t mean you should ignore vocal technique, however. After opera, gospel is the next most difficult and demanding type of music to sing, at least many believe so.
A very strong breath support and a powerful voice are required to sing gospel songs well. These songs has long, emotional and dramatic phrasing. You are telling a story, and to convey it effectively you need to feel it and believe it yourself. If you’re not authentic, your listeners will be able to tell it.
If you plan and want to sing gospel, work on supporting and controlling your breath. That’s the first important step. A good way to achieve that is the Fontanelli exercise (named for the person who developed it). Stand with good posture and slowly breathe in through your mouth while mentally counting to four, then exhale slowly to another count of four, trying to expel all of the air you took in. Try to maintain that expansion while exhaling. Watch yourself in a full-length mirror to make sure you fully expand your midsection.
When you can easily do the exercise to a count of four, increase the count to five, then six, and so on. When you work up to seven or eight, add a hold phase. Breathe in for a count of four, hold for a count of four, and exhale to a count of four. Watch to make sure you achieve and maintain good expansion. Gradually increase the count.
The next thing to work on is dynamics. A good exercise for dynamics is called messa di voce (Italian for “placement of the voice”). Take in a good, well-supported breath and sing a comfortable pitch in the middle of your range. While sustaining the pitch, start very softly and gradually get louder, then gradually get softer again.
To work on expression, study the text of your song. One technique is to read it like a poem and aloud, then try to sing it with the same expression used in speaking it. Watch videos of great gospel singers, such as Mahalia Jackson (there are several on YouTube).
The words are paramount when you sing gospel. These kind of songs teach people who cannot read to understand the text of the songs. Enunciate your words as clearly as you can. Again, watching videos will be helpful.
Above all, have fun! More than anything else, gospel music is JOYFUL. Sing it like you really mean it.
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