Sing in Shoegaze Style

Shoegaze is a subgenre of alternative rock music that got its start in the late 1980s in the United Kingdom. The style experienced a resurgence of popularity in the mid-2000s that continues to this day. The major characteristics of shoegaze music include heavily distorted guitars, ethereal harmonies, dream-like vocals, and effects such as reverb, delay and feedback. The singing style is very specific, but it can be easily learned once you know a few techniques.

Steps

Working on Vocal Delivery

1. Make your voice sound indistinct and far away. One of the key elements of shoegaze music is the importance placed on atmosphere. For the singer, that means delivering dreamy sounding vocals that swirl and echo behind fuzzy, distorted guitars. When you’re singing, allow the words to flow. Don't concern yourself with pronouncing each word clearly.
   • When practicing shoegaze-style vocals, avoid enunciating syllables to create an indistinct and far away sound.
   • Try standing across the room from a microphone, rather than right in front of it, and record yourself singing. Play the recordings back to hear ways you can change your singing style.
2. Sing softly and in a melancholic way. Another way to create get that “far away” sound is to sing very softly. The mood of shoegaze is often sad. The soft vocals help to create a lonely, out-of-focus vibe. Before you start singing, spend a few minutes getting yourself in the right mood.
   • Go somewhere quiet and focus on creating a moody atmosphere.
   • It might help to set the mood by turning down the lights and lighting a few candles.
3. Work on a Sing-Falsetto. Not all shoegaze vocalists have high-pitched voices, but they are definitely a common characteristic in the genre. Start by working on a very soft falsetto. Then blend it in with the melody and harmony of the song. If singing an entire track in a falsetto sounds daunting, try to work it only into the chorus.
   • A common characteristic of shoegaze songs is lower-pitched verses that escalate into ecstatic, high-pitched choruses.
4. Create melodies with your voice. Unlike in pop music, which puts emphasis on vocals and lyrics, shoegaze music prefers to bury the vocals behind distortion and reverb. Instead of focusing on the words you’re singing, try using your voice like an instrument. When you’re practicing, try humming or using soft “la la” sounds to create vocal melodies.
   • Instead of singing to be heard over the guitar, let your voice blend into and around the guitar melodies.
   • This will help to create the layered texture of the shoegaze sound.
5. Write poetic or experimental lyrics. The hazy, spaced-out vibe of shoegaze works best with lyrics that are dream-like. Instead of writing songs that tell stories, work on creating an emotion or mood with your lyrics. Since shoegaze doesn’t emphasize vocals, don’t worry about being clear or coherent when you sing.
   • Use a more poetic approach that fits the mood of the song.
   • Make sure you’re singing the dreamy words in a soft tone of voice. This creates the ethereal sound shoegaze is known for.

Experimenting with Ways of Singing Shoegaze

1. Harmonize with another vocalist. Shoegaze often makes use of two vocalists rotating and harmonizing. This technique creates a dream-like atmosphere. The harmonizing vocals can be processed through an effects pedal to give them an ethereal, reverberating quality.
2. Sing made-up words. Many shoegaze bands have used this technique. Elizabeth Fraser, the vocalist for the band Cocteau Twins, wrote most of her lyrics with made-up words so that she could concentrate on her vocal melodies. Through this “language” she effectively communicated moods, themes, melodies and atmospheres without using coherent spoken language.
   • You don’t have to use this technique for your songs, but try it out when you’re practicing vocals.
   • Use it as a vocal exercise to help you stop focusing on lyrical content.
3. Find inspirational shoegaze bands. This genre has a very specific style, but there is still a lot of variety among the bands. Spend some time investigating these bands for vocal inspiration. There are many different vocal techniques used to achieve the dream-like shoegaze sound.
   • Classic shoegaze bands to check out are My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride, Chapterhouse, Lush, Medicine and Lovesliescrushing.
   • Contemporary bands to investigate are Astrobrite, A Place To Bury Strangers, The Daysleepers, Engineers, Cheatahs and Flying Colours.

Enhancing the Vocals with Gear and Effects

1. Bury the vocals in the Mix-Songs. A lot of shoegaze musicians use studio techniques to enhance their unique vocal style. When a band records a song, an individual “track” is recorded for each instrument separately. The vocalist gets their own track, too. These separate tracks are then mixed together in a studio or with software to create the final version of the song. Most songs are mixed so that the vocals are bright and audible over all the other instruments. In shoegaze, the vocals are tucked just under the guitar so that they blend in rather than stand out.
   • This is one of the most popular studio techniques for mixing vocals in shoegaze songs.
   • Common software programs used are Pro Tools, Logic and Ableton.
   • Individuals making music at home find these software programs very useful because they provide a lot of the same features as a professional recording studio.
2. Run the vocals through reverb and delay effects pedals. Use-a-Guitar-Pedal are probably the most important pieces of equipment for someone who plays shoegaze music. Shoegaze is very guitar-oriented and these effects pedals help to create the genre’s signature sounds – fuzz, distortion, feedback, reverb and delay. These effects pedals aren’t just used with guitars. You can connect a microphone to an effects pedal and run the vocals through it, which will put the effects on your voice.
   • With pedals you can distort your voice, change the pitch, change the tone, make it echo and delay, and much more.
   • Putting effects like this on the vocals helps to create shoegaze’s otherworldly sound and atmosphere.
3. Record vocals a decibel or two quieter than you usually would. This is another simple trick shoegaze musicians use in the studio to get the far away vocal sound they want. Recording vocals at a lower decibel makes them easier to mix behind the guitars. When the vocals are quieter, they blend into the guitars and become less distinct.
   • This results in dreamy sounding vocals that weave around and behind the fuzzy, distorted guitars.

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Heal Your Vocal Chords
• Be a Singer
• Prepare and Relax Vocal Cords Prior to and During Singing
• Have a Good Singing Voice
• Harmonize
• Sing
• Sing Better if You Think You Are Bad
• Make Your Singing Voice Sound Better
• Sing Vibrato
• Become a Good Singer

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• Write a Good Guitar Solo