How Some Genres Can Help You Sing Better
A Unique Way to Grow Your Singing Voice
Most singers have a favorite genre of music. Maybe you love pop, rock, or country. Naturally, when it comes time to practice, those are usually the songs you reach for first. After all, they are the songs you enjoy listening to, so it makes sense that they would also become your regular practice material.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, singing music that you genuinely enjoy is one of the best ways to stay motivated. However, there is something many singers never realize. Sometimes the fastest way to grow your voice is to step outside of your usual musical comfort zone and spend time exploring styles you might not normally sing.
This may sound surprising at first. After all, if your goal is to become a better pop singer, why would you spend time singing jazz or soul? If you want to sing rock music, why would you practice Motown or R&B? The answer is simple. Different genres teach your voice different skills, and some of the most expressive genres can unlock abilities in your voice that you didn't even know were there.
Why Exploring Different Genres Can Make You a Better Singer
Think of genres as different playgrounds for your voice. Each one presents new challenges, opportunities, and ways of expressing yourself. When you stay in only one genre all the time, your voice can become comfortable doing the same things repeatedly. While there is certainly value in consistency, there is also tremendous value in variety.
When you begin exploring genres such as classic R&B, soul, Motown, jazz, gospel, and similar styles, you expose yourself to vocal techniques and musical ideas that are often less common in mainstream singing. These genres are filled with expressive phrasing, emotional delivery, rhythmic flexibility, vocal runs, and subtle inflections that can help you become a more well-rounded singer.
What makes these styles particularly valuable is that they encourage freedom. Instead of focusing only on whether you hit every note perfectly, they invite you to think about how you are delivering the song. They encourage you to feel the music rather than simply reproduce it. They also allow your voice to start doing things differently and more expressively.
How Soul, Motown, and R&B Help Open Up Your Voice
If you listen closely to many classic soul and R&B singers, you'll notice something interesting. Their singing often feels conversational. It feels natural. It feels expressive. Rather than sounding overly controlled, their voices seem free to move with the emotion of the song.
As singers, we sometimes become so focused on technical correctness that we forget singing is also an art form. We worry about pitch, breathing, placement, and whether we sound good enough. While technique certainly matters, expression matters too.
Soul and R&B can help reconnect you with that expressive side of singing. As you listen and imitate phrases from these genres, you begin noticing details that go beyond the notes themselves. You hear how singers stretch certain words, soften others, add little vocal decorations, and create emotional moments that make a performance memorable.
Over time, those influences can begin showing up in your own singing, even when you return to your favorite genre.
The Simple Exercise That Can Transform Your Singing
One of the easiest ways to start learning from different genres requires no special training at all.
Simply choose a song from a style that is new to you. Listen to a short phrase sung by the artist, then immediately sing that phrase back. Think of it almost like a conversation between the two of you. They sing a phrase, and you sing it back right after.
At first, you may simply imitate what you hear. That is perfectly fine. In fact, that is part of the learning process. As you become more comfortable, you can start experimenting with your own ideas. You might change a run, alter the rhythm slightly, hold a note longer, or add an inflection that feels natural to your voice.
This is where the real growth begins.
You stop thinking only about reproducing someone else's performance and begin developing your own musical instincts. The more you practice this, the more comfortable you become making creative choices on your own.
Why Experimentation Is So Important for Vocal Growth
Many singers unintentionally place themselves in a creative box.
They become afraid to experiment because they worry about sounding bad. They hesitate to try new things because they want every note to come out perfectly. Unfortunately, that mindset can slow down growth.
The truth is that experimentation is one of the most powerful learning tools available to singers.
When you try a new run and it doesn't work, you learn something. When you attempt a different phrasing choice and decide you don't like it, you learn something. When you explore a style that feels unfamiliar and awkward at first, you are stretching your abilities and building new skills.
The singers who grow the most are often the ones who give themselves permission to explore without constantly judging the results.
In many ways, learning to play with your voice is just as important as learning to control it.
How Different Genres Improve Musicality
One of the biggest benefits of exploring new styles is the effect it has on your overall musicality.
Many singers focus primarily on hitting the correct notes, which is understandable. However, great singing involves much more than pitch accuracy. It involves timing, expression, dynamics, storytelling, emotion, and interpretation.
Genres like jazz, soul, gospel, and classic R&B naturally encourage these qualities. They often contain rhythmic variations, unexpected phrasing choices, emotional contrasts, and opportunities for creative expression.
As you spend time listening to and singing this type of music, your ear begins picking up subtleties that you may have overlooked before. You start hearing details within the music that help you become a more expressive performer.
Your sense of rhythm may improve. Your phrasing may become more natural. Your emotional connection to songs may deepen. Even your confidence can begin to grow because you become more comfortable trusting your own musical instincts.
What Happens When You Practice Different Styles Regularly
One of the most interesting things about this approach is that the benefits often appear gradually.
You may not notice dramatic changes after a few practice sessions. However, if you spend even a few weeks consistently exploring different genres, you may begin seeing meaningful improvements.
Your voice may feel more flexible. Certain passages that once felt difficult may start feeling easier. You may discover new colors within your voice that you hadn't accessed before. Your confidence may increase because you have become more comfortable taking creative risks.
Most importantly, you may find that singing becomes more enjoyable.
When every practice session consists of the same type of songs, things can sometimes become repetitive. Adding different genres introduces variety, curiosity, and excitement back into your routine.
Instead of simply practicing, you are exploring.
And exploration is often where growth happens.
Give Your Voice Permission to Explore
The wonderful thing about this exercise is that there are no strict rules. You do not need to become a jazz singer. You do not need to master every soul run you hear. You do not need to perform these songs for anyone else.
Simply allow yourself to explore.
Try an old Motown classic. Sing along with a soulful ballad. Experiment with gospel music. Explore jazz standards. Listen to styles you have never considered before and see what they have to teach you.
Even one or two songs a day can make a difference over time.
You may be surprised by what happens when your voice is exposed to new musical experiences. Hidden strengths often reveal themselves when we step outside our comfort zones, and singing is no exception.
So the next time you sit down to practice, consider taking a small detour from your usual genre for a couple of songs. Your voice might thank you for it, and you may discover abilities you never knew were there.
Happy singing! 💜
Stella Jasmin
Motivational Singing Coach and Founder of The Singing Journey
https://thesingingjourney.com
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Want More Help From Me?
If you are interested in taking your voice to the next level and addressing things such as fear, confidence issues, self-doubt, and how to improve your voice overall, I have created several e-books that cover many of the struggles singers commonly face. I also offer motivational posters that you can hang in your bedroom, practice space, or anywhere you sing as a source of encouragement and inspiration. In addition, I have designed a comprehensive vocal journal that helps singers track their practice, goals, reflections, and progress for greater consistency, growth, and accountability.
My name is Stella Jasmin, and I am a motivational singing coach who helps singers develop greater confidence, self-belief, and authenticity in their singing journey. I am also the founder of The Singing Journey.
I invite you to visit the shop and explore the resources I have created for singers like you. Consider it your online hub for both vocal and personal development. I am confident that you will find something that can support and encourage you along your own singing journey.
💜 Stella Jasmin