Choosing the right song for your voice can be tricky when you first start your singing journey. It can be hard to hear your own voice objectively and accurately. Identifying your particular strengths and interests will help you to create a personalised set list for powerful, moving performances. Here is a guide with 10 easy steps to help you find the right songs for your voice.

1. Vocal Personality

Start by identifying your vocal personality. Record yourself singing a song you really enjoy and find easy to sing. How would you describe the sound of your voice? Is it a gentle whisper or a powerful roar? Is it playful or serious? Raspy or clear? Create a list or a visual map of the words that describe your unique voice.

Then look at other singers and analyse their singing. Do you notice any similarities? Who are you most similar to and why? You can use adjectives, or get creative using colours and images to represent your voice. Understanding the personality of your voice can guide you towards songs that align with its natural tendencies.

2. Lyric Connection

Consider the stories you want to tell and the emotions you want to convey. What do you want to say? What’s so important to you that you need to sing it and express it to the world? Choose songs with lyrics that resonate with your own experiences or ones that allow you to step into different characters. The more you connect with the lyrics, the more authentic and powerful your performance will be.

During a lesson with VHVS (that’s us!), we’ll show you how to analyse a song lyrically for content and emotion to give your performances the wow factor.

3. Genre Exploration

Experiment with genres you haven't explored before. You don’t know how it will sound until you try. Your voice might find unexpected synergy in the rhythms of jazz, the soulfulness of blues, or the storytelling of folk. You don’t need to be married to one genre. Try out new genres of music to expose yourself to unique qualities or techniques that help to develop your voice.

4. Reinterpret Familiar Tunes

Instead of searching for the perfect song, consider the possibility of transforming a well-known song. Put your unique spin on a popular song by changing the tempo, playing the song on a different instrument, or changing the key and altering the mood entirely. Sometimes covers can become more popular than the originals. Think Hurt by Johnny Cash (originally Nine Inch Nails), or I will Always Love You by Whitney Houston (originally Dolly Parton).

Take a song you love and break it back to its bones. What impact are the current chords, rhythms and melodies having on the listener? Find out the key and use the scale to re-write some of the melody for extra interest. A melody that begins on the first note of the scale could be made more tense by using the 7th or 2nd note of the scale, for example.

5. Tempo and Range

Pay attention to the tempo and vocal range of the songs you're considering and match these to your vocal strengths. These could be agility, falsetto flips, powerful belting, compression, clarity or something else. Consider these questions:

• Do you favour upbeat party tunes or meaningful folk songs that tell a story? Or something else?

• Does the song's range show off your amazingly clear head voice, or highlight the need for more mixed voice work?

• Does the tempo match your natural rhythm or leave you gasping for breath?

Don’t be afraid to change the key of the song to suit your range. All good singers do this! Finding songs that align with your strengths can enhance your performance.

6. Your Artistic Identity

Look at your favourite artists and the songs they've chosen or written. Analyse what it is you like about the songs. Identifying patterns can help you understand the types of songs that resonate with you artistically. Consider these thoughts:

• Do you like big, emotional ballads or fast paced rock anthems?

• Do the songs you like all use a similar chord or song structure?

• Are the songs circling similar themes?

Use this reflection to shape your own unique musical identity with your particular pattern of interests.

7. Mix Genres

Break down genre barriers and create a crossover cover. Merge elements from two different genres to craft a musical fusion. Take a rock song and turn it into a folk song. Infuse a pop song with jazz influences. This not only showcases your versatility but also allows you to experiment with different stylistic elements.

8. Write Original Songs

If you have songwriting skills or are open to learning, consider writing and performing original songs. That way, you have the freedom to tailor the music to your voice, ensuring a perfect fit. It's a challenging but immensely rewarding way to express your artistry. You can write alone or collaborate with other songwriters.

It may seem like an overwhelming task if you aren’t already writing your own material, so get in touch with Victoria Hollings Vocal Studio to find out how to get started.

9. Live Test

Take your potential song choices for a live test. Perform in front of a small audience or friends. Feel the vibe, assess the audience's reaction, and gauge how well the song aligns with your vocal strengths and stage presence. You can even ask for feedback.

If you’re not quite ready for a live audience, record yourself on video performing your set list. Take note of how the songs flow and think kindly but honestly about how you appear when you perform. Do you stand very still, have little facial expression or play with your sleeves a lot? These things are great to know early on so you can work on them.

10. Get a lesson!

Choosing the right song for your voice is a process that evolves over time. The above steps will help to find your unique sound where your voice shines. If you’re still struggling, book in for a singing lesson. Singing teachers listen to music and other singers for a living, and they will have helpful insight into which songs will suit your voice. They can also help you create personalised covers of songs that highlight positive features of your voice.

You’re now ready to start refining your set list to create powerful, cohesive performances. If you’d like help choosing songs that showcase your unique talents, or you’d like to develop your confidence singing further, get in touch to book a discovery call and we can discuss your needs and goals.