How to Sing Like Justin Bieber

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Last updatedLast updated: February 06, 2024
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It’s over 10 years since Justin Bieber was a breakout star. He’s one of a generation of stars who got their break in music by uploading videos to YouTube, and his impressive skills were noticed from an early age. Bieber quickly had an army of millions of fans, and plenty of people who want to know how to sing like Justin Bieber and emulate his style. Who wouldn’t want the sort of success this Canadian superstar has seen over the last decade or so?

In this time, Bieber’s style has changed in some subtle ways, so it is important to understand all of the methods he uses to create his encapsulating style. He’s certainly gone from a boyish charm to a more mature voice in recent years, and has made catchy songs that span loads of different genres. In this guide, we help you to understand more about how this young man’s voice captivated so many millions of people, and how a lot of younger males or higher-pitched voices can emulate him.

Understanding Justin Bieber’s singing voice

As with a lot of singers who get their break relatively young, Justin is known for having quite a high-pitched voice. He hits notes in falsetto Trusted Source Falsetto - Wikipedia Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal cords, in whole or in part. en.wikipedia.org a lot of the time, which can be tough for a lot of men.

A lot of males who end up singing like this find that things can get a bit too nasal, with the voice coming through the nasal passages instead of coming from the chest. However, Bieber manages to stay in control.

Justin Bieber also does a good job of adding some light vibrato to a lot of his singing, without going over the top. This has become even lighter in recent years as his voice matures. He’s added more subtlety.

A gentle voice is very much what we associate with Justin. His voice is also soft due to the fact he rarely “belts” out songs. Instead, he shows how much control he has as well as staying rough and a little husky. This often comes from singing through the throat.

Another way to understand Justin Bieber’s singing is to think about the vocal runs he uses in his music. He’s good at quickly cycling through arpeggios and pitches. If you have a keyboard, practice playing multiple notes in the same key quickly, and try and keep up with your singing.

How to sing like Justin Bieber: techniques

So, on to how to sing like Justin Bieber, step by step.

The first thing we would recommend doing is getting used to singing complex vocal lines. You need to learn the songs inside and out, which is why you will also have to turn into a Justin Bieber fanatic for some time while you learn all of the lyrics and get to the stage where you feel like you can sing the songs quickly, without stumbling over your words.

Next, it’s time to practice those melismas and vocal runs. Taking online lessons can help you with this a great deal. It’s the sort of technique most singers want to attempt at some time, so online courses contain a lot about this sort of method.

Get good at singing falsetto and using your chest to great effect. Though a lot of Bieber’s songs are soft, you could compare the chest voice technique to some of the falsetto singers who really know how to belt out songs. Even learning to sing like Freddie Mercury would be helpful in this respect.

Remember to sing softly initially. This helps you to replicate Bieber’s style, but it is also important for your vocal cords which won’t be used to it initially. This is part of a style of contemporary singing that most people prefer in the modern age, and is taught all over the world. If you want to sound like a modern popstar, try to get used to the singing style.

The husky voice is another key component to get right. To replicate this, try singing while you are exhaling and keep your neck muscles tensed throughout.
Even Justin doesn’t do this often as it can put a strain on your voice, but in some songs it can make that extra bit of impact in the chorus. Because Bieber is a gentle singer, this is a good alternative to belting out the notes. Singing in a husky style is not the easiest thing to master. Always give yourself the odd day off if you are practicing this, too as it can put a strain on your vocal cords.

Practice by recording yourself. A quality USB mic can actually be one of your most vital tools to work out whether you are getting your singing right or not. Listening in real-time doesn’t give you the most realistic overview of your voice, especially if you are singing along with the original song.

As we often say when discussing topics related to singing, it is easier to practice than most other musical hobbies. To learn how to sing like Justin Bieber, techniques and stye can be practiced daily. Put Justin on in the car and sing away daily, trying to absorb every different style he uses. Naturally, this will be a way to practice vocal runs as they feature so heavily in his songs.

How to perform like Justin Bieber

A lot of the Justin Bieber appeal comes from his brand as well as his singing. If you want to emulate his style there are a few things you can do.

  • Learn an instrument. Justin Bieber has been able to sing from an early age, but also play guitar, piano, drums and even a bit of trumpet.
  • If you’re writing your own songs and you want them to take on a Bieber feel, don’t be afraid of being unapologetic in your poppy style. Bieber often uses a lot of “oohs” and “aahs” as well as “baby”. This is absolutely fine, as it is what people expect from his brand of breezy pop music.
  • Get good at dancing, too. If you want to incorporate the whole performance, it’s a good idea to learn how to dance. Bieber’s moves are impressive, but nothing the average fit person can’t learn with a bit of practice. The real key is singing and dancing at the same time. Bieber doesn’t always do this as he may lip sync, but it’s good to have the option. Use a wireless microphone and practice singing while you strut around on stage.
  • Love the fans, love the camera. Justin is not shy of the attention, and whether you just want to let this inform your style or whether you want to be a full tribute act, this should be a big part of your performance.

While it’s fine to take influence from Justin, there’s a lot that you should do to develop your own style if you don’t plan to become a tribute act.

How to Sing Like Justin Bieber

Final thoughts

There’s little denying that we’d all love to reach the level of success Bieber has had in his career. If you’ve got a higher voice then you might also be able to learn how to sing like Justin Bieber with a little bit of practice and dedication. Bieber is out-and-out pop music in his style, but incorporates almost every aspect of modern music, so this gives you the chance to learn all of the different styles and tricks that a pop singer could need.

Relentlessly listening to his songs, and focusing on getting those vocal runs right, as well as adding some nasal and breathy singing to your repertoire will help you to get your Bieber style perfected.

References

1.
Falsetto - Wikipedia
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal cords, in whole or in part.
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