Although she has been quiet of late, Rihanna remains one of the most popular female singers of the years 2000. Inevitably, girls that love her hits have been asking how to sing like Rihanna. “How does she vibrate her voice?” and “I would like to know the best technique to have her kind of vocal range.”
In many ways, these issues have been dealt with here. So maybe you should check that video before going any further. Rihanna certainly has a distinctive way of singing, but in many ways it is not particularly difficult to do.
One singing professional told me simply to “groan” at the beginning of each line – which is perhaps not the very best advice one can get. But it reflects the fact that Rihanna is more of a stylist than a technician when it comes to singing.
As songs are very personal, this is OK. For example, the same thing could be said of many rock singers such as Gene Vincent and Marc Bolan (as opposed to Bono’s very strong technique).
Concerning range, try exercises that demonstrate a “mixing” technique, which basically means smoothing out your sound between registers. A lot of people focus on extending their range upwards, but there’s a lot to be said for extending it downwards too.
Singing with help from a friend
Rihanna as never had formal singing lessons. She herself credits the singer Ne-Yo, the voice responsible for the hit single “So Sick”, with showing her the ropes. When recording together, he directs her and practices techniques that enhance her voice. Remember not to push your voice when singing like Rihanna. She uses her voice gently most of the time.
practice, practice, practice