How to Whoop Like a Black Preacher
Many people contact me wanting a step by step method to learn to whoop, here is the outline of a method.
If you want to learn to whoop you need to become acclimated to whoopers. You do that by listening to whoopers. Now preferably this will be done live, but you can also learn a lot simply by listening carefully to great whoopers. Listen to the way they inflect their voice. Listen to the way that they slow down or speed up their rate of speaking. Listen to how they change their pitch. You are not listening as one who seeks to enjoy, but as one who seeks to learn something. You are a student.
Along with the critical analysis, the budding whooper should listen to a wide variety of whoopers. Listen to the traditional C. L. Franklin, Caeser Clark, and Jerry Black. Listen to the Harvard Whooper. Listen to the young whoopers like Marcus Cosby or Rudoloph Mckissick Jr. And listen to the whoopers who have a style totally their own like Leory Elliot. Listening to a wide variety of whoopers will help you find who you are as a whooper.
You can't just listen to other preachers, you also need to do something yourself. I would encourage you to add singing to your list of things to do. You may find out you can sing a solo here and there, but if not, at least you will learn things about your voice that you could not learn in any other way.
The important thing is that whooping has a lot in common with singing. listen to a whooping master and a great gospel singer. You will find that they both make use of vocal dynamics. They go from loud to soft and vice versa. They both make use of rhythmic changes. They speed up or slow down as needed. they both make great use of timing. They both improvise. Etc. Listen to great preachers and singers and sing.
Next, you want to practice. Don't go up into the pulpit without having practiced whooping. Personally, I think that all preachers should practice more. When I used to play the trumpet, I would practice 30 min - hour a day just practicing playing. Perhaps preachers should spend 30 minutes to an hour a day just practicing their presentation skills. Be that as it may, if you are to whoop, you probably should practice it. Practice in your car, practice in your shower. Jasper Williams notes that many have learned to whoop while sitting on the toilet. You want to practice. As you practice you must critically listen to yourself. Jasper Williams notes that when it sounds good to you it is ready for use.
After having practiced, it is time to incorporate whooping into your sermons. It is time to find times to add rhythmic changes. Add pitch changes. Add notes to your preaching. Don't force it, but in front of your congregation, allow the musicality to flow.
Finally, don't fall into the trap of using whooping to cover up sloth in preparation. Put together a great sermon, Preach that sermon very effectively, and then end in the whoop. Whoop about something and then the people will not only get happy, but they will have something real to get happy about.
If you want to learn to whoop you need to become acclimated to whoopers. You do that by listening to whoopers. Now preferably this will be done live, but you can also learn a lot simply by listening carefully to great whoopers. Listen to the way they inflect their voice. Listen to the way that they slow down or speed up their rate of speaking. Listen to how they change their pitch. You are not listening as one who seeks to enjoy, but as one who seeks to learn something. You are a student.
Along with the critical analysis, the budding whooper should listen to a wide variety of whoopers. Listen to the traditional C. L. Franklin, Caeser Clark, and Jerry Black. Listen to the Harvard Whooper. Listen to the young whoopers like Marcus Cosby or Rudoloph Mckissick Jr. And listen to the whoopers who have a style totally their own like Leory Elliot. Listening to a wide variety of whoopers will help you find who you are as a whooper.
You can't just listen to other preachers, you also need to do something yourself. I would encourage you to add singing to your list of things to do. You may find out you can sing a solo here and there, but if not, at least you will learn things about your voice that you could not learn in any other way.
The important thing is that whooping has a lot in common with singing. listen to a whooping master and a great gospel singer. You will find that they both make use of vocal dynamics. They go from loud to soft and vice versa. They both make use of rhythmic changes. They speed up or slow down as needed. they both make great use of timing. They both improvise. Etc. Listen to great preachers and singers and sing.
Next, you want to practice. Don't go up into the pulpit without having practiced whooping. Personally, I think that all preachers should practice more. When I used to play the trumpet, I would practice 30 min - hour a day just practicing playing. Perhaps preachers should spend 30 minutes to an hour a day just practicing their presentation skills. Be that as it may, if you are to whoop, you probably should practice it. Practice in your car, practice in your shower. Jasper Williams notes that many have learned to whoop while sitting on the toilet. You want to practice. As you practice you must critically listen to yourself. Jasper Williams notes that when it sounds good to you it is ready for use.
After having practiced, it is time to incorporate whooping into your sermons. It is time to find times to add rhythmic changes. Add pitch changes. Add notes to your preaching. Don't force it, but in front of your congregation, allow the musicality to flow.
Finally, don't fall into the trap of using whooping to cover up sloth in preparation. Put together a great sermon, Preach that sermon very effectively, and then end in the whoop. Whoop about something and then the people will not only get happy, but they will have something real to get happy about.
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