Blues standards are regularly used in college vocal lessons as they can typically be adapted to any key, the lyrics are well known and the structure is basic. Blues is typically sung in a lower register with a more relaxed technique. This style of singing develops phrasing and feel. It focuses less on accurate pitching and timing.
These are more versatile and can be adapted to a range of tempos, keys and arrangements. Jazz standards are more flexible and allow the singer more scope for personal interpretation. Popular jazz standards include: "How High The Moon," "Take The A Train" and "Georgia On My Mind." Songs from other genres can be reinterpreted as jazz standards. For example, the 1938 composition "Over The Rainbow" performed by Judy Garland in the film "The Wizard of Oz" has become a jazz standard. Glen Miller's version is a notable example.
In 1945, Life Magazine dubbed folk singer Susan Reed as "the pet of Manhattan nightclubbers." She was a key part of the American Folk Revival. Yale University published Karl Van Vechten's "Portraits of Women," where he acknowledged Reed for her involvement in introducing new, less well-established Irish folk standards to America. Those songs included "Jennie Jenkins," "I Know My Love," "Go Away From My Window" and "I'm Sad And I'm Lonely." Although established, those songs never reached the popularity of revival standards such as "Oklahoma Hills" and "Mr. Tambourine Man," a song covered by artists as diverse as Judy Collins and William Shatner. Folk standards are used in vocal lessons to develop an understanding of counterpoint. Traditional folk standards may have two or more vocal melodies that work in counterpoint with each other. "Danny Boy" is an Irish folk standard regularly used in vocal lessons.
Traditional pop songs such as "A Little Bird Told Me," "Stormy Weather" and "Luck Be A Lady" have become standards over time as more versions were recorded. These are a good starting point for beginner vocal lessons as the student is more likely to be familiar with the lyrics and the melody.
A collection of standards from different genres is known as a repertoire. In an academic context, singers' repertoires are what they use to demonstrate the range of their ability. Brian Staufenbiel, lecturer in voice at University of California at Santa Cruz, believes that a good standard repertoire demonstrates an understanding of musical history and technique and is professionally delivered.