Forget losing weight, saving money and getting organized. This New Year’s there’s a resolution you can have 100% success with by following five easy steps; making every performance a show stopper.
It doesn’t matter if you’re an indie artist, singing covers or even doing musicals, start sneaking one or more of these great vocal tips into your next performance and you’ll not only add to your own styling ability, but these tested and true tips will get your audience on their feet and coming back for more.
5. Sing phrases, not notes.
Singing notes is like hearing a violin pluck every tone of a song. Nice enough. But connecting the phrases is like the ebb and flow of the bow skillfully singing a story. Most singers sing notes, probably because we’re so focused on not missing any of them! But when you take a line and sing it long and connected, it not only improves the listenability of your performance, it allows you to do number four….
4. Tell a story.
Anyone can sing a song. And regardless of how talented you may be, there are plenty of people who can probably sing it better. But very few singers ever tell a story. Songs are nothing more than stories set to music. Once you know the basic rhythm and melody, focus only on the story of the song, how you can identify with it and how you can tell it in a way that brings people along. Good singers are a dime a dozen. If you an tell a story that people identify with they will come back for more.
3. Sing with your face.
The last time you griped about your day or told someone a secret your voice wasn’t the only thing talking; so was your face. Body language is a huge sign we rely on to decide whether or not we believe someone. If your face doesn’t reflect the story you’re singing, your audience is not gonna buy the performance… or your album. Bonus; when your face gets into it, your voice will want to take more risks too.
Watch yourself sing in a mirror. Do you look believable? Get in touch with the emotion of the story. It may take stepping outside of your comfort zone, but isn’t that what New Years resolutions are for anyway?
2. Go someplace with it already.
Just knowing the notes and the words is only the beginning of preparing to perform. Adding the story and the emotion is really important too. But NOW you get to add the magic; you get to make it your own.
Look over the lyrics and make some decisions. Where will you press into the notes and give them power? Where will you back off almost to a whisper and leave your audience on the tale end of a secret? Where will you slip in a trill and take them for a ride? Style each song appropriate to your skill set and what fits the feel of the song and take some risks.
Even if the song you’re singing has been performed thousands of times by every major singer out there, NO ONE can sing it like you if you take the time to make it your own. Takes a little planning but the payoff is huge.
1. Hold the money note.
Ok. Here it is; the number one thing that impresses audiences; and it’s not even hard! You know that one note that’s the big ‘tah-dah’ moment? It’s usually at the end of a song, but sometimes it’s in a bridge. That’s the money note. Some singers trill around it before making a landing, some get in and out and are just glad to hit it (especially if it’s a bit high), but as simple as it sounds, the single biggest things crowds respond to is if you dig in and hold that sucker as long as you can.
Not sure you can hang on? You can increase your holding power by getting in the habit of holding the notes at the end of a phrase until it would be wrong to continue (like when the cord changes and you’d be out there on a limb alone… awkward. Don’t go there) The ability to hold a note a looooooooooooong time comes from a strong diaphragm muscle. It’s the muscle below the lungs we use to ‘belly breathe’ (watch a baby breathe; that’s all diaphragm, baby). Filling up your lungs won’t do it.
Here’s a simple way to increase your holding power; lie down. This kind of gets the shoulder-liftin’, lung breathing habit out of the way. Breathe in as slowly as you can and count in your head, ‘one thousand one, one thousand two….’ Then when you can’t take it any longer, breathe out as slowly as you can, counting from one again. Over time your time will improve, and so will your ability to hold that money note and wow your crowd!
This New Year, make a resolution to make every performance better than the last. Improve your skills and the experience you give your audience and you will gain the incredible satisfaction of knowing there is no one who can sing it like YOU!
