LESSON TEN

Performing in Public

Performing in public can be both exciting and frightening for any new performer whether they are a singer, an instrumentalist, an actor or simply someone giving a speech on a social occasion. Many people who are shy at first develop into dynamic performers who can both entertain and captivate an audience.

Like any other skill, performing in public takes time to develop and there is much to be learned from watching other performers. To begin with, the best approach can be to simply take a deep breath, walk on, smile, look the audience in the eye and begin with a song you are very familiar with.

If you are nervous, concentrate on the sound you and your accompanist(s) are making and move your body to the music in any way that feels good. If you are able to enjoy yourself, this will communicate itself to the audience. Nervousness can be turned into excitement and positive energy and can actually make your natural reactions and responses to the music quicker.

Overcoming Nerves

There are three essential elements in overcoming nervousness and turning it into a positive. The first of these is knowing your material well. This means thoroughly rehearsing all aspects of each song before you even consider performing them.

If you are unsure of the words, or the notes or timing of either the melody or the accompaniment, it is not surprising that you would become nervous. The more certain you are of these things, the more you are free concentrate on expressing the meaning of the lyrics and making great music.

The second element is being comfortable with your equipment and your environment. Most public performances involve the use of microphones. Using a microphone will be discussed later in this lesson.

When you are on stage, it is important to be comfortable using the microphone and to not be startled by hearing yourself through the PA system or foldback speakers. If possible, it is advisable to have a sound check before members of the public arrive.

Most professional ensembles have a thorough sound check in which all the equipment is tested individually and together at least an hour (preferably more) before the show.

This allows everybody to become comfortable with the sound of the room as well as the equipment. If you learn a bit about PA systems you can also communicate your requirements and preferences to the person operating the sound system.

The third element is trusting yourself. If you are considering singing in public, you are probably fairly confident that you are making a good sound when you sing and you have probably received compliments from friends as well. In this case, you should be able to sing equally well or better in public, particularly once an audience begins to respond.

Your body instinctively knows every aspect of producing a good vocal sound, so it is usually just a case of "letting go" and becoming part of the music. The more you can become the character in each song (like an actor) the more convincing your performance will be and the better you will be able to deliver it.

Eye Contact

When you sing, you are telling a story to the audience. Look at them as you tell this story and they will respond. Obviously you cannot look at everybody, but you can pick out certain people (e.g., someone wearing bright clothing or someone with a bald spot on their head). Another option is to look towards the people in the middle of the audience.

Change your focus from time to time to include all sections of the audience. Everybody will feel you are communicating with them personally and will enjoy your performance more.

Remember that when people go to hear a public performance, they are looking forward to having a good time. This means they are automatically prepared to like you even before they see or hear you, so in reality the performance should be a positive experience for everyone involved.

Another important aspect of any performance is eye contact between the performers. The fact that an ensemble are communicating well and obviously enjoying themselves makes the audience feel good too.

Stage Presence and Stage Craft

Most great performers have what is commonly known as good stage presence. Stage presence is the total impression created in the minds and emotions of the audience by the performer(s).

This impression is made up of both the drama of the music and speech and the drama of the visual performance. As mentioned earlier, there is much to be learned by watching other performers.

It is essential for aspiring performers to see professional singers, musicians, actors or other entertainers perform live as often as possible in the early stages. You can do this by going to shows or by watching performances on video or television.

Notice how each performer communicates with both their ensemble and the audience. Learn how they use both spontaneous and choreographed movement. Watch how the music is expressed through their bodies and facial expressions as well as their sound.

Notice whether they use humour or not, or any other element of public performance you can think of. All these things can be learned and developed and can be described as the various parts of stage craft.

Developing Your Own Style

Many performers learn their stage craft and their ability to express their vocal or instrumental technique by copying other performers at first and then ultimately adapting what they have learned to form their own unique style and presence.

Ray Charles seriously studied Nat King Cole’s style of singing and playing early in his career, but later developed his own intensely personal style which has little in common with Nat King Cole.

This is similar to the way students of visual art are taught to copy the works of masters early in their development. By doing this, the student learns about color, form, design, balance, etc. as well as learning technique. However, this is only the first step in the process.

The idea is to master the practical elements in order to be able to go on and express your own feelings, ideas and personality through your own work. Copying a Rembrandt or Picasso painting is an extremely valuable exercise for an art student, but it is not an end in itself. So it is with singing and performing.

Learn all you can from performers you admire, whether it is their vocal technique, their musicianship or their stagecraft. Study them in detail and work diligently on everything you learn, particularly in the early stages of your development.

However, it is not recommended that you slavishly copy any particular person’s style over a long period of time (unless you want to be a comedy act). As your confidence develops along with your personal feelings for the music you are performing, your own style will begin to emerge by itself if you let it.

As you practice and perform, notice the things that you feel most intensely about. These are the seeds which will grow into your own vital style if you are true to them and develop them properly.

Microphones

It is essential for all singers to know how to use a microphone. Even if you mainly sing in a choir or in small rooms with only a piano accompaniment, it is likely that you will be required to use a microphone at some stage.

If you sing with a band, you will use a microphone every time you perform. It is a good idea to have your own microphone that you are comfortable with, even if the venue you are performing at provides them along with the PA system.

Microphones for Performing Live

There are several different types of microphones available. Each of them is best suited to a different musical situation (e.g., live band performance, or recording session).

The type of microphone most commonly used for live performances is the dynamic microphone. These microphones contain a diaphragm and a coil which is activated when the voice causes it to vibrate.

Dynamic microphones are normally uni-directional, or "front sensitive" which means that sounds entering from the sides of the microphone are amplified less than sound entering from the top or front.

Because of their resistance to feedback (the piercing sound made when a microphone picks up the sound coming from the speakers and amplifies it again) uni-directional microphones are particularly useful in a live band environment.

Microphones which are omni-directional receive sound equally from all sides of the microphone. This makes them useful for back-up vocals in situations where two or more singers share one microphone but they are not recommended for a lead singer in a live band situation.

Before you buy a microphone it is advisable to visit a music store and try out some in the store. The Shure SM58 microphone is a typical professional quality uni-directional dynamic microphone and is one of the most common microphones used by bands.

There are also other good microphones available which are of a similar design. If you intend to perform in public regularly, it is worth spending a little extra on a good microphone as it will make you sound better and make you more comfortable with your sound on stage.

 

A Typical Dynamic Microphone

Microphone Technique

When using a uni-directional microphone, there are some important fundamentals to learn, as described here.

• Hold the microphone in the palm of your hand with your fingers curled loosely around it, just tightly enough to avoid dropping the microphone but not tightly enough to cause tension.
• Sing directly into the microphone. Many beginning performers unintentionally move sideways away from the mic as they are singing. This means that the sound is lost to the audience and they can’t understand what is being sung. Practice moving around and singing into the microphone. Make sure that when you move sideways your hand keeps the mic in relatively the same position so that your voice goes directly into it at all times. The best position for the mic is just below your mouth at about a 45 degree angle so that the center of the head of the mic is aimed directly at your mouth.
• Depending on the natural volume of your voice along with the sensitivity of the equipment being used, the distance between your mouth and the microphone should vary between one and ten centimeters. During loud passages the microphone should be pulled back slightly in order to balance the overall volume. This will also reduce the chances of "PEE POP", which is the term used to describe the effect created by "hard" consonants such as b, d, g and particularly p exploding out of the singer’s mouth and onto the microphone (this can be overcome by articulating consonants lightly, along with moving the microphone slightly away from the mouth when accenting words or sounds).
• Avoid touching the microphone with your mouth, as the sound will distort and unwanted sounds produced by the contact will be amplified along with your singing.
• If you are moving around while you are singing, stay away from the "front of house" speakers or you may experience feedback problems. As long as you are somewhere behind or at the most, level with the front of house speakers, but a reasonable distance from them, you shouldn’t have any feedback problems.

Studio Microphones

In a recording studio, a different type of microphone called a condenser microphone is often used. These microphones are much more sensitive than dynamic microphones.

Since the singer in the studio is usually hearing the accompaniment through headphones, the microphone can afford to be more sensitive at a much lower volume. Condenser mics pick up many more subtleties and provide a deeper and more detailed sound than dynamic mics. Condenser mics also contain a capacitor and need electric power to run.

When singing into a condenser mic, you can afford to be a little further back from it. However, there is generally a best position or "sweet spot" where your voice will sound best.

This varies from one voice to another and from one condenser microphone to another, so when you are in a recording situation and are unsure of the sound, it is best to try a few different mics and experiment with the positioning of each one before deciding what sounds best. The recording engineer will usually be able to hear your voice and choose a microphone which will complement it.

Warming Up

Before you begin a performance, it is a good idea to go through some kind of warm up routine. This will help loosen your muscles and help you relax, as well as getting your blood flowing and helping to focus your mind for the performance.

The first steps in any warm up routine are usually breathing and stretching exercises. Start with the breathing exercise explained in Lesson 1. Then do some gentle movements and gradually stretch more as your body begins to feel more flexible.

The next step is to sing some sustained notes using an open vowel sound such as ah. Gradually move your voice around higher and lower pitches and then sing a couple of scales. Exercises 40-43 are particularly useful for moving between registers (sliding between octaves).

Next, try some exercises using various vowel sounds such as the ones given in Lesson 5. The final stage is to sing a verse from the song you intend to begin the performance with. Include any physical movements you normally use when performing the song. This should get you in the mood for the performance and make you keen to get out there and begin.

Looking After Your Voice

Like anyone involved in regular physical activity, it is important for a singer to keep fit. All the muscles, ligaments, tendons, etc. used in singing and stage movement require regular exercise to keep them flexible and in the best condition for performing.

It is also important not to strain your voice, as this can lead to poor technique along with a lessening of the sound quality of your voice. In extreme cases such as repeated shouting, this can lead to vocal nodules. These are growths on the vocal cords which can cause permanent damage.

Nodules usually occur in Rock singers who sing with a rough technique at high volume (shouting) over extended periods, often in an attempt to compete with the volume of electric guitars played through large amplifiers.

If you are singing with a band, it is essential to have adequate foldback. Foldback speakers are ones which are aimed at the performers rather than the audience. They are there so the performers can hear themselves properly when amplified through a PA system.

If you are having trouble hearing yourself, you should never sing louder to try to overcome the situation. Instead, you will either need to turn the foldback up or get the instrumentalists to turn their amplifiers down, or both. Many beginning electric guitarists and drummers are not used to playing at quieter volumes, but it is essential that they learn. Otherwise you may end up with vocal damage.

When rehearsing songs, don’t forget that dynamics are an essential part of music. If you always play and sing too loud, you have nowhere to go. Get the musicians accompanying you to play at a comfortable "middle" volume and work out the best places in the song to increase or decrease the volume for dramatic effect.

When performing, everything you do either as a singer or an ensemble should have the sole purpose of communicating the song to the audience. This means moving them emotionally rather than deafening them.

Another aspect of looking after your voice is drinking plenty of water. Other liquids can adversely affect the sound of your voice, but water keeps the throat and larynx lubricated without affecting the sound.

It also has the added bonus of preventing dehydration if you are using a lot of energy on stage. As well as this, a sensible diet and regular exercise will help keep your body in the best possible condition for singing and performing.

Approach to Practice

Regardless of the style of music you sing, It is important to have a correct approach to practice. You will benefit more from several short practices (e.g., 20-30 minutes per day) than one or two long sessions per week.

This is especially so in the early stages, because your muscles and your voice are still developing. If you want to become a great singer you will obviously have to practice more as time goes on, but it is still better to work on new things a bit at a time.

Get one small piece of information and learn it well before going on to the next topic. Make sure each new thing you learn is thoroughly worked into your singing. This way you won’t forget it, and you can build on everything you learn.

In a practice session you should divide your time evenly between the study of new material and the revision of past work. It is a common mistake for semi-advanced students to practice only the songs they can already sing well.

Although this is enjoyable, it is not a satisfactory method of practice. You should also try to correct mistakes and experiment with new ideas. It is the author’s belief that the guidance of an experienced teacher will be an invaluable aid in your progress.

To develop good timing, it is essential that you always practice with a metronome (or drum machine). Beginning singers are often particularly weak in this area. As mentioned earlier, your timing and all-round musicianship will improve dramatically if you learn to accompany yourself on keyboard or guitar.

Apart from practicing your actual singing technique, it is important to spend time thinking about the lyrics to each song and how you can bring meaning to the song with your interpretation.

From this point of view it is useful to learn a bit about acting. Maybe you could talk to an actor or take a few drama lessons. It is also useful to look at film scripts and notice the director’s remarks and directions which are often written in.

Listening

Apart from books and sheet music, your most important source of information will be recordings. Listen to albums which feature great singers. Regardless of the style of music you prefer to sing, it is important to listen to many different styles, in order to hear the widest possible variety of interpretations and expressions. There is something to be learned from every style of music and singing.

It is a useful exercise to listen to several different recordings of the same song performed by different singers. Listen to their phrasing, their timing, their note choices, the tempo they choose, and the style of accompaniment.

By doing this with several songs, you will soon work out your own preferences as well as getting valuable ideas for how to approach other songs and how to write your own arrangements. When you are listening to albums, sing along with the songs and try to copy the sounds you are hearing.

This helps you absorb the music and before long, it will start to come out in your own style. It is also valuable to sing along with albums sometimes imitating what you are hearing and sometimes improvising. This is good ear training and is also a lot of fun.

For more books and recordings by the author, visit: www.petergelling.com

Recording Yourself

From time to time it is a good idea to record your performances or practice sessions. Unless you have studio quality equipment, the tone quality you hear on the recording may not be completely accurate, but any recording will pick up timing and relative pitch accurately.

As you listen back to yourself, pay particular attention to areas you think are particularly weak or particularly strong. Anything you think sounds good is worth developing further and anything that doesn’t (e.g., timing, or pitching on high notes) should be the focus of your practice sessions until it is turned into a strength.