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In this section you will learn about
stagecraft: how to sing with a band, how to
memorise lyrics, how to combat stagefright.
The key throughout is to remember why you
started in the first place: because you love
singing. While there are many different tricks
and techniques, there are few hard-and-fast
rules. So once you have an understanding of
the technical side of performing, it's imperative
you watch others perform, noting which
elements you like and which you dislike. You
can then try some of those things out in the
company of friends and family.
Singing on stage
When you're singing on stage, you're not only
combining language and music - you've also got
to deal with spatial awareness and be aware of
the people around you. There's a lot going on,
so watch the conductor if there is one. Enjoy
the feeling of being on stage, look around you
in rehearsals to get used to the size of the
performance space and think how much energy
you will need to fill that space. Ensure that the
energy of a song is conveyed in your singing
and not just in your dancing; thinking that the
vigour of your movements will carry a song is
a common trap to fall into.
People are sometimes frightened of
overpreparing because they think the material
will somehow get stale. But that shouldn't be a
worry. Every time you perform, it changes: the
atmosphere in the room is different, the people
watching you aren't the same. By preparing as
much as possible, you'll have the ability to deal
with anything that happens, you'll have more
confidence and you'll enjoy it more. Being in a
show is an exhilarating experience but it's also
a big responsibility: you want to feel reliable.
On the other hand, overpractising, for instance
singing the one note you're worried about 30
times before you go on stage, is to be avoided;
you'll only wear yourself out. Instead, you
should just slide through your range once, with
that note included, to reassure yourself that
you can do it.
To get the right sense of spontaneity to your
performance, you have to be thinking of the
next line at just the right moment. This thought
about the next line is key; it should show you
or your character having a new idea and,
because of that, it is central to the way you'll
end up delivering the line. To see if you are
thinking of the next line soon enough, walk
around a room while singing, and change
direction every time you have a new thought.
If, by the time you're changing direction, you're
already singing the line that made you change,
you're too late.
When a dancer is about to do a turn on stage,
they do something called spotting: they will fix
their eye on a spot so that they don't get giddy.
It's an invisible part of their technique; you
wouldn't notice it from the audience. Similarly,
you should identify the precise moments in a
performance that you find difficult and focus
on working out some specific techniques to
overcome them. This will do wonders for your
sense of security; you'll walk out on stage and
know you'll be safe. For example, if you're in a
particularly strenuous scene, such as Kim and
Ellen's confrontation in Miss Saigon with its
high-energy singing and belting, is it possible to
lean against some part of the set, to help you to
be aware of how you are using your back
muscles?
Or, if you're performing a Gilbert and Sullivan
number or a big Frank Sinatra song and there's
a particular note that's been worrying you, will
holding the preceding vowel or emphasising a
certain consonant help you through? You can
leave these techniques behind when your
confidence has improved and you've
performed the piece a few times.
Singing in character
Your route into a character or song can come
from many different sources - there's no one
right way. Imagine, for example, playing Little
Red Riding Hood's wolfish stalker in the
musical Into the Woods. For inspiration, some
actors would take a trip to the zoo, to find out
how wolves behave. Others, who work from
external factors, would need to find the very
shoes or clothes that make the character real -
the top hat, perhaps. Others like to work from
the text itself, taking not only what the
character says, but what others say about
them, and deciding which parts speak truly. Of
course, the music itself also tells you a huge
amount about the character and the emotional
path of the story.
When singing in musicals, you have to perform
in a heightened manner in order to be able to
launch from speech into song. You can't speak
at your normal level and then jump into song
and expect it to be credible. In rehearsal, try
muttering to yourself before your lines come
up, so as to build up your energy levels before
it's time to speak. Then speak with more
energy as you come up to a song. You'll
probably be speaking over a musical
introduction, which will demand this energy
anyway.
The old cliche is that you sing when speech isn't
enough, and on stage we have to believe that
there's a need, at a certain moment, to sing.
Take the line from the musical Anyone Can
Whistle: "Everybody says don't walk on the
grass/ Don't disturb the peace/ Don't skate on
the ice/ But I say do." What the character J
Bowden Hapgood is singing is essentially
"break the rules". But, behind that sentiment,
the actor should have a whole internal list of
reasons for why he is singing this: because he's
lived life as a political dissident, because he
sees the woman he's singing to as stuck in her
ways, because he fancies her too, because he
genuinely wants this for her and because she
probably could achieve it. All of that personal
history and information about a character's
intentions should be in the performer's head
before singing the line "But I say do".
The musical theatre actor should always ask six
questions about their character:
Where has this character been?
What are they doing now?
Where are they going?
Are they working through a problem in the
song?
Do they come to any decisions?
Who are they talking to - who is the song
for?
How do they physically reflect their state of
mind?
When the actor can answer all of these
questions, they will know why they're saying
every line. This "why" is the first step to
embodying a character.
Remembering your lyrics
Remembering lyrics can be hard work, and
each person responds to things differently, so it
really depends on what works for you. Start by
reading the lyrics out loud to yourself and then
consider them both by themselves and with the
music. In order to make them stick, you have
to make your own detailed analysis of what the
words mean. Avoid trying to memorise too
much in one go; concentrate on one page at a
time.
When you know the lyrics a bit better, a good
idea is to walk around singing them so fast that
you've got no time to think, so they become an
automatic response. The music won't let you
stop and think while you're performing, and
there will be a whole lot of other things
happening on stage that can make you forget
what you're doing. So repeat the lyrics while
doing something else, such as throwing and
catching a ball, walking round the supermarket,
cooking or doing the dusting.
If you find that you're forgetting certain parts
of a song, work out which lines you tend to
forget and look for some kind of pattern. It can
be as simple as an alliteration, such as the two
Ws in the line "When I am with you", or a
pattern of ideas, such as the similar sentiment
of "on my own" and "all alone" in On My Own
from Les Misérables: "On my own, pretending
he's beside me/ All alone I walk with him 'til
morning."
When people forget lyrics, the problem is
nearly always that they haven't been clear in
their mind about the story they're trying to
tell. By making sure you know exactly what
story you're getting across, you can solve this
problem. On stage you can also use your
location as a physical prompt: when practising
Joe Gillis's song in Sunset Boulevard, the cast
found it useful to have a different physical
position on stage for each phrase, so the song
was ingrained in their muscle memory and they
could remember where they were.
Even once you've learned the lyrics and have
been singing them over and over again, try to
return to them from time to time to refresh
your understanding of what they mean.
Overcoming stagefright
Stagefright is not something that only happens
to beginners; it can and does happen to anyone,
including some of the most experienced
performers. For years they'll happily perform
in front of thousands of people, and then, one
night, they'll go out on stage and think to
themselves: what am I doing here?
There are several techniques that can be used
to combat stagefright, but most of them focus
solely on getting through that very first line.
Once that's out of the way, everything tends to
fall into place, so giving yourself something
specific to do before singing your first note can
work wonders.
Stress is often relieved by physical exercise, so
stretch and run on the spot before you
perform. If you suffer from a dry throat, which
is a classic symptom of nerves, try gently biting
your tongue to increase your saliva flow. Also,
stagefright is a great hunger killer, but it is
important to eat: go for complex, easily
digestible carbohydrates such as rice or pasta.
If you're singing a song by yourself, a good
ploy is to use the opening line to raise a series
of questions that will help distract you from
the task at hand. So, using the Beatles' A Day in
the Life as an example, which begins with the
line "I read the news today, oh boy", imagine
somebody asking you a question such as:
"What did you do when you woke up this
morning?" Now you're answering a simple
question, rather than singing an opening line,
which should take away most of your nerves.
Remind yourself why you perform in the first
place. Think about how good you can be, about
how much pleasure you could be giving to
others. Try to remember times when you
received compliments for a performance that
you gave. And of course there's the old cliche
of closing your eyes and imagining the audience
in their underwear - it really can work!
If these techniques don't work, you may
consider visiting a hypnotherapist or
psychotherapist, who are trained to deal with
mental blockages. Stagefright is usually
triggered by something we are able to control,
but it can sometimes take a trained expert to
identify what might have caused our
uncertainty.
Singing with a band
There is nothing quite like singing with a band
or orchestra. After having spent some time
rehearsing with accompaniment, look for
opportunities to meet other aspiring singers
and band musicians. A good place to do this is
at an open-mic session.
When singing with a band, you will have a
wealth of musical activity going on around you,
and you will have to communicate with all of
the band members. The pianist's attention will
now be divided between supporting you and
leading the band, but if you are lucky enough
to perform with experienced players you
should find them extremely adept at
supporting your performance.
If you come in at the wrong place, your best
bet is to keep singing and let the band find you.
If you come in on the wrong note, you will
have to make a quick decision whether to find
your key or abort. Either way, trust in the band
and take comfort in the fact that they will
follow you. When you're nervous, it's easy to
set a tempo that is too fast and you are then
stuck with it for the rest of the song.
Remember to take your time and only indicate
your chosen tempo to the band when you're
ready.
If you accidentally drop the microphone, get
feedback from the PA or your music crashes to
the floor, don't panic. Any experienced band
will simply slip into solo mode, and give you a
cue when to come back in.
If you're singing with a jazz band, remember
that each band member should be encouraged
to take a solo from time to time. When they do
this, step aside but maintain eye contact and
listen attentively to whoever is taking a solo.
Remember that even when you are not singing,
you are still part of the show.
Endings are tricky, though any experienced
band will find a convincing way to end a song,
even if you do not! One familiar ending is
called a "turnaround". This means the last
phrase is repeated three times to signify the
end of the song.
If you are lucky enough to sing with an
orchestra or big band, this new sound may be
overwhelming. Your own performance may not
be very different to singing with a small band,
but be aware that the orchestra has very
specific parts and the conductor will set the
tempo and indicate when you should come in.
When singing with an orchestra or jazz band
behind you it will be especially important to
get the volume levels correct during rehearsal
so that you can hear yourself clearly while
singing. It is extremely important that you can
hear all the instruments that are accompanying
you, particularly the rhythm section - piano,
bass and drums.
Singing in a studio
Before you go into a studio, make sure you
know exactly what you're going to do. Studio
time is expensive, so preparation is essential.
If you do have to make a decision on the day,
make it quickly - if it turns out to be wrong, so
be it. The worst thing you can do is stand
around dithering.
When doing a live recording you have to
intensify everything. People won't be able to
see your face, so everything you're
communicating needs to come across in the
sound. Flaws are exacerbated. Before your
session, practise singing your material into any
recording equipment you can get your hands
on - you'll be able hear if there's a difference
between what you think you're singing and
what you're really singing. If there are flaws
you can then identify them and take steps to
correct them.
A common mistake, especially when people are
singing with a group, is to hang around for too
long in the studio before actually getting to the
vocal part, by which time the singer might be
hungry, tired or have a dry throat. On the day
of recording, try to avoid tea and coffee, as
these will dehydrate you. Give yourself breaks;
if you've been standing around all day and
you're just about to record, go for a walk or a
gentle jog round the block. You need to get
your whole body going - not just your voice.
You should do a physical warm-up just as you
would if you were singing live.
There's usually very little resonance in the
studio; it can be a pretty dead sound. Even if
you're singing something that really matters to
you, it can be hard to stir the emotions when
there's nobody around. To counter this,
imagine that you're not confined to the booth,
that you're singing in front of an audience - and
try to remember what the material means to
you.
