Incorporate practice time into your daily routine. Take an hour or so to practice each day. Challenge yourself a little more with each practice session. At first, you may sing while reading the lyrics on the page. As you continue to practice, try to rely more and more on memorization alone. To study your stage presence, try singing in front of a mirror and studying your facial expressions. You can also record yourself singing and play it back to yourself. You can identify any weak spots and focus on those in another practice session.
Think about the speaker behind the song. How does the speaker feel and why? With a song from, say, a musical this can be easy. You can look into the character’s history. With a song with a more abstract narrator, however, the information you have about the singer is limited to the song. Read through the lyrics and try to analyze what’s happening emotionally. How does the narrator feel? Why? Try to learn a bit about the writer of the song. This can help you better understand what the song may be about. If a writer has a sad romantic history, for example, knowing this brings a lot of added context to a love song.
Focus on one verse at a time. Trying to memorize the entire song in one sitting will be too stressful. It can help to walk fast as you recite the lyrics. Reciting the lyrics quickly, with quick body motion, forces you to say them without thinking. This can help the lyrics become an automatic response. Focus in on the lyrics you typically forget. There may be a certain pattern, and being aware of this pattern can help you remember when to focus more during a performance. For example, you may have pronoun issues. You may have a tendency to say “I” and “me” instead of “you. " Try to be conscious of this as you proceed to sing for an audience.
It can help to choose people who are not afraid to be constructively critical. You want to sing to someone who’s willing to give fair feedback. Do not select someone who’s overly positive or overly negative. You should also pick someone who knows something about singing. If you have a friend or family member who sings as well, this could be a great person to listen to you perform.
Who is the speaker in the song? What is he or she thinking? Where has he or she been? Where does he or she hope to go? Who is the song for? Is the speaker singing to a generic audience, or is this song directed at a particular person?
Hold the microphone by the shaft instead of the head, as not to muffle the sound. If you’re singing at a lower frequency, sing close to the mic. If you’re singing louder, or in a more booming voice, keep your head away from the microphone. If you don’t like the sound you’re getting, try switching the angle slightly. This can help tweak the sound just slightly.
Prior to taking the stage, do some exercise. Go for a walk or a run. Do some stretches. Exercise is great at stress reduction. Pose questions for yourself before each line that ask about the line’s context. This is a trick that allows you to pretend you’re answering an individual’s questions instead of singing to a big crowd. For example, say you’re singing “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles. Before the line, “Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice in the church where the wedding has been,” imagine someone asking you, “What does Eleanor Rigby do after the wedding?” If you’re feeling insecure, remember any compliments you’ve received for your singing in the past. This can help fuel your passion and keep you focused on stage.
You can try walking and then changing direction every time the speaker has a new line. This can help show you’re moving through thoughts on stage. You can also try moving your hands to the rhythm of the music.
You should also focus on what your body is doing. Strive to be aware of your hands and face as you sing. Avoid distracting gestures, like playing with your hair or picking at your fingers. Also, be aware of your posture. Try to stand tall when singing. Not only does this convey confidence, it can help elevate your voice.
Swing your hips and do a small dance. This can help make you look like more of a performer, while simultaneously distracting you from stage fright. Try to dance to the beat of the music. Tap your feet and wiggle your shoulders slightly.
Think about the song as you sing it. You’ll be more likely to use the appropriate expression if you’re really invested in the words. It may be a good idea to sing in front of a mirror in the weeks leading up to your performance. You can use the mirror to gauge whether you have a tendency to grimace or make an unpleasant face while singing.
