Singing on and off mic.

IanGouldMusic

Sometimes when I'm in a gig I will "easily" pitch a note in advance off mic then when I go to the mic I instantly strain to hit it. Anyone have this issue?

Klaus_T

@IanGouldMusic I don't get it. can you re-phrase please? thanks

HuduVudu

It's nerves. You need to practice until you feel comfortable with it. When you practice it constantly you won't think about it any more than you would any other note.

IanGouldMusic

Klaus_T. I will literally turn away from the mic and sing the note or phrase coming up and nail it at a comfortable level. Then turn back to the mic and strain my voice to hit the same phrase or note! Psychological problem obviously, and very frustrating. HuduVudu is right in that I need to practice it more. Problem is that I have hundreds of songs in my repertoire. I need to formulate a practice plan.

HuduVudu

I would be willing to wager that there is a common vein to the things that you have problems with. I would note down each and every place that you are struggling in your repertoire. You are probably going to find that almost all of your issues can be boiled down into one or two main issues. Once you get that figured out then you can correct those issues and it will ripple out into all of your repertoire.

Klaus_T

@IanGouldMusic , thanks, got it now! I can't say about live gigs, I am just getting prepared for my first singing gig, but in the practice room, I noticed that I tend to sing much louder with the mic, well the room is loud at the time, so maybe I try to overpower/match the volume of the other instruments subconsciously, it is almost an attitude thing (the style is punk/ska, so that might not translate into other styles). I assume you do the "off-mic" phrases when the band is quiet? then your problem is similar to what I described maybe (not disagreeing with the other "psychological" approach, it just might add up)

You know what they say, train as you fight, fight as you train, or something like that, so maybe set up a similar rig as you would be using live in your practice space, if possible. maybe you can get used to the feeling of using the mic better. using a mic is a different story from unplugged, especially when it is cranked, you feel like under a microscope.

IanGouldMusic

Thanks guys, you're confirming my own ideas and theories and that's encouraging. I'll figure it out. I'm still recovering from a serious bout of bronchitis that wrecked my voice and singing technique a few years ago. It's been a nightmare and my voice just has never been the same. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.