Croaky Keith
Well-known member
.......try to have fun, otherwise, what's the point. ....
I'm thinking that is the best advice.......
.......try to have fun, otherwise, what's the point. ....
I've led uke groups and play in several uke and mixed instrument jams as well as play solo, like open mics. In the beginning I was quite nervous and can get a bit nervous even now, after playing for 5 years or so. It certainly does get better though. For me, it was a matter of successive approximation. I started just playing alone, then where family could hear me, then where they could also see me but where they are not just sitting and staring at me. Then I got comfortable with the idea of them paying a bit more attention. Next I ventured out to local uke groups and just participated as part of the throng...no pressure. Soon, I found that I could lead a song of my choice, something easy to play and singable. Eventually, I was playing harder things, in increasingly more public settings. Step by step, I got to the point where I can fairly comfortably perform solo.
Still, I find that practice is key. Never perform a song in public that you are only marginally proficient on. Start being performing dead-easy songs. Nothing alleviates nerves more than preparation. Pick songs you love, that really suit your voice. I can't stress enough how important it is to be certain that you are in a key that is good for you and remember it won't always be the same. G or A is most often best for me but it can vary from song to song and also depends on range. I've said this before, but I've played with some excellent (far, far superior than me)guitar players that unfortunately perform songs that definitely are not in their key. I can hear them getting all quiet and squeaky. They seem resigned to think that they just have bad voices and this is going to be as good as it gets. Or other folks will start and find that they are struggling, then have to stop, fiddle with a capo and restart. I feel bad for them. Then it's my turn. I am just an average player with a mediocre alto voice and limited range, but it will feel easy and folks will compliment my playing and singing. The others that went before me are without a doubt, better musicians, but they are not better performers. For me, it really comes down to preparation, good song selection and correct key. Also, by the way, try to have fun, otherwise, what's the point.
There are no truer words. I took singing lessons for a while about three summers ago, and the first day my voice coach asked me what my goals were. I told him not to embarrass myself. He said that was easy. So after five lessons, he told me exactly what you said above. He said "You've found your voice, now just go out and celebrate it." But he told me that the woman who had a lesson before me had been taking lessons for three years. I asked him why he was sending me out after five weeks, and it was taking her three years? I thought that she had a beautiful voice. He agreed that she had a beautiful voice, but he said that she was trying to sing like someone else.Rllink, I think that's very true. You have to find your own groove and you'll be comfortable there and it'll be reflected in your performance. It's like hearing Johnny Cash cover NINs "Hurt" and the end of his career. His voice was more talking than singing but he really conveyed the essence of the song. No one should be afraid to sing. They just need to find their own unique voice and let it out. People don't only want to hear "Bing Crosbies" or "Celine Dions".
As a children's entertainer, usually with as many adults than kids watching I'll echo one thing and add another.
Play right through your mistakes - as if it didn't happen and if you see that someone noticed just keep smiling.
This is so right. Nothing is worse than someone who keeps stopping to apologise or pointing out errors (that noone else noticed!).
My addition - have an "out". If you completely screw up, smile and say something humourous and just move on. Dont dwell on it. Start something else. I appreciate this has gone slightly off your original question but hope it adds to other points being raised.
There is a very popular local entertainer that I know, and I run across all the time at different venues, and he is not a particularly good singer. But he draws a crowd none the less. And I've asked people what it is about him that they like so much, and I get answers like, his songs are "honest", his songs are "raw", he has heart. I often times think that if he was a good singer, he would just be another good singer. But the one thing this guy has is that he connects, and I think he connects because he is what he is, and he isn't apologetic about it. He is actually and inspiration.
Rllink, I think that's very true. You have to find your own groove and you'll be comfortable there and it'll be reflected in your performance. It's like hearing Johnny Cash cover NINs "Hurt" and the end of his career. His voice was more talking than singing but he really conveyed the essence of the song. No one should be afraid to sing. They just need to find their own unique voice and let it out. People don't only want to hear "Bing Crosbies" or "Celine Dions".
There are no truer words. I took singing lessons for a while about three summers ago, and the first day my voice coach asked me what my goals were. I told him not to embarrass myself. He said that was easy. So after five lessons, he told me exactly what you said above. He said "You've found your voice, now just go out and celebrate it." But he told me that the woman who had a lesson before me had been taking lessons for three years. I asked him why he was sending me out after five weeks, and it was taking her three years? I thought that she had a beautiful voice. He agreed that she had a beautiful voice, but he said that she was trying to sing like someone else.
As a children's entertainer, usually with as many adults than kids watching I'll echo one thing and add another.
Play right through your mistakes - as if it didn't happen and if you see that someone noticed just keep smiling.
This is so right. Nothing is worse than someone who keeps stopping to apologise or pointing out errors (that noone else noticed!).
My addition - have an "out". If you completely screw up, smile and say something humourous and just move on. Dont dwell on it. Start something else. I appreciate this has gone slightly off your original question but hope it adds to other points being raised.
My wife broke me of the constant apologizing. That is a big thing with her. She would always ask me what I was trying to accomplish by telling everyone that I wasn't very good at everything. So when I started playing the ukulele I started doing it again, and she nipped it in the bud. Frankly, I think it is obnoxious, especially when someone says they aren't very good, then they are. It is insulting actually. As far as making mistakes during a performance, you just got to let it go. If you dwell on it for even a moment, you're lost.
Here's a good example: my acoustic music jam group met this weekend. We go around the circle and each person leads a song. This week, I picked a song that I love dearly, but chose a key that was slightly out of my range. I ended up croaking out the too-low song from beginning to end. I suppose I could have stopped, apologized, and said "I never should have chosen this song in this key, it's obviously too low for me." But I kept it going, had a lot of fun, and so did others. Nobody complained about my singing. Just keep playing and singing until the end (and, learn to test the key before you bring it in front of a group!).