Tip #2 of the Top10 Tips for a More Confident Performance-Use Dynamics
This tip addresses one of the main issues almost all singers have: they don’t keep the listener’s interest up by changing what they’re doing.
Nothing says boring like a song that sounds the same from beginning to end. The definition of dynamic is, “characterized by constant change, activity, or progress.” So, if the elements of singing: volume, intensity, tone, staccato/legato, etc. are on a flat line throughout your performance, your song will “flatline”.
The way to resuscitate your song when it’s dynamically “dead” is to intentionally practice changing these vocal elements.
Try reading two lines of lyric out loud. Do all the words have the same intensity and volume? You’ll lose your audience if you keep that up. Pick out two or three words per line and accent them (the easiest way is to make them louder, but there are plenty of other ways, too).
Notice how the meaning of the lyrics begins to come alive. Now, practice singing the two lines with the words accented in the same way you read them. This is called Keyword Dynamics.
If making dynamics changes on certain words feels too mechanical at first, don’t worry. When you practice this concept enough, your body and subconscious mind will begin to take over, and you’ll start doing this without having to plan for it.
The second way to make dynamics changes is to have a general map of the volume/intensity to use in each section of the song.
What loudness/intensity makes sense for the first verse? The first chorus? For many songs having the second verse a little louder than the first and the second chorus a little louder than the first creates a ramping up of the energy as the song continues.
By changing dynamics in each section of the song (verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, etc.) you create WAY more audience connection.
This sets you apart from most other singers because the audience can’t predict how you’re going to sing the next line.
Eventually, you’ll be making art with your voice–changing how you sing based on how you feel during the moment, not just singing a song the same way every time. You won’t know how you’re about to sing a line and you’ll be just as interested as the audience to see what happens next!
Want to be a confident singer who makes a powerful connection with the audience? Start using vocal dynamics…..
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