Bonne Nuit Playing A Live Gig

   Every live band wants to be the best band that they can be. I’ve seen so many bands that practice, practice, practice and never really feel ready to get out and play a gig. I’ve seen bands begin and end in the practice studio without ever getting out and playing a live show. The biggest reason for this is the fact that the band never feels ready to get out and play a gig. So they practice and practice until they’re bored and then they end up giving up.  

   One of the biggest truths I’ve discovered in my years playing in live bands is that there is nothing like having a gig on the calender to make your band improve. If you’re practicing and you don’t have any shows scheduled then you’re missing some very much needed motivation. A gig deadline will force your band to get down to the essentials needed to perform a live show. You’ll stop wasting time at practice working on every little detail and focus on what needs to get done to play your upcoming gig. The arguing about what songs to learn will stop as you decide on a final set list for your show. It will be time for every member to commit the time needed for rehearsals and personal practice in order for the gig to happen. Nobody likes to look bad onstage and that will help your band keep it’s focus as you prepare for your gig.

   After you play a gig you’ll have a reference point for where the band really needs to improve. You’ll know which of your songs didn’t go over well onstage. You’ll know what kind of stage showmanship the band will need to practice. You’ll also hear your band improve simply because you successfully played an entire gig from start to finish. The more gigs you play, the better your band will become because it’s virtually impossible to simulate the gig experience in the practice studio. That’s why I’m telling you that gigging is the best way to improve your live band.

   So my advice today is to get out and schedule any gig you can get. Even if that means playing for free at your cousin’s birthday party. Having that deadline will make your band better.

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To Make Your Live Band Better Schedule Gigs

Matt, Ted and Tom Keep The Show Moving

   I’ve played in a lot of different live bands over the years and one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is keeping the show moving along at  nice pace. What I mean is minimizing space between songs, also known as Dead Air. Dead air happens between songs and can be a serious show killer. If you aren’t engaging your crowd, you’re losing them and that’s a bad thing.

   There are some key ways to minimize dead air between songs. The most important is to have a well organized, printed set list for every person in the band. When you plan your setlist it’s a good idea to group songs into sets of 3 that are easy to transition from song to song. When setting up a group of 3 songs you can group them by instrument changes, tunings, singer rotation or effect settings. After awhile, your band will remember what songs are grouped together in three’s and be able to transition quickly between those songs. This makes it easy to tweak your set list on the fly and still maintain some continuity by keeping the 3-song sets together.   

   Another way to minimize dead air is to have a backup instrument ready in case of an instrument failure. I always play every gig with two guitars and I use them both during the gig. If one of them breaks or goes badly out of tune in the middle of a set, I can just grab the other guitar.

   You can also minimize dead air by planning when you will talk to the audience during the show. If there’s a point in the show where the guitar player has to make setting changes that’s probably a good time to have the singer make announcements or just use good stage banter with the audience. If you plan for these spaces you can make sure something is happening to keep the audience engaged.

   Having some drum and bass riffs ready to play between songs is a great way to fill dead air as well. It’s always a good idea to have some music going while you talk to the audience and having some riffs to play while the singer is talking to the crowd can really liven things up. Talking over song intros and endings is a great way to keep things moving along as well.

   If you’re not sure how much dead air your band has between songs, record an entire gig and listen back to it. You can really learn where your band is lacking in audience interaction. Having too much space between songs and ignoring your audience while you deal with tuning or instrument changes is never a good thing. The audience will get bored and they’ll soon leave. With a little planning as well as practicing moving quickly from song to song, you’ll be able to make the best of your show!

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Keep Your Show Moving And Minimize Dead Air

Matt's band "In Stereo" plays outside at the 2002 Winter Olympics

   It’s the time of year when many live bands will have opportunities to play outside in some cold weather. I know I’ve played outdoor New Year’s Eve gigs, gigs on outside decks at ski resorts and some sweet gigs outdoors at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. For a live band, it’s essential stagecraft to know how to deal with cold weather.  I’ve played in temperatures well below freezing and I’ve learned a few things along the way. Here’s a list of things you’ll want to consider when playing outdoor winter gigs. I’ll discuss each in more detail below:

1. What type of stage will you be playing on?
2. Will there be any stage heating?
3. What types of clothes should you wear?
4. How can you keep your hands warm?
5. How do you care for your instruments in the cold weather?   

   First of all, it’s really not as bad playing outside in the winter as you might think. The key, as always, is preparation. The first thing you want to do is find out what type of stage you’ll be playing on. Will you be directly exposed to the elements or will you be under some type of canopy or cover? It’s important to find this out because knowing what type of covering will be over the band will affect several other decisions you’ll have to make when playing the gig.

   If you’re going to be under some type of covering then you won’t have to worry about having waterproof tarps at the ready to cover your equipment in case of a major snowfall. If you’re going to be under the sky, then you need to be prepared for water and have tarps at the ready to cover your equipment should snow or rain start to fall. Most equipment can handle a few drops of rain or some flakes of snow, but if it starts coming down hard it’s better to cover your equipment and cut your losses.

   Another thing you’ll want to find out is if there will be any stage heating. I’ve played under those big, umbrella shaped propane heaters and they were really nice. I was able to take my coat off while I was playing. I’ve also played with those big propane heat blasters blowing hot air all over the stage, that wasn’t too bad either. I’ve also played on unheated stages that were completely open to the cold air. Knowing what type of heating your stage will have will directly affect how you dress for the show.

   Let’s assume you will have no stage heating and will be exposed to very cold temps. The key is to layer your clothing. Wear some thermal underwear and then layer clothes on top of them. Another thing I do is carry a lot of those disposable hand warmers in my pockets to keep my body warm and to warm my hands between songs. I also wear a good thick pair of wool socks with some bitchin’ looking heavy black boots.

   You can wear stage clothes that look great but are too hot to normally wear at indoor gigs. It’s a good time to wear really killer looking Gothic coats that are too hot to wear on an indoor stage. There are a lot of really great clothes you can wear at an outside gig that you can’t wear indoors such as ski jackets, knit hats, Russian hats, down vests and heavy leather. It’s a great excuse to buy some killer new stage clothes.

   You really want to keep your hands warm. If you play guitar you can cut the fingertips off of gloves and still be able to play okay. I personally just like to use handwarmers between songs. I move around a lot onstage so I keep my body temperature high by moving and that helps keep my hands warm as well. If you’re a drummer, you can play in some tight fitting mechanics gloves or Zildjian Drummer Gloves made specially for drummers.

   Finally, before you play, make sure you get your instruments out in the cold and let them acclimate to the weather. The best way to do this is to move them outside while still in their cases and let them sit for about 45 minutes. Then take them out of their cases, tune them and let them sit in the cold for another 30 minutes. This should give your instruments time to acclimate to the weather and it will help you avoid tuning problems.

   When you’re finished playing, put the instruments back in their cases and move them to a medium warm area. Never take your instrument un-cased directly from sub-freezing temps to a warm room. You can totally ruin your instruments finish and in extreme cases, cause the wood to basically explode. Use your case as a buffer for controlled cooling and warming of your instruments.

   So there you have it, a few tips to help you in your cold weather gigs this year. I hope you all have fun playing outside. It’s always been a memorable experience for me.

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Tips For Playing Live Band Gigs In Cold Weather

Elvis Rockin' Christmas

The season is upon us and it’s time to play those holiday gigs that come to all working live bands. I don’t know if your band is like mine, but it seems like every year we talk about learning a Christmas song or two and we just never seem to get around to it. So the holidays come and we just play the same old stuff at our shows. That’s why I’m going to give you some tips on preparing some holiday songs for your live band so you can be ready for the season.

Obviously the most important thing is timing when to learn the song. It’s better to learn the song well before your holiday shows. So if you’re planning on playing some Christmas songs in December, it’s a good idea to start learning them in October. By learning the songs that far in advance, you’ll be able to iron out the rough spots and really do a good performance of the song when your holiday shows come. Believe me, your audience will be able to tell if you learned the song 3 days before the show.    

The next thing you want to do is pick some songs to fit the occasion. If you’re going to be playing in a dance club, then pulling out Bing Crosby’s version of “White Christmas” probably isn’t going to go over really well. There are some great danceable Christmas songs like “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” that would really fly at a dance gig.  If you’re playing some corporate parties for the holidays then some good old Christmas classics like “The Christmas Song” could really fit the bill.

Another thing you want to remember when it comes to playing Christmas songs in your live band is to be sure your audience is ready and wants to hear a Christmas song. I’ve been shouted down doing a Christmas song because the people in the club were not in a Christmas mood even though Christmas was about two weeks away! The best thing to do is get on the microphone and with a cheerful shout say “Who wants a rockin’ Christmas song!!”. Your audience will let you know if they’re ready to hear one.

Finally, don’t play too many holiday songs unless the management has specifically asked you to play a lot of them. It’s always better to just play one or two holiday songs and leave the audience wanting more. Some of my favorite holiday shows have featured exactly one Christmas song, as an encore. It leaves everyone in a a positive and upbeat mood and will have them talking about your band all the way home.

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Playing Christmas Songs In Your Live Band

Haul Less Equipment With A Small Amplifier

   One of the least fun things about playing in a live band is hauling your equipment around. Of course, having the right equipment is crucial to being able to put on a live gig. So it seems like the longer you play in a band, the more equipment you acquire and then have to haul to your gigs. It’s a problem that can quickly get out of hand and can leave you feeling overwhelmed when it’s time to load up and haul all your equipment to the gigs.

   When I started playing in bands I had one electric guitar, one distortion pedal and one amplifier. It wasn’t bad to haul that small setup even though my amp was really heavy. Naturally over the years I added more guitars that I used onstage, more effect pedals and multiple amplifiers. When my guitar rig was at it’s biggest I was hauling 3 guitars, two amplifiers, an effects rack, multiple effects pedals, wireless guitar system, microphones to mic the amps and all the necessary audio and power cables to hook everything up. I also had to haul my vocal microphone, mic stand, guitar stands and a couple racks of lights to the gigs. Needless to say, I hated hauling all that gear even though it was necessary to my show.   

   I finally decided that enough was enough and I started to look at ways to reduce the size of my rig. I started researching amplifiers and    found the excellent Fender Cyber-Twin SE which could replace a big chunk of my guitar rig! Just by switching to this amplifier I got rid of an extra amplifier, the effects rack, the amp microphones and several effect pedals. Simply by switching to a more capable amplifier I was able to cut the size of my guitar rig in half and I am still able to get all the effects and sounds that I need live.

   I also decided I didn’t need more than two guitars at a gig. I only use a primary guitar and a backup so I usually take a Fender Stratocaster and a humbucker equipped guitar such as a Gibson Les Paul or an Ibanez Prestige. Just by doing these small things I’ve cut the size of my rig way down and made my life hauling equipment to gigs much easier.

   It’s always in your best interest if you want to keep playing in a live band for a lot of years to make things easier for yourself. I’ve never met anyone that loves hauling equipment to gigs so downsizing your rig is a simple way to make gigs easier. There are a lot of ways to downsize your P.A. as well, including getting more efficient amplifiers and speakers. There are some new technologies that look very promising like the Bose L1 Model II System which has the potential to save you a lot of P.A. hauling.

   Finally, I can’t recommend enough having a good equipment hauling cart! So many musicians don’t use these and have no idea how much easier it is to load equipment in and out of a gig. There are many good equipment carts out there that fold down small enough to fit in the trunk of your car yet can still haul hundreds of pounds of equipment in a single load.

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Make Your Live Band Gigs Easier By Downsizing Your Rig

Shufflin' Noah Rockin' The 90's

  I’ve played to audiences of 1 person and I’ve played to audiences of 10,000 people over the course of my career in a live band. I’ve made some basic mistakes over the years and I’ve learned some good lessons from them. One mistake that I made early on in my career was not seizing the moment and giving an over-the-top show when I’ve played in front of very large audiences.

   I consider a large crowd to be anything over 1000 people. I have played to audiences of 1000 or more quite a few times over the course of my career as a live musician. It’s such a great feeling to look out and see a big crowd but it can also be quite intimidating and I’ve blown it a couple times.      

   Let me give you an example. My band Shufflin’ Noah was working the all-original scene back in the mid 90′s and we were used to playing to audiences of 20 to 50 people. We were tight, had great songs and could put on a reliable show. We landed a 4th of July gig at the local lake opening for the headline act. It was a great day and around 2000 people showed up to the show.

   We were extremely well rehearsed and the music was spot on that day. But we made a mistake and we didn’t work the crowd like we should have. The crowd welcomed us to the stage with a large ovation and we proceeded to play very well but we didn’t talk to the crowd enough. We didn’t interact with the audience like we should have and the audience slowly lost interest in what we were doing up there.

   We really didn’t see much come from that gig in terms of more bookings. We got some good applause that day and had a lot of people come up and tell us we were really good. But we didn’t get any other gigs from that show and I believe it was because we didn’t seize the moment and take control of that crowd.

   Now, flash forward about 8 years and hundreds of gigs later. My band “In Stereo” landed two nights at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. We opened for Sheryl Crow on one night and Barenaked Ladies on the second night. When we hit the stage there were 10,000 people there and we knew not to let the opportunity pass.

   We worked the crowd like crazy those nights. We talked to them, pumped them up and even ran down off the stage with our wireless instruments and gave the crowd some high-fives while playing our show. It was very spontaneous and we seized the moment.

   After those shows we got opportunities to open for Little River Band, Joan Jett and Quiet Riot. We got a lot of bookings out of those Olympics shows and I believe it was because we made an impression working the crowd. Somebody saw that we were capable of carrying a crowd and we got bookings because of that.

   So my point in all this is, when it comes time to step up your game you need to do it. If you get a big crowd, don’t let a case of stage fright do you in. Make sure you’re well rehearsed and just let it rip! Use your stage banter and get talking to that crowd. Those big crowds are the best and you don’t want to regret letting a moment slip by. So seize the moment and make it count! -Matt-

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Seize The Moment If You’ve Got A Large Crowd

Bob Dylan - Good Singer or Bad Singer?

   Today I’m going to address a topic that is a personal pet peeve of mine. I personally don’t like labeling artists as either “Good” or “Bad”. That goes for anybody that creates a work of art including painters, writers, musicians or any other person that creates something from nothing. Art is subjective and what’s beautiful to one person, may seem ugly to another. But, my real pet peeve is the labeling of something as unique as an individual human voice as either “Good” or “Bad”. The sad thing is that I hear comments from the crowd about good vs. bad singing every time I watch a live band play.   

   The reason this bothers me so much is the fact that no two individual voices are the same. Your voice is the one truly unique instrument you possess. There is no possible way to sound “exactly” like someone else. This has been proven by computer voiceprint analysis. Voices are unique and this presents a huge problem in the labeling of a “Good” or a “Bad” singer.

   The only way to even begin to label a singer as either good or bad is to have a pre-determined set of criteria that would define a good singer. For example let’s say the criteria for a good singer would be the ability to sing in tune, hold the pitch, have proper pronunciation of the lyrics, and project their voice at a certain volume level. Using this criteria we can say that Bob Dylan is a “Bad” singer since he does none of the aforementioned criteria. Yet he has sold millions of recordings and his singing has evoked an emotional response directly as a result of his singing.

   I’m not trying to make the argument that Bob Dylan is a good singer but I am saying that his singing is touching millions of people. One of the reasons he is successful is because his voice is unique and he is using that uniqueness to deliver his songs. I say it’s at least unfair to label Bob as a “Bad” singer when he is only being himself. The key is getting an emotional response from others when you sing.

   Let’s take a look at the American Idol phenomenon which represents the dregs of the Good Singer Vs. Bad Singer debate. It’s fascinating to watch season after season as some very unique singers get trashed to pieces because of their “lack of talent”. Take William Hung for example, he is technically not a good singer at all. But William is a case of a ”he’s so bad, he’s good!” style singer. I think that in some weird way, his honesty comes through on his album that he is trying his best to sing from his heart.

   In the end, even American Idol voting comes down to which individual voice the voters prefer. The final singers all have the ability to sing at a level that would meet the technical criteria of a “Good” singer. The winner is the person that draws the biggest emotional response from the voters. That’s all Bob Dylan does when he makes an album sale but I doubt Bob would win American Idol.

   My point is, don’t be afraid to use the most unique musical instrument you will ever possess. Nobody will ever have your voice so you may as well sing the best you can and get out there and share it. One of the most important things I looked for when putting my band In Stereo together is that everyone in the band was not afraid to sing. We all sing and it really makes our band more unique than the rest. Even if you aren’t the lead singer, singing backup can completely change the sound of your band for the better.

   If someone tells you that you’re a “bad” singer then just shrug it off. They don’t know what the hell they’re talking about obviously. Just keep singing and working on your pitch and the ability to sing in tune. Working on your ability to harmonize will serve you well when you play in a band. It’s your voice, use it!!

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The Good Singers Vs. Bad Singers Debate

In Stereo Sings 3-Part Harmony

   One thing I’ve found from all my years of playing in a live band is that things are constantly changing. The type and quality of equipment is always changing. The current popular songs are always changing. Your live band has to constantly change as well just to keep up with everything else. Believe me, the best way to let your band die is to refuse to change.

   One of the biggest problems I see in live bands is they become unwilling to change to fit the their ever changing environment. The biggest reason for this is because of plain old laziness. It takes work to keep your band up to date and relevant. The biggest mistake that bands make is an unwillingness to change their set list. You really need to get rid of songs that you’ve been playing forever and start learning some new songs. Your song list should be constantly added to and changed up at gigs.  

   I’m not saying you should quit playing the songs that are guaranteed to fill the floor with people everytime you play them. But you should be willing to learn new songs and maybe swap out a classic song that you’ve been playing for a while with a classic that is new for the band. Your fans will appreciate hearing you do some new music instead of seeing the same show they saw from you last year. A key thing you have to be aware of is if you’re bored playing a song, your audience is bored of hearing you play it. Learn some new music!!

   As for guiding your live band’s evolution let me tell you a little bit about my bands. When I started my band “In Stereo” we wanted to play lots of electronic, sequenced dance music. We got two girl lead singers and proceeded to get out and play that type of music. Things went well and we got a lot of gigs but over time the gigs became fewer and there began to be tensions in the band.

   This led to a change in the band. I knew that I wanted to move away from the electronic dance stuff and play more dance rock and rock-n-roll. So when the girls decided to leave we rebuilt the band with guys that wanted to play more rock. We continued to play and the gigs picked up again and we became more popular than ever. I was able to help guide the evolution of In Stereo by having a clear, defined goal of what I wanted to do with that band and it payed off very well.

   Now let me tell you about my original band “Shufflin’ Noah“. Shufflin’ Noah started out as an all original band which incorporated multiple songwriters and singers. All the songwriters would bring completed songs to rehearsal and the band would learn them. We played a lot of gigs, recorded an album and had a great time doing it.

   After a while, the enthusiasm wore off and we retired to the studio. Songwriting became a lot more fun as we learned to create music together as a group. We have evolved into an amazing jam band and have taken improvisation to a level we never dreamed possible. It’s been a very organic evolution and has not been planned. The downside is, we don’t play out very much and that’s a drag because we have a ton of music that deserves to be heard. Hopefully, soon, you’ll see Shufflin’ Noah on the stage again.

   My point in all this is that it’s very important to let your band evolve. To succeed, you must allow your live band to change and grow. If it’s not then you need to force a change, such as learning new songs.  It’s always better if you have an idea of what you would like to evolve into and have a plan to market that evolution so you can keep playing your live gigs. Rock on people!! -Matt-

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Dealing With Change And Guiding Your Live Band’s Evolution

In Stereo with Frank Lee

   A couple weeks ago my live band , In Stereo, was faced with a situation that you hope you never have to deal with. We had an important gig scheduled and one day before the gig our drummer, Ted,  came down with a life threatening staff infection in his ankle. It was very obvious as soon as he was admitted into the hospital that there was no way he would be able to play the gig. That left us with a commitment to fulfill with the club that had us booked and as you know, the show must go on. So what are your options in a live band when one of your core members goes down?    

   I’ve written an article detailing the importance of having a stable core group of musicians where I talk about the three or four most important positions in a live band. Obviously, the drummer is pivotal in any live band and if your drummer goes down the gig is usually over. But you do have options, with the most obvious being gig cancellation. Cancelling a gig is never a good thing because it leaves the club without an act for the weekend which is when clubs make the bulk of their money. There are other, much better options that you need to think about and prepare for.

   The first option is to find a musician that can fill in for whoever you are missing. The best way to do this is to have someone that knows your band’s music and can simply step in and play. We were lucky in my band In Stereo to have the original drummer, Frank Lee, available and willing to step in for Ted and play the weekend show. He knew enough of our songs that he was able to simply show up both nights and play 40 songs with us. That’s a pretty tall order for a musician and it can be a challenge to keep the quality up to a high level. You definitely don’t want someone up there that is guessing the entire night and making your whole live band sound bad. It’s very important for everyone in the band to network with other bands and musicians so you have a list of people you can call when you need someone to fill in. You may even be able to borrow a musician from another band to fill in with your band for the weekend. Most musicians will rise to this challenge and it ends up being fun for everyone.

   Your second option is to find another band to fill in for your band. A lot of times this is the easiest and best solution simply because the quality will stay high and you will look very good getting a fill-in band lined up for the club. Again, this is why it’s so important to network with other local bands that play in the same clubs you play in. You should always have a list of other bands you can call to fill in for you in case you face a situation where it will be impossible for your band to play the show. If you have a booking agent, they may have  some contacts with other bands that could fill in for you in an emergency as well.

   Remember how important it is to keep a good relationship with other bands and musicians in your local scene. It’s always a good thing to network on MySpace and Facebook with other local bands so you have someone to call in a band emergency situation. Lucky for my band, Frank was available and did a fantastic job saving our gig. Ted is now recovering and it looks like he’ll be back up there behind the drumset soon.

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How To Deal With An Emergency That Threatens To Cancel A Band Gig

Bill says, "What was the next lyric?"

   One of the most essential skills a live singer must develop is the ability to memorize song lyrics. As a singer in a live band you may be called on to memorize 40 songs or more worth of lyrics. That seems like an overwhelming amount of song lyrics to memorize when you look at that number. The fact is, singers do it all the time and believe it or not it’s not an insurmountable task. As with everything that you’ll do in a band, it begins with the first step. Today I’m going to talk about some tips that will help you in your quest to memorize a setlist worth of song lyrics.

   All big tasks are easier when you break them down into smaller parts. The first thing you need to do is decide what song you want to memorize. It helps if you’re already familiar with the song but even if it’s a new song that you’re not familiar with there is a specific way to approach memorizing every song that you want to learn. The first thing you should do is find a copy of the lyrics. We used to have to sit with a recording of the song and struggle to figure out what the singer was saying. Doing that took a lot of time and led to a lot of lyrical errors. Nowadays most CD’s come with the lyrics printed in the booklet. If you’re using downloaded MP3′s you can check the artists website for a copy of the lyrics. This way you know you’ll have the correct lyrics for the songs. If you don’t have the CD or you can’t get the lyrics from the artist website you can use Google to search for the lyrics. The best way to search is to use the following search terms “Song Name Lyrics” you will usually get a lot of lyrics results. When you use Internet search to find lyrics, make sure you check them against other versions of the lyrics as well as using your own judgement as to whether or not they have been transcribed correctly. Once you have a copy of the lyrics, it’s time to start memorizing.

   Again, simply break it down into the smallest step and memorize the first line of the song. A lot of the time when you’re onstage if you remember the first line of the song, the rest will follow naturally. After you have the first line memorized it’s time to start getting familiar with the song and looking for patterns in the song. A lot of songs repeat sections, such as the chorus, over and over so it might make sense to memorize those sections first. Take a look at the lyrics and see if the song tells a story. If the song tells a continuous story it will be much easier to memorize. You simply memorize the story and then tell it. Some songs seem to be nothing but random words or phrases that sound good together but don’t really say anything. For these times it will be a matter of repetition before you have it down. You will want to listen to the song a lot. Listen in the car, while you exercise, in the shower and while falling asleep. While you listen to the song, use the rhyming that occurs in most songs to help you remember the lyrics. While you’re learning the song it’s a good idea to emphasize  the rhymed words by saying them louder than the rest of the line so you can get used to hearing them. Using the rhymes will help you remember the phrases that lead to them. Another thing to really focus on is the rhythm of the lyrics. I can’t stress this enough because if you learn the lyrics in rhythm it will really help you remember them.

   After you get the basic patterns of the song figured out, memorize the easy sections first. For instance, start with the Chorus since it will repeat itself more than once. You can also work on memorizing the first lines of each verse. Again, if you learn the first lines the rest of the verse will usually pop into your head naturally. Once you start to get things memorized fold the lyrics sheet in half so you can’t see the lyrics and sing along with the song. Only open the lyrics to look at them if you get stuck while singing. You can also print out a lyrics sheet that only has the first lines of each verse and chorus on it to prompt you if you get stuck. Once you can sing along with the entire song without your lyrics sheet, it’s time to turn off the CD or MP3 player and sing the song without using the original recording.

   The best way to make sure you have the lyrics memorized is to sing the song acapella with no accompaniment at all. I like to do this in the shower in the morning. Another thing that will truly help you is to snap your fingers or tap out a beat while you sing the lyrics to yourself. If you get stuck just start tapping or snapping and the lyrics will pop into your head. There is something about having a steady rhythm that will really help you to remember the lyrics. It’s a natural response to sing song lyrics to a beat since they were originally written with a rhythm anyway. Once you can sing the lyrics acapella I guarantee you’ve got them memorized. You won’t look like an amateur by having lyrics with you onstage. That’s a major no-no for a professional singer.

   There will always be some songs that are extremely easy to memorize and some that can really make you struggle. Another tip is to always have a copy of the songs you sing on your iPod or MP3 player. When I’m driving to gigs, I will play the songs that are new or that I struggle to remember. By brushing up on them right before the show I rarely forget the lyrics. If you finally get up onstage and have a brain freeze don’t be afraid to repeat a verse you remember or even make up some new words. Just don’t stop singing!! Most of the people in the audience don’t have the lyrics memorized anyway and the bulk of the people won’t even notice that you messed something up. Of course the ones that do know the words will let you know you messed them up, but who cares!! You’re the singer, just remember to get up there and have fun. Some of the best times I’ve had are making up “alternate” lyrics right there onstage. It’s always good for a laugh later on.

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Some Tips For Memorizing Song Lyrics