One of the best ways to get a party going is with great music. Even better is having great music with a live band. For those of you that are like me and sing in a cover band, you know there is nothing more rewarding than seeing people smiling, laughing, dancing, having a good time enjoying your music. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s a great job to have. I’ve been singing in a cover band for about 15 years and have been with my current band for 10 of those 15 years, so I’ve had my share of the ups and downs, the joys and pains, the 20,000 person convention party, and the 20 person hole in the wall bar. I can tell you from personal experience, being in a party/cover band is a lot of work, particularly when you are good at what you do and you are in demand as a singer. If you are a cover band singer, here are a few tips to help you be the best performer without losing your mind or your voice!
Don’t Stop the Party! Take Your Time Do It Right!
LOL-I couldn't resit!
Tip #1 Monitor your vocal Load before, during, and after the gig
Let’s face it. Most cover band singers perform in more than one band or situation, have day jobs, and a life outside of performing. Cover band singers have to be aware of their vocal load (how much they are using their voice each day with all their activities combined) and be sure their vocal instrument is strong enough to handle it.
Tip #2 Get the Right Voice Training
Cover band singers are vocal athletes and have to train their voices as such. Make an effort to get the type of vocal fitness training that helps develop the vocal sounds you will be making when you perform. For example, exercises that specifically prepare the voice to efficiently sing a classical aria in terms of sound, texture, and timbre will not prepare the voice to efficiently sing a rock-pop song with an edgy, brassy, or even “speaky” voice quality. So don’t just train the voice; get the right training for the style.
Tip #3 Warm up before you sing
If you are like me, you are constantly running from one place to another, and it sometimes seems like there is no time to train, warm up, or cool down. I’m telling you now, make the time. Warm-up exercises help the voice transition from the speaking vocal range to the singing vocal range. Most people don’t sing and speak in the same range, and therefore need to take the time to prepare the body to reach these pitches/notes easily and comfortably. Not warming up is vocally synonymous with casually strolling along the sidewalk, then suddenly bursting into a full sprint, running for 45 minutes straight. Depending on how in shape you are, that combination can be anything from a traumatic experience to any inconvenience; either way, you end up paying for it later.
Tip #4 Cool Down when you are done
You’d be amazed at how much doing vocal cool-down exercises help with vocal recovery. Cool-down exercises can be as simple as light vocal slides/glides in head voice/falsetto or singing. I personally like Ingo Titze’s straw exercises and thus keep individually wrapped straws in the glove compartment in my car. I normally don’t hang out after a gig is over. I quickly say goodbye to important people and then leave to avoid further vocal use. Once I’m in the car, I do the straw phonation for 7-10, and I’m quiet for the rest of the car ride home.
Tip #5 Pace yourself
Get a repertoire list of the songs you do as solo and the songs you sing background on (if there are other soloists in your band). Organize the songs by those that are easy to sing versus those that are vocally demanding. Make sure to organize your setlist so that all of the vocally demanding songs are not back to back. When singing background, try switching voice parts with other singers so that you are not always singing in the same pitch range all night (I.e., sing top on some songs, middle of some, and bottom on some). When singing lead, consider ad-libbing over the chorus instead of singing the full chorus.
Tip #6 Change the key or arrangement to fit your voice.
If possible, change the key to the song that you are leading if it’s too high. One semitone (1/2 step) can make a big difference in vocal comfort. If you can’t change the key, shorten the arrangement. Consider turning the song into a medley so that you have to sing the whole song. Also, for songs that have key changes at the climax, don’t change keys. When I sing Whitney Houston’s “I wanna dance with Somebody” or Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer,” while I sing them in their original key, I rarely do the modulation at the end. The crowd doesn’t miss it, they are usually singing along, and my voice is happier. In fact, on sing-a-long classics like “Living on a Prayer,” “Sweet Caroline,” “Don’t Stop Believing,” etc., it’s common practice for singers to point the microphone toward the audience to have them sing during the chorus. This gives the singer a break while engaging the audience.
Tip #7 Get your sound right!
The unamplified voice cannot compete with electronic instruments. Singers often overwork or even lose their voice trying to sing loud enough to be heard over drums and electronic instruments. This is not necessary. Be smart. Understanding your microphone positioning, monitor positioning, EQ, sound equipment, and personnel capabilities (and limitations) can really be beneficial in preserving your voice. When all of these parameters are in order, you don’t have to work as hard to project certain vocal qualities, yet you can achieve the same effect. Take time before the gig to figure out your sound. When all else fails, base your vocal output on what you feel instead of what you hear. Learn your physical limits, recognize what it feels like when you are singing at your maximum volume, and then make the necessary adjustments.
Tip #8 Own the song-Be a star
Just because you are not singing your own song doesn’t mean you can’t tell your own story through the song. In an industry where it literally pays to sound like the recording, it is common for singers to lose, or in some cases, not even gain an idea of, their own identity as a singer. Don’t be afraid to push the musical boundaries and add your own flare. Most importantly, commit to telling a story, each and every time singing the song as if you are reliving the moments with every word you sing.
