Microphone workshop notes
How to lead a song at a jam workshop notes
Hi BUGs! I’ve been thinking about people’s experience coming to the mics – which we ALWAYS want to be really fun for them! Before next month’s jam, below are some tips, based on internet resources as well as on my own years of experience using microphones and leading songs, and notes (above) that I’d put together for those who haven’t taken our workshops on "Microphone techniques and how to lead at a jam workshop". I’ve included my notes from that workshop above. Those were hands-on workshops in our home with lots of opportunities for people to try out the techniques with their workshop colleagues.
You may wonder why some people can be heard really well at the mics, no matter what mic they use, like our youngest, Robin, and some people can hardly be heard at all even though they’re trying to stay close to the mic. The difference at BUG isn’t the microphones, it’s people’s vocal techniques and comfort at the mic.
The first thing to remember when you come up to the mic at BUG is to have fun! It’s not a singing competition, no one is judging you and you definitely don't have to be the best singer in the room! Few if any of us, including myself, have been in a choir or taken singing lessons - but that does not matter at BUG! What matters is enthusiasm for your song and sharing that enthusiasm by the way you sing it and your energy at the mic! You’re among a group of supportive friends and you're doing your best to lead them in songs that, for the most part, they haven’t practiced or looked at beforehand. That is a whole lot different from singing in a choir, singing karaoke, or recording a video of yourself! No matter what, believe me - everybody facing you in our BUG room is SO happy that you’ve volunteered to go up to the mic to lead them through a song! You're amazing!
The condenser mic we’ve been using at the guest spot is much more forgiving and better for people who are inexperienced at a mic than the dynamic microphone in the center spot (and it’s a much more expensive mic – the choice of a lot of singing ensembles) and you don’t have to be as close or be right in front of it so it's great for more than one singer as well. What YOU need to do with ALL microphones at BUG is sing out loud and proud all the way to the back of the room!
Above in my notes, and below are some tips to try at BUG when you’re at the mic singing that will help us hear your voice, enable the video-recorders to pick up your voice, and enable our sound engineer to help you sound your very best!
When you use a microphone at BUG, no matter which microphone, you should always sing to the back of the room, aiming your voice past the microphone. This technique, often called "singing past the mic," can improve your vocal presence, projection, and resonance in the mix. By projecting your voice beyond the microphone to the back of the room, you ensure you're using your full vocal technique, the diaphragms in the microphone will vibrate and do their job of enhancing your voice, and that will result in a more impactful and "present" performance. This is especially important because you’ve got nearly 100 ukers strumming and singing in the room and you want your voice to be heard to be able to lead them effectively!
BENEFITS OF SINGING PAST THE MIC
· Increased presence:
Projecting your voice past the mic to the back of the room helps your voice cut through the mix more effectively, making it sound more present, which is necessary for a song leader.
· Fuller sound:
It can help you use your full chest and head resonance, leading to a richer and more dynamic vocal tone.
· Better performance:
It encourages you to perform with the same physical energy and projection as you would without a mic, which can improve your overall vocal technique. If it helps, imagine yourself in a Broadway musical of old, with no mics!
· Consistent sound and avoiding feedback: Being too far away from the mic or singing too softly means that you likely won’t be moving the diaphragms within the microphone – so the microphone is not working for you. If you’re hardly moving the diaphragms because you’re not projecting, the sound engineer has to try to increase the volume to compensate, which can lead to ear-piercing feedback. Singing to the back of the room allows the sound engineer to better control the amplified levels.
HOW TO DO IT
· Aim your voice for the back of the room:
Imagine you are singing to the very back of the room, just as you would without a microphone. Pretend you’re on the old Broadway stage in the days before microphones! You probably had that drilled into your head by teachers at school when you were giving a presentation, or if you ever participated on stage in a school play.
· Sing past the mic:
Let your voice travel through and beyond the microphone. Open your throat and let your sound come from deep within you – it’s a beautiful, almost transcendent feeling when you do that and once you've experienced that, you'll want to get up again and again! The microphone will capture the full sound of your projection and enhance it. For the dynamic mic, make sure your mouth is in front and several inches away from the microphone, then imagine yourself singing through it, as if the mic isn’t there. The condenser mic has a much wider radius for picking up sound and so it can be used by two or three people, but they all have to sing out! Don’t be afraid to sing too loud - it’s very unlikely that you would ever sing too loud. But if you sing too softly, you won't move the diaphragm in the microphone, so the sound, if you can hear it at all, is less than satisfying and the sound engineer can’t fix that. If he tries to crank up the volume too much - feedback.
So sing with your full voice to the back of the room and use the expressiveness and intensity that you would as if the mic was not there. And most of all have fun! We’re all SO happy you’re leading us in song!