Have you ever wondered what separates the good singers
from the great singers?
Is it perfect notes, is it perfect looks?
What is it?
Well, I've got the answer for you right after this.
OK, today's video is going to be short and sweet.
But don't let my brevity fool you,
today's topic is what separates a good performance
from the great performance.
I'm talking about connection, people, connection
with your audience.
Think back for a moment to a performance
by one of your favorite artists.
What was it about that performance
that got your motor racing?
Was it perfect notes, was it the performer's
drop-dead gorgeous looks?
Probably not.
Allow me to suggest that the reason that performance
is etched into your memory is because the performer connected
with you somehow.
I can think of a couple of vocal performances
that have absolutely captivated me from beginning to end,
and I can still remember one particular performance.
I can still remember seeing KD Lang sing "Hallelujah"
on a live telecast of the Logies,
Australia's version of the Emmys.
I'll put a link to it in the notes section below.
This performance is top-shelf, not because Ms. Lang
hit spot perfect notes and not because she's
wearing a short skirt that leaves nothing
to the imagination.
No, this performance of "Hallelujah"
digs into the narrative of the lyric.
KD Lang reveals the subtext of the song.
Now subtext is that which isn't sung.
It's the intention and emotion of the piece.
Subtext is the very essence of why we sing,
and it's the subtext that empowers
the connection between the performer and the audience.
So how do we dig dive into the subtext
and reveal the narrative of the piece?
Well, I've got a few ideas you might like to try.
First things first, I want you to print out
the lyrics to a song you're working on right now.
Don't just print them off from a website, though.
I want you to copy and paste the text into your word processor
and then I want you to create some space between each line.
This is important because we're going
to be writing in the space in a moment.
Now I want you to think about one or two emotive words
that best describe the song you just printed out.
For this to work, you need to think beyond simple words
like sad and happy.
Remember, we need to move beyond the superficial,
so use Google if you need to and search for highly nuanced words
like dejected or anguished.
These emotive words need to form the emotional platform
of the song you are about to sing.
And now that you've got the emotional platform in place,
I want you to look at each section of the piece.
Most songs take the listener on a journey.
They start in one emotional center
and often they'll end in another.
Now I want you to write different emotive
words or an emotive word next to each verse and chorus.
You must choose a different word for each section
because we want to take the listener on a journey.
OK, now it's time to add your voice to the activity.
I want you to sing the song through using only open vowels.
That's right, no words.
I want you to interpret the meaning of the piece
and connect to the emotive words that you've
written down for each section.
Let me show you what I mean.
Using the song "Broken Vow," have a listen to the melody
when only sung with an ah vowel.
[SINGING]
Now hopefully you could hear the emotion
of the piece coming through despite the absence
of any lyric.
You might feel a little silly at first with this activity,
but do your best to put your awkwardness to the side
and allow yourself to connect with the emotion of your voice.
With the full emotional structure in place,
we are now going to hand write a simple screenplay
in between each printed line.
Now imagine you are writing for a video clip.
What's the story behind the story?
Is the storyline being told in first, second, or third person?
Don't rush this part of the activity.
Spend time thinking about the location of your video clip
and the characters that might occupy your mental movie.
With the emotional structure in place
alongside your fully-developed subtext,
you're now ready to sing through the piece using
the actual lyrics.
The second last step in the process
is to sing through your song with your eyes closed,
and imagine the video clip with all of the powerful emotions
in play.
Once you've sung it through, identify those points where you
felt connected to the piece and those points, importantly,
where you didn't.
And when necessary, rework the emotional framework
and the subtext to achieve a more consistent level
of connection.
Now, simply rinse and repeat.
With a bit of practice, you'll be ready for the final step,
singing your piece for an audience.
Ultimately, we've done all this emotional connection work
so that we can then make a connection with our audience.
This final part takes years of practice,
and most experienced singers will tell you
that they are constantly in search
of those special moments of connection, each
and every performance.
As always, I'm keen to hear from you
about how helpful this video has been to your development
as a vocal performer.
I'm also keen to learn from you guys,
so leave me a comment below and share
your tips about connecting with an audience.
And if this is your first time here at Voice Essentials,
welcome.
If learning to sing is your thing,
then I invite you to subscribe and join
our ever-growing community of passionate singers
from across this big globe.
Who just like you, want to raise their voice in song.
Make sure you take a moment to check out
all of my other singing tip videos
that have been designed to develop your voice
and improve your sound.
I really hope you find them super helpful.
But for now, I'm Dr. Dan.
Sing well.