Improve Your Vocals with Video

You can evaluate yourself singing in a very educational way, if you video yourself and take notes. This can go a long way to helping you learn to appreciate the sound of your own voice, as most of us usually don’t like to, but it also will help you to move mountains in performing and singing as a whole, because you can thoroughly listen and evaluate yourself for improvements.

If you’re too nervous to go in front of a crowd at a live performance and take a video of it to playback later, a great way to video yourself at your best is by following this exercise at home:

Pretend that you’re hosting a sold-out concert as the headliner, and you’re about to give your audience the best performance that they’ve ever seen. Create a proper set-list of songs that you plan to wow them with. Make sure your voice is warmed up and you have practiced the songs beforehand, so you’ve studied the tough spots and are ready to take on the show.

Set up your camera or phone in a well-lit area to create the feel of a live concert. Maybe you can even have some sort of musical or themed background in the video to help get yourself in the mood for the performance. Video yourself and give the performance 100%!

Be bold and take on challenging songs that you desire to sing. Remember to coordinate your breathing, incorporate the dynamics and connect to the song in a way to convey emotion to your audience, so they can feel it. Sing in a style that’s comfortable and shows off your voice.

This, believe it or not, is the easiest part of the exercise.

Now, go back and watch the video (eek!). Take notes of the things you did that sounded great and were amazing displays of your vocals. Congratulate yourself on the vocal riff that you pulled off effortlessly, or the way your expression reflected the lyrics you were singing perfectly.

Take notes next, of the things in your performance that need improvement. Look closely and ask questions of yourself such as:

-Did I breathe in the right place?

-Could I have added dynamics here?

-Should I have moved on this line, or should I have stayed still on THIS one?

-Did my facial expressions convey the right emotions for the song?

-Did I strain to reach those high notes?

It can be difficult to watch yourself, and even harder to truly evaluate yourself. Don’t be too hard on yourself either. Every singer has room for improvement in performance.

Now, go ahead and work on those trouble areas, and pull out your camera or phone to video Round 2!

AUTHOR:  KERRI HARDWICK