Simple Music Secrets

One of the best tips to include in your arsenal of best singing practices in learning harmony singing is to sing along with recordings. DVD, cds whatever. At first choose singing that has only two parts, a lead and a harmony or “backup”. Usually this is something like the Everly Brothers or bluegrass or country music. It is easy to hear two parts and not so easy to pick out a part from 3 parts. Now choose whether you want to sing the lead or the harmony and try to match the notes they are singing. Then turn off the recording and see if you can remember it without the music.Then back to the music and so forth. I was just doing this while washing the dishes so I was prompted to write about it. I listen to Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice singing bluegrass together on two instruments and two voices so it is perfect. Plus I love the music. I am a big roots music fan.One of the best secrets to learning any kind of music or technique is to find ways to do it all the time. have fun.

To sing backup, you must learn to serve the music, not yourself. The meaning of singing backup is to sing behind someone, not compete with them. Backup singing is for those who can be content playing a support role to the idol of the show.

This is a difficult skill to learn and is not much understood or appreciated. The ability to listen and be responsive  is paramount is this style of singing. You have to begin and end the phrase exactly as the main singer does, you must breathe as they do. It may well be good to think of yourself as the singers shadow, never noticed but always present.

Hopefully you have some input or control over where you sit or stand on stage. See to it that you can see the singer at all times. If you cannot see the face of the singer your job will be difficult indeed. You must watch the main singer always. If you are watching the singer you can see when they make a mistake or intentionally take another repeat etc. Watch the singer intently and always be on the lookout for a simple nod of the head or gesture that may indicate a repeat or change of course.

Learn to blend your phrasing to the will of the singer. You can start your line just behind the singers melody if you want to blend properly. Sometimes you are not sure of how loud the singer will be so start quietly and gradually come up to the proper level after the line develops. Be very aware of consonants at the beginning of a line and try to not emphasize them. Two consonants sung slightly after each other will sound disagreeable and is largely avoidable.

The end of melodies are just as necessary as the beginning. You can avoid embarrassment to yourself if you only will ease off your phrase as the singer comes to the end of theirs. So learn to blend phrases, listen and watch the main singer and you can be a backup singer every band wants to hire.