The Singer: The Most Vulnerable Band Member

The vocalist of any band always has the most vulnerable position. Not just because they’re usually standing up front, but because the voice is such a delicate instrument. The voice has no volume knob that can be turned all the way up and, as a band, that’s something you need to take into account. Support your singer and you’ll be a better band because of it.

It’s All About Experience

“I remember when I did something completely wrong during a song at a show and the keyboardist yelled ‘No, no, no!’ in front of the rest of the band and the entire audience. It made me feel really small and completely abandoned.” Esther Hart is a seasoned singer with an extensive CV. She started out in a school band; studied singing at the conservatory; sang for ten years in a professional covers band; and, in 2003, represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest. Now she teaches at the conservatorium and is a vocal coach for prominent singers.

Meanwhile, she still performs live and does a lot of studio work. “Being able to coach other people and perform myself is the golden combination. As a singer, I’ve probably experienced everything that you can experience as a performer. Empty venues, you name it. That incident where the keyboardist corrected me on stage was a long time ago, but I still remember it vividly. As the singer, you’re the most vulnerable person on the stage and this is something that the rest of the band really needs to be aware of.”

The Centre of Attention

There are a few things that make the singer vulnerable. “The first is the fact that you’re standing at the front of the stage, so you’re the centre of attention – you’re basically representing the band. Everything that you do well and everything that you do badly can be seen or heard by the audience. I mean, most audience members would never notice if the bassist makes a mistake. That doesn’t apply to the singer. Also, the singer is the member of the band that delivers the lyrics, so they’re the ones conveying the meaning to the audience. It’s very different to playing an instrument.”

Esther also knows too well that an audience often has a very clear opinion about the singer. “During one gig, I could clearly see that a couple of people at the front of the audience kept talking about me. It made me feel really uncomfortable. During the break, I actually stepped off stage and said something to them. They were shocked but it really helped.” What’s also often expected from the singer is a thank you for the applause, some chat between the numbers and an announcement of each song. “None of that is as easy as it sounds, but it’s something I’ve learned to do over the years. You should always give your singer the space they need to learn to do that. It can also help if the band offers suggestions, since the chat can be an important element of the show. Your singer needs to feel like they’re in a safe space so they can learn and grow into a complete front-person. I’m happy to say that the musicians that I’ve had around me allowed me that space. You need to feel free to experiment and find what works and what doesn’t work.”

Artist & Musician

Of course, cooperation between the band and vocalist needs to come from both sides. “As the singer, you’re not just an artist but you’re also a musician,” Esther advises. “So don’t be the person who treats the musicians like they’re just there to serve you, or who feels the right to lecture them about how music should be made. I know that this sometimes happens and it’s really not good. I sometimes do backing vocals and have worked with singers who don’t even turn around to see who they’re playing with.” So, you really need to respect the knowledge of your fellow musicians and respect them as fellow humans. According to Esther, it’s also really important to have at least some basic knowledge of music theory: “Speak their language so that you can actually speak to the musicians you’re working with about music. You don’t need to know the name of every chord, but at least be aware of what all of the terminology used to describe a song means. This will also help you feel less vulnerable as a singer.”

A really important musical detail for any vocalist is the key. “It’s essential that the song you’re singing works for your vocal range,” explains Esther. “You need to be aware of your range, even to a semitone so that you can continue to sing just below your range without your voice breaking. That means seeking out your range, but that’s what makes it interesting. It’s also important to know the limits of your range so that you don’t overstep them and risk damaging your voice. This can sometimes mean that you have to sing a cover in a different key from the original, which can be extra work for the musicians, but often there’s no other option. This is basically about knowing your instrument – so your voice. If you’re struggling to figure out your vocal range yourself, then ask your keyboardist or guitarist to help.”

Open Communication

What’s the best way for musicians to remain aware of the vulnerability of their singer? Esther thinks: “It starts with just always being aware of it as a musician. So don’t just assume that everything that the singer does is easy and comes naturally. On stage, you always need to have open communication. This can actually improve the experience for your audience because they can see that everyone on stage has a great relationship. This will also improve the performance and the music. So it can be a good thing to stop staring at your instrument and have some fun on stage with your fellow bandmates.”

It doesn’t just improve relationships to have good communication on stage, but there are also good musical reasons. Making mistakes is human, as every musician and singer will know all too well. “A singer can sometimes start too early or too late, or sing the chorus where the guitar solo was supposed to happen. In that case, since you’re following the singer, you have to just carry on. Instead of stopping or complaining, try to find a solution together in the moment. Most of the time, the audience won’t even notice that anything happened. However, if you do try to correct each other on stage, the audience will notice. Rather than attacking each other, maintain solidarity because, really, it could happen to anyone. And if things go wrong when you try to fix a mistake, just apologise to the audience and carry on. It even happens at the highest level.” Musicians can also help the singer using silent cues, like a small nod, eye contact, or a specific movement of your guitar to indicate that the solo is about the end so the singer can take over.

Good Monitoring

Good monitoring is absolutely essential for any musician and definitely for the singer. “The singer needs to be able to hear themselves so that they can stay in tune. These days, I almost always perform using in-ear monitoring. It’s also important to get the right balance in the monitor mix between the vocals and other instruments. It can take a little time to learn this. For a singer, it’s important that they can clearly hear the drums, the bass, the keys and, of course, themselves. Just make sure not to have the vocals set too loud, otherwise, it’ll make you sing more quietly.”

You can set the balance of your monitor mix during soundcheck. “Musicians tend to play louder during the actual performance than they do during soundcheck. Often because of the adrenaline,” adds Esther. “But that doesn’t do the singer any favours.” A singer can vary the volume of their voice, but it’s very different from turning up the volume of your instrument or amplifier. “The volume of a singer has a clear limit. You literally can’t sing any louder than is physically possible. A lot of singers have to ask the band to turn everything down, especially in rehearsals. If that happens, don’t grumble about it. If your vocalist sings too loudly, they risk damaging their voice and that doesn’t benefit anyone. Also, during rehearsals, it’s best not to repeat a song again and again, as this can also put your singer’s voice at risk.”

Don’t Panic

‘Support the singer’ shouldn’t just be a mantra for musicians, but also for sound engineers. “There are plenty of times where I had no sound in my monitors at all or the sound was far too loud, all because the sound engineer wasn’t paying attention. If you’re in the middle of a song and can’t signal that something’s wrong, then you have no other choice than to not panic.” Of course, this kind of situation on stage should always be avoided. “If something goes wrong, try not to make a face. Keep looking as cool as you did before or keep smiling and no one in the audience will notice. You can actually – partly – make up for a bad ending by just shouting ‘thank you!’ into the microphone. I’ve made plenty of mistakes on stage over the years. But, because I’m surrounded by professional musicians, any issues are quickly solved and no one knows that anything happened.”

Be Respectful

If you’re a male musician working with a female singer, then give your bandmate the privacy they need while they’re getting changed and don’t just wander into the dressing room. Never make any comments if your singer is getting changed and always travel with your singer if they’re leaving the venue late.