How good of a singer were you when you first decided to perform?

[Kentrel]

I'm thinking about doing some performing.. I'm not very good, but I am improving. I think my first step will be to take my guitar and do some street busking and see if I can learn anything from that. I can't bring myself to do Karaoke - its just not me. I'm a raw acoustic guy.

 

I do know I'm better than a lot of singers I see on stage already, so I wonder if I should get out there now, rather than wasting time waiting for a mythical time to come when I'll be "good enough". Stage fright will convince me I'm not good enough even if I am, so I may as well just do it now while I'm naive and have no fears about performing.

 

Was there a moment when you decided that now was the time to get out there and just give it a go?

[ubernerd]

I started singing out of necessity (my band's singer quit and we had shows scheduled). It was really awkward at first, but after a few shows I settled into the role. Now (a year later), it's just become a part of my job in the band.

[SevenString]

I was 5 the first time I sang in a band, in a pub, and was doing it semi-regularly for money by the time I was 7 or 8.

 

So I never really had to answer questions like that for myself.

 

But hey, if you feel you're "good enough", then get on out there. There's nothing like the feeling of performing live in front of an appreciative audience.

[Bajazz]

There's 2 kinds of singers

Those who never are good enough, and those who are better than most.....

 

Get out and perform as soon as possible, it's THE best and most effecient practice for a performer. 1 hour gig count as 10 hours practice in safe and familiar conditions. Stepping out of the comfort zone is always a good thing.

[isaac42]

 

How good of a singer were you when you first decided to perform?

 

 

Not nearly as good as I thought I was!

[Notes_Norton]

I was terrible, I mean I really sucked.

 

I was a sax player in a rock band, and we had a very hard time finding good singers. So we decided to start singing ourselves.

 

It took years for me to get competent as a singer, and I sing well now, but I will never become a truly great singer, just a very good one. I can sing better than most rock singers on the radio, but not as good as the best of them.

 

But it took years of dedication and practice to get where I am, and I'm not done growing yet.

 

Insights and incites Notes

[tim_7string]

I took piano lessons when I was 13, but didn't perform (aside from recitals) until I was actually a lead singer for my very first band when I was 16. I was taking vocal lessons at the time and a band made up of mostly high school Seniors heard about it. They wanted me to sing a few songs to give their main lead singer a break for a Christmas show that was coming up.

 

I had the frontman performing skills down no problem. I prowled the stage, held the mic stand while I sang into the floor ala James Brown (without dropping to me knees, but close) and basically felt pretty comfortable up there. Unfortunately, the vocal abilities were not up to snuff. The songs I did were "Heavens On Fire" (KISS), "Who Made Who" (AC/DC) and "The Price" (Twisted Sister). Paul Stanley's range was just too high for me, Brian Johnson's voice was too difficult to emulate and my voice cracked a bit for Dee Snider's tune. We also worked on "Ride On" (AC/DC) in practice, but strangely, didn't perform it. I say strangely, because that was probably my best song.

 

I didn't become a lead singer again until I formed my own group in 1993. Up to that point, I was just hired as a keyboardist, drummer or bass player. Bands weren't looking to give me the opportunity to front the group, so I had to make my own opportunity. It was a learning process, since I was also figuring out how to be a lead guitarist in a trio situation besides being a co-lead singer with the bassist.

 

Now, many years later, I'm giving it yet another go as the main frontman (though my girlfriend will eventually be singing a lot more songs in the future too). I only did about 6 songs a night in my previous band, so it will be a challenge to flex the pipes again and handle most of the vocal workload again.

[Mamma Cat]

IMO you never feel ready for your first show, the best way is to just get out and do it and see how that goes. Of course, you do need to get to some point, like knowing the songs properly etc., but as far as technique and finer details are concerned, there's always more to learn and space for progress, and if you're searching for perfection, you'll never feel ready. Even if it doesn't go as well as planned, everyone needs to more or less suck before they get good

[rorylawford]

I was singing 'professionally' since I was a little kid. I was the youngest person ever invited in it's 40 year history to audition for the City Boys Choir when I was 5 years old (i was recommended to the Choir Director by my Grad One teacher. After several years there, I joined the Opera Society and sang in several operas before I was a teenager. Then I discovered Kiss and Iron Maiden and Judas Priest ...

 

My guitar at that point took all priority, I dropped out of opera and sat and played metal songs on my guitar for the next few years. When I was asked to join my very first band, it was purely as a guitar player. But the singer was awful and after a few weeks of rehearsal the band let him go. The audition process took forever to find a new guy.

 

So one night at reharsal, my girlfriend (who was there watching) said "Why don't you have Rory sing? He is a trained singer and he always sounds really good singing along in the car to the tape deck". I'm thinking "Shut the {censored} up!!!!", but I agreed to sing at rehearsals while we were looking for a proper dedicated lead vocalist. However, he guys liked my singing and stopped looking for a singer (without telling me). Eventually gigs were booked and so that's how I became a singer/guitar player.

 

Nowadays, I would still LOVE to be in a band and JUST play guitar (maybe do some backing vocals but not be lead - sadly there are too many hot{censored} guitar players who so totally kick my ass on the instrument, so I realize that my voice is my strong suit and what gets me gigs. Even though to be honest, I personally do NOT care for sound of my voice. Just as a matter of personal taste. Honestly, if I bought an album and the singer had my exact voice, I'd never listen to it because it is just not what I like (weird huh lol)

[OldMattB]

Pretty lousy, probably 3 of 10. I had taken lessons for a couple of years, and had come from a real, true 0 of 10. I offered to sing at a restaurant in our little town, and was about as scared as I get.

 

I made it out alive.

 

Now I sing there almost every weekend. I am now maybe a 5 of 10, but what makes it work is I am completely dependable, I have about 7 hours of material, I am respectful and upbeat, I don't say and sing stupid things, and I turn down when I am told to. I have been surprised how much of being a perfomer is administrative (maintaining equipment, building songlists, bookkeeping, printing lyrics, getting supplies, correspondence, web presence, etc.)

 

Get out there and do it, eyes wide open. Look at how people respond. They don't expect greatness, they just want to be entertained.

 

Good luck and tell us how it goes!

 

oldMattB

[romvert]

I was 14 and not very good, but I had the will and the look.

[deMille]

I just wanted to sing, to tell people what was on my mind, in my heart. My parents were absolutely supportive though we grew up through tough times. My mother told me right from the start "sing from your gut, don't just say the words, feel them". As an extroverted introvert, I was timid but wanted to be noticed. I didn't think I was much good but had the desire to make it work.

 

Basic training was in the supply closet at grade school, cheap amps, guitars, drums, with a couple other guys that wanted to play music. I somehow got elected the singer, thought it was grand and tried to imitate every lead singer on tunes we were playing. Did Kingston Trio to all the folk stuff to really early Beatles and "rot and roll".

 

Settled down to doing solo with occasional gigs with groups or having folks sit in with me and developed some style of my own. Still learning. Still trying to stylize.

[underground66]

I sucked!! ha ha Yeah, I was the only guy who couldn't play an instrument so I was the singer by default. I was more a shouter/talker. I really modeled myself after Jim Morrison of the Doors in the early days. Ahhh youth. Took me awhile but I found my own voice and now I can let er rip real good!! I'd try open stages. They are very forgiving and it'll get you over the pressure of it being your own show.

 

http://www.myspace.com/uuunderground66

[BLACKWINGEDBEING]

I was good enough to land a gig with this band that had been playin together for years and ripped all kinds ass but it's been nothin but a slow down hill slide since then.

[deMille]

Kentrel,

 

Reviewing this thread makes me think I was missing the point of your question for which I apologize.

 

Yes, get out there and sing. It appears most of us responding did the same thing in our own way. You seem to have a good basic feel for it and if that's your desire you are doing yourself a great disfavor if you don't.

 

Dale

 

 

 

I'm thinking about doing some performing.. I'm not very good, but I am improving. I think my first step will be to take my guitar and do some street busking and see if I can learn anything from that. I can't bring myself to do Karaoke - its just not me. I'm a raw acoustic guy. I do know I'm better than a lot of singers I see on stage already, so I wonder if I should get out there now, rather than wasting time waiting for a mythical time to come when I'll be "good enough". Stage fright will convince me I'm not good enough even if I am, so I may as well just do it now while I'm naive and have no fears about performing. Was there a moment when you decided that now was the time to get out there and just give it a go?

 

[Auditroph]

I started as soon as when I was able to sing in key with decent intonation. I didn't like my voice, and didn't have any real technique, but I did it anyway, and it went fine.

[rockerdiva]

 

Get out and perform as soon as possible, it's THE best and most efficient practice for a performer. 1 hour gig count as 10 hours practice in safe and familiar conditions. Stepping out of the comfort zone is always a good thing.

 

 

I'd probably say this, too. If you feel you are any good at it at all, go ahead and start making yourself do it under pressure. I sang since I was 13 but didn't really start doing a lot of gigs until age 23. I wish I had done it earlier but I lacked the confidence. I am a harsh self critic - but I can tell you that there is a world of difference in my singing now, after 22 years professional performance. I am pretty proud of my vocal chops now. back then, it was humialiating. And not just for the first few gigs but for the first ten years. Or more. I still have days where I think I suck. But I do know that my worst day now is better than my best back then.

 

It's a wonder I even did it at all, as hard as it was. I guess some of us have this call to do something and we have no choice, even if it is painful at first...

[romvert]

 

I was singing 'professionally' since I was a little kid. I was the youngest person ever invited in it's 40 year history to audition for the City Boys Choir when I was 5 years old (i was recommended to the Choir Director by my Grad One teacher. After several years there, I joined the Opera Society and sang in several operas before I was a teenager. Then I discovered Kiss and Iron Maiden and Judas Priest ... My guitar at that point took all priority, I dropped out of opera and sat and played metal songs on my guitar for the next few years. When I was asked to join my very first band, it was purely as a guitar player. But the singer was awful and after a few weeks of rehearsal the band let him go. The audition process took forever to find a new guy. So one night at reharsal, my girlfriend (who was there watching) said "Why don't you have Rory sing? He is a trained singer and he always sounds really good singing along in the car to the tape deck". I'm thinking "Shut the {censored} up!!!!", but I agreed to sing at rehearsals while we were looking for a proper dedicated lead vocalist. However, he guys liked my singing and stopped looking for a singer (without telling me). Eventually gigs were booked and so that's how I became a singer/guitar player. Nowadays, I would still LOVE to be in a band and JUST play guitar (maybe do some backing vocals but not be lead - sadly there are too many hot{censored} guitar players who so totally kick my ass on the instrument, so I realize that my voice is my strong suit and what gets me gigs. Even though to be honest, I personally do NOT care for sound of my voice. Just as a matter of personal taste. Honestly, if I bought an album and the singer had my exact voice, I'd never listen to it because it is just not what I like (weird huh lol)

 

 

The good news is that you're not alone in the dept of not liking your own tone/voice. Most singers don't. I have the same problem, but when I do good, it's very satisfying for me.

It's funny, I'm actually the opposite of your attitude: I'm a guitarist/violinist that sings and plays mediocre piano. I would actually love to be a frontman, but the burden of the in between rap consumes me. Besides I don't like attention all the time, I just like to pick my spots and be a team player, in general.