Performance technique is a huge part of entertainment, which is what you’re there for. People will enjoy your material as long as you enjoy it. Let’s look at some key points to help with performance!
CONFIDENCE
One of the biggest hurdles a performer faces – but also our superpower! Let’s be honest, most of us started as bedroom artists, shying away from the real world to pour out our feelings. And that’s where the greatest art comes from!
Very few people have confidence when they start and thats what makes you special. Try some of these tips beforehand:
- Don’t self deprecate – the audience will match your energy
- Understand that music is subjective – not everyone’s cup of tea, so play your best songs and enjoy them!
- Smile! People will pick up that you’re enjoying yourself (Kill them with kindness)
CROWD INTERACTION
This is key to a good performance, and yes, it’s also a tough one to get your head around! Don’t worry – we’ve all been there. This is sadly a skill you only really get through experience (unless you’re Jim Carey). But here’s a few key points:Â
- Introduce the song you’re about to sing (“This song is by ‘x’ and it’s called..”)
- This could also include describing the song without revealing it and letting the audience guess!
- Memorise a couple of jokes to fill silence (pref family friendly!)
- Say hello to people if you’ve seen them before
It’s important to note that audiences are actually more interested in your personality than your personal ability. This doesn’t mean be a try hard – but be authentic and use the tips above in your own style. As with your voice, this comes with time, so just have fun!Â
CROWD PLEASERS
PLAY WONDERWALL! So often said sarcastically…although not really(!!). Like them or not, songs like the Oasis classic are great tools for getting people on board with your show!
While it’s important to stick to your own style, you will find you get more opportunities if you can play some of the more common songs off the cuff. The audience will respond, the energy of the room lifts because people can get involved. And they also rate you on you how well you sing other artists songs, rather than just your own preferences.Â
Do some research online, talk to your network and pay attention outside to see which songs people vibe to most! Check out the Berkshire Artistree socials for busker interviews too.
PERSONAL STYLE
Your authenticity is what makes people gravitate towards you. If you’re a rock artist and you try to sing Ed Sheeran all day, you’ll find it difficult to resonate with people. But if you find some well known rock songs and do them well, people will understand your brand and love it!
As discussed before, crowd pleasers are important, but that doesn’t mean you have to hate them! Try adapting them in the following ways:
- Speed up or slow down songs for a more vibrant environment – match the room’s energy
- Add in different styles (e.g. reggae up strums to non-reggae songs, or hold the notes for more impact in a well known chorus and then repeat)
- Medley some some songs with relative chords together!
- Alter the original melody while singing/playing with trills, vibrato, legato (longer notes) and other methods!
These are all examples and there are many more techniques to go into, which we’ll discuss in further newsletters – go ahead and try some of them out! We’d love to hear any other points to add in the comments below.
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