Lyrics stand and phone in hand …totally unprofessional

It has now become a common sight to see our artistes singing, with the aid of a lyrics stand, and also with phone in hand!

It’s happening at stage shows, dances, hotel lobbies, and even on TV, and it looks so amateurish.

It’s just not professional for you to get up on stage and check out the lyrics from a lyrics stand, planted right in front of you.

You need to be free to look at your audience, move around the stage, etc., and you can’t do that if you’re rooted to one spot because you’re unsure of the lyrics.

One must remember that learning lyrics is just part of life for singers.

The problem with reading lyrics, from a lyrics stand, is that it gets in the way of the performance. And it’s an eyesore on stage, as well.

If you are devoting part of your attention to focusing on the page, on the lyrics stand, you are unable to devote your full attention to serving the song to the audience.

There are other problems, too: a singer who is reading is unable to (appear to) make eye contact with the audience, and furthermore, many singers will tense up a bit more when reading, in a way that affects their singing adversely.

A decent professional performer won’t read. Any performer who reads would certainly put on a better show if they could learn their songs to the point where they don’t need to read.

Handphones, too, are now in use by artistes, at public performances, to check out the lyrics of the song they are singing, and it looks so embarrassing to see such performers in action.

What is our entertainment scene coming to!

In the good old days, how did our performers go about singing, without lyrics stands and handphones for guidance? And, on most occasions, they had just two stand microphones to get their voices carried to the audience.

It was their passion for their profession that made them light up the stage, and the audience loved it.

According to experts, there are techniques for remembering your lyrics and getting them to stick… for good!

Here are three ways that singers remember lyrics:

1. Listen and copy.

Put at least two versions of the song you want to learn and one backing track of the song onto your phone or whatever you use to listen to. The first version needs to be the actual song with the artiste singing the lyrics. Put the backing track next on the playlist.

Then put the second version third on the playlist and again, follow up with the backing track.

When we sing along with the artiste, we don’t really memorize the lyrics because the artiste is constantly reminding us of what they are. This is why, following up with the backing track means you’re forced to memorize the lyrics yourself.

Having two different versions only strengthens this, because it jolts you out of hearing the same thing again and again. The second singer may hold notes differently or sing in a slightly different rhythm, etc. By having two versions, followed by a backing track, it’s a sure fire way to get that song into your head properly.

2. Read through the lyrics properly and work out what they mean.

What is the song you’re learning really about and what is the artiste trying to say?

Imagine yourself walking through the song like it’s a movie and have it play out in your mind. If the lyrics say ‘come on lets party tonight’ then imagine yourself getting dressed up to go out to a party.

This will help you to remember your lyrics because most songs follow a story line. You go out to a party and then what? You meet a guy, or dance with your friends. Stories are more memorable that just trying to remember words.

And, as an added bonus, this technique will help you to deliver the song better because you know what it is you’re singing about.

3. Try a written method of learning to kick-start your memory.

People learn in a variety of ways. Some people prefer to listen, some people need things visually in front of them to learn, while some people need to write the lyrics out themselves in order for them to get stuck in your brain.

Instead of downloading the lyrics online, take the time to write them out by hand or on your computer, and you may find that you start remembering them.

So now you have three different methods for remembering song lyrics. Just choose whichever method you feel will work best for you.

Happy singing…WITHOUT those lyrics stands and handphones, please!