Let’s say you have a band, you’re a tight unit with a fan-base and are playing a local circuit. Just to get to this stage takes a lot of work and commitment, and the gig is often the icing on the cake after the ge-zillion phone calls to make sure everyone can rehearse at the same time and place, plus setting up the gig, and then a ge-zillion more to do as much advertising as possible. Or you might be a solo artist with a great voice who wants to find songwriters and producers, and are plugging away at every lead possible. A manager takes the pressure off all of this work, and if they know their stuff and have true enthusiasm for your music, can help guide you toward success.

Artists on the whole love the creative side and are rubbish at promoting themselves. Which is where the manager comes in. However, a lot of the horror stories are true, with bands being ripped off left right and center, or simply being managed by a fan or friend who has no idea about the business. For, bottom line, if you want to be a professional musician, in whatever genre, it is a business, and a very competitive one. So try and find out as much about the business side as you can before you decide on a manager. Go and see a music entertainment lawyer or solicitor, and find out your options. Keep your ear to the ground. The higher up the ladder your go, the higher the stakes, the more devastating it can be when you find out you never read the small print. I know this reads like a lurid B film, hey kid, I can make you a star, but all of that stuff resonates because it’s based on truth. A positive attitude, love of music helps enormously (and honest communication within the band – every band becomes a matter of politics at one time or another), but so does being practical, knowing your stuff, and turning up to rehearsal knowing the songs and not simply getting stoned out of your gore every practice night. If you don’t do this early on, and are solid about it, then it’s very easy for everything to fall apart once the pressure is on. All basic stuff, but quite often overlooked until it’s too late.

If you’re a great band and have a good work ethic, then a fan base grows naturally, and word of mouth will get your name out there. This is often when the friend or fan offers to manage you, or a local manager hears about you and comes to the gig. If you’ve done your homework, then you’ll know what to look for. Then ask around, and find out what you can about them. If they promise you the moon, then don’t let that blind you to what you see in front of you.

Many bands and artists have found a manager from getting a promotion package together and sending it out. Bear in mind that professional managers get many, many promo packages, so it has to be presentable and to the point to grab their attention. Make a demo (see the article ‘Making A Demo’), get some 8 x 10 photos made (as flattering as possible and ones that represent the vibe of the band), and write a brief bio. Cold calling and sending out circulars is usually a waste of time, and will only attract the sharks looking for a quick meal, if you get any response at all. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a package together, but it must be reasonably professional for the band to have any credence. Either send it yourself, or even better, if you have a connection with a music lawyer or solicitor, let them send it in for you. Wait a week or so before a follow up call. Professional managers are usually very busy, but will get back to you eventually with a yea or nay if they’re worth their salt. If you’re lucky enough to get interest, then first of all go to see them at their office, then ask them to a gig and go from there.

If you’re a solo artist, then the same thing applies. Get a promo package together and send it out. If and when you get a promising response, first and foremost see what their connections are, and how they see your career developing. No point signing with a manager who deals with only Emo when you’re a died-in-the-wool Country music singer. They need to put you in touch with producers and writers in your genre. Once again, ask around, try to get as much information on them as you can.

So here are the main factors to take into account:

1. What’s your instinctive feeling about them? Do you feel you can trust them? Remember,    in essence, your career is in their hands.
2. What’s their history? Have they successfully managed other artists?
3. Do you respect their opinions, and do you have similar taste?
4. Could you spend a lot of time in their company? For example, an extensive tour (although, if it’s a big manager, they won’t be going on tour with you, they simply won’t have   the time).
5. Are they a good negotiator? Have good people skills? This can work for or against you. A bulldog might get the deal done, but they also might alienate a lot of people in the process.
6. What’s their reputation in the business?
7. How long have they been in the business?
8. Are they ‘connected’, i.e. who can they put you in touch with? Record companies?  Producers?
9. Have they worked for a long time in the business, and do they have a lot of experience?
10. Are they a ‘business’ or ‘creative’ manager? Ask yourself if you need creative or business guidance.
11. See if you can find out of their other artists are happy with them, and, most importantly of all, trust their judgment!
12. Are they open to suggestion, or a control freak?
13. If they’re mega busy, will they have time for you?
14. How enthusiastic are they about the band/your particular talents?
15. Do they use well-respected and competent accountants and solicitors?
16. What about their other contacts? Promoters, publicists, agents etc.
17. Do they have working relationships with other managers?
18. How organized and professional do they seem?
19. Do they have their fingers on the pulse of what’s going on? Do they ‘get’ you?
20. What sort of management agreement are they offering? At what rate of commission? How long is the deal for?
21. ALWAYS take the contract for a second and even third opinion before you sign anything.
    If you are happy with even a third of these questions (and actually get them answered) then that’s a wunnerful thang. There’s never any guarantees, and this might be a short term thing or they might be in it for the long haul. If you’ve done your homework, feel good about them, and are confident of what you’re signing, then that’s a great start.

3 Octaves C To C

With sheet music, a three octave scale in C would be written like this:

Low C to High C Scale

If we think in terms of a piano keyboard, middle C is the note in red. Anything below that is part of the ‘bass clef’, the curly sign on the bottom left of the diagram. Anything above that is the ‘treble clef’, and is described by the sign on the top left hand side of the music. The time signature is also shown on the left hand side of the music, in this case 4/4 time, the most common of time signatures. A bar means a whole section of that time signature, i.e. four beats. The horizontal groups of  lines in the diagram that make up both the treble and the bass clef are called ‘staves’. There are 5 lines grouped together in a stave.

In the sheet music above, the staves are broken down into 6 blocks by vertical lines. Each block is called a bar, and denotes 4 beats, thus creating the 4/4 time signature indicated at the beginning of the music. The musical notes are then notated in time the with beat of the music, and thus the pacing of the bars.

Notes can be placed on a bar in the white spaces, or on the black lines, each line of the stave representing a note on the scale.

For the black notes E G B D F I learnt this rhyme as a child:

‘Every Good Boy Deserves Favor’

And for the white notes it was F.A.C.E:

‘F.A.C.E.’, face.

Notes

The notes in the music above are ‘crotchets’, meaning a single beat, and in 4/4 time, there would be 4 crotchets to a bar, making four single beats, 1,2,3,4. Once again, music being mathematical, a single bar can be split into further increments. We start with a Breve, often called a double whole note in American and German terminology. One note, 8 beats. It’s either shown over two bars (yet again, in 4/4 time):

Hear A breve

Or notated like this:

The diagram on the left hand side shows a hollow oval note head, like a whole note, with one or two vertical lines on either side. An alternative notation consists of two adjacent hollow oval note heads, as in the double noted bar on the right .

SemiBreve

Once again sometimes called a whole note in American and German terminology.

A semibreve is 4 counts long. So in 4/4 time, a semibreve would look like this:

Hear A semibreve

A Minim

A minim is two beats, the above diagram showing 2 minims in a 4/4 bar.

Hear A Minim

A Crotchet.

Four beats to the bar.

4-Crotchets

A Quaver

8 beats to the bar.

Hear the bar above

Quavers can also be split up into increments. So two quavers look like this:

Hear the bar above

A single quaver is notated like this:

The stem can be drawn facing up or down, shown by the flag on the right hand side of the note, depending on the path of the music.

Double this time are semiquavers, 16 beats to a bar:

Hear the bar above

The double line at the top shows it’s a semiquaver.

A single semiquaver looks like this:

The squiggly line after the notes in this diagram in a semiquaver rest (see below).

To a demisemiquaver, 32 beats to the bar, which is just getting silly:

Rests

If there’s a space in the music, or ‘rest’, this is shown as:

A whole bar:

This bar rest also translates as a two bar rest, when it’s shown, for example, after a semibreve:

The single bar rest (squiggly sign), meaning one beat:

The above 4/4 bar shows a crotchet, a crotchet rest and a two bar rest.

A quaver rest looks like this:

And a semiquaver rest has a double tail on it, shown after the two semiquavers:

And a demisemiquaver rest looks like this:

Keys

OK, so that’s the basic notes and rests, and how they’re shown on the stave. Now let’s look at keys, i.e. what they are and how to recognize them. I mentioned keys, scales and chords in the ‘How Music Is Constructed’ article. Every song has a key (with only rare exceptions, for example, free Jazz). The key of a piece of music can be a complicated subject. But, in a broad sense, it means that the note the key pertains to is the song’s harmonic center, or tonic. In other words, if the song was in C for example, you could play the note of C more or less throughout the piece as a bass note and hear the key (see the section ‘Finding a song’s key’ for more info).

Music is also generally written in either a major or a minor key. The major or minor depends on the scale on which the key is based. The key of a song is shown at the left hand side of the stave.

The Key of C looks like the very first scale above, with nothing on the left hand side of the stave, having no sharps or flats. ‘C’ is also sometimes written to denote the key.

The Flat Keys

F : 1 flat, Bb:

Bb: 2 flats. Bb and Eb:

Eb: 3 flats. Ab, Eb and Bb:

Ab: 4 flats. Ab, Bb, Db, Eb:

Db: 5 flats. Db, Eb, Gb, Ab, Bb:

Gb: 6 flats. Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb:

Cb: 7 flats. Fb, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb:

By the time you get to Db, it’s getting ridiculous. 5 flats and above make these keys really hard to play for any musician. By just changing the key to either C or D, a simple half step in either direction (whichever is most comfortable for you, the singer), you’re making everyone’s life much easier.

The Sharp Keys

G: 1 sharp. F:

D: 2 sharps. F and C:

A: 3 sharps. F, C and G:

E: 4 sharps. F, C, G and D:

B: 5 sharps. F, C, G, D and A:

F#: 6 sharps. F, C, G, D, A and E:

C#: 7 sharps. F, C, G, D, A, E and B:

The same applies as above. From B onwards, these are pretty redundant keys.

Minor Keys

I mentioned relative minor keys in the article ‘How Music Is Constructed’, and how they relate to the cycle of 5ths:

A minor key has a flattened 3rd, 6th and 7th note. Each minor key is related to a major key with the same amount of sharps or flats.

So, looking at the diagram, it shows that the key of C is related to A minor. The key of C has no sharps or flats:

and neither does the key of A minor:

And so on round the cycle: the relative minor of G is D minor, D is B minor etc.

Finding A Song’s Key

If you have sheet music that doesn’t have a key written in the left hand corner, you can find the key in a number of ways:

1. It’s quite often the first or last chord, or else the chord the first chord resolves to.
2. It’s the predominant bass note (if the key is F, for example, you can pretty much keep playing an F in the bass and it’ll sound right).
3. If you have a keyboard or guitar, then if you can pick out chords it becomes much simpler. You’ll see certain chords repeating themselves. If the key is G, for example, you’ll find yourself playing the F# again and again. A big sign that the key is G.

Half Tones, or Semitones

What about half notes, or semitones, i.e. the equivalent of a white to a black know on the piano? This is notated by sharps and flats:

The diagram and the sheet music above show F to F#, a semitone.

Playing up octave using every note, i.e. every semitone, is called a ‘chromatic scale’.

Sharpening And Flattening Notes

If you want to write a note that’s not in the key of the piece, for example a semitone higher or lower than the current note you’re playing or singing, then this is notated by a flat or sharp sign before the note.

Hear The Bar Above

Once you’ve assigned the command to the music with a raised or sharpened sign, it’ll keep being played as such until you tell the music to do otherwise. So if you want to go back to the original note that fits in with the key of the song, then the opposite sign is used to once more raise or lower the note a semitone. This snippet is in the key of C. F is sharpened to F sharp, and then flattened back to F.

Dots

Hear the bar above

In the example above, there’s a dot after the crotchet, the first note. A dot after any note means ‘half as much again’. This makes the count of the dotted crotchet 1 1/2 beats, the quaver (half a beat) completing the first half of the bar, i.e. 2 beats, and a 2 bar rest completing the 4/4 bar.

The dotted minim 3 beats, the crotchet 1.

Ties

Ties work in 2 ways. They either simply tie the note together, as in the bar below:

Hear the bar above

A dotted crotchet (1 1/2 beats) a tied crotchet (1 1/2 beats), a quaver rest and a quaver for the first bar, with a semibreve the next bar.

The second crotchet is tied because it’s in effect tied to the 2nd half of the bar. The first dotted crotchet and quaver being the first two counts, the crotchet, rest and quaver making up the 2nd 2 counts.

Hear the bar above

A tied, dotted minim make up the two bars above. When a note is tied it means: play it once, for the duration specified. In this case across one bar into the next. The note above is 5 counts (the first minim being 2 counts, the next dotted minim, 3 counts).

Syncopation

‘Dots’ and ties create syncopation – changing the length of notes so they’re no longer regimented, i.e. strictly in time. Mixing up the length of the notes creates rhythm, and as soon as rhythm is introduced into a song, it becomes syncopated.

The examples used in the ‘Dots’ and ‘Ties’ sections above demonstrates this.

When thinking of the rhythm of a song, for example 4/4 time, it can help to count in quavers: one and two and three and four and etc.

For more on syncopation, check out the article: ‘How To Feel Rhythm’.

Triplets

Hear The Bar Above

Another thing to now throw into the mix before moving on is triplets. This is simply a single note, but counted in three. To count a crotchet triplet, as in the bar above, hold your hand in an upright position and count ‘One, two, three’, moving your hand ‘up, down, up’. One is the upright position, two, the down, three the up position once more.

Triplets can be counted over any value of note: breve, minim, quaver etc.

Articulation

Articulation actually means, ‘how things are articulated’, or joined together, for example a skeleton or the syllables of a word. In music, the articulation means ‘what happens in between the notes’. The rests, the accents, the expression of the piece. And articulation depends on what’s at the beginning and end of each segment, as well as in between. We’ve already looked at rests and dots, and will be looking at some basic terms over the next few paragraphs.

Accents

In music notation, an accent mark means ‘accent the note’. The most common form being the fourth note in the diagram above.

The first note means staccato, meaning the last part of a note should be silenced to create separation between it and the following note, creating a note about half as long as the note value indicated.

The second note means staccatissimo and means a staccato note even smaller than staccato.

The third note, the teepee accent, means ‘play with a combination of accent and staccato‘.

The fourth note, the Accent mark, means that the marked note should have an emphasized beginning and then taper off rather quickly.

The fifth note, the tenudo mark, indicates that a note is to be separated with a little space from surrounding notes.

Legato

Legato is the opposite of staccato, and means that the notes are played ‘long’, very connected, like there’s no space between them, i.e. continuously. In the bar above, legato indicates this musical feel.

Slurs

A slur looks the same as a tie but has a very different function. Indicating a legato feel, a slur sign means ‘blend the notes together seamlessly so there’s no space between them’. With a tie, the note doesn’t move, but is ‘held’.

Slurs can be performed quite fast, as in the sheet music above. Along with violin sections, a lot of singers use slurs as an artifice, often to great effect. Christina Aguilera, Maria Carey, Celine Dion, Beyonce et al. Usually based around a blues or pentatonic scale (check out scales in the ‘How Music is Constructed’ article), they’re a form of ad-libbing. And for more on ad-libbing check out the article: ‘How To Ad-Lib, or Improvise’.

Portamento

The first sign above means Portomento and/or glissando. Portomento means to wobble the note very obviously, similar to using a heavy vibrato, and glissando means to wobble the note and glide, upwards or downwards, a technique used extensively in opera. The bottom symbol above shows the sign for ‘glissando up’ and ‘glissando down’. Portamento was also used extensively by early sythesizer players (think Rick Wakeman), rock guitarists when using the whammy bar(nearly every heavy metal guitarist alive or dead), and, last but not least, the classic portomento instrument, the organ. Hammond in particular. Plus church organs and everything above and between.

Scoops and Falls Offs

These signs are used by composers to show they want a slide down from the note, or a scoop up to it. They haven’t been standardized (except maybe for glissando, the last one, yet their appearance is pretty explanatory.

Grace Notes

Hear example

A grace note means, in essence, an ornamental note, an embellishment to the original. Either on the way up or down to the target note. Used extensively in classical music, this kind of embellishment is usually left up to the taste and skill of a performer in modern genre music, but occasionally you might see it notated.

Tempo Terms

Grave – Very Slow

Largo, Lento – Slow

Larghetto – A little faster than Largo

Adagio – Moderately Slow

Andante – “Walking” Tempo

Andantino – A little faster than Andante

Allegretto – A little slower than Allegro

Allegro – Fast

Vivace – Lively

Presto – Very Fast

Prestissimo – Very Very Fast

Moderato – Moderate(ly)

Molto – Very

Accel., Accelerando - Gradually becoming faster

Rit., Ritardando – Gradually becoming slower

Songs

We’ve now looked at the basics of music notation, let’s take a look at some sheet actual music and what you might expect to encounter.

Songs come in many shapes and sizes, and, although rules are made to be broken, most songs are written in the form of either a verse, or verse and chorus, or verse, chorus and bridge. The classic form for a song is verse, verse, bridge, verse. This form of song is called a ‘standard’, and refers to the works of composers such as Cole Porter and Irving Berlin. Usually 16 bars for each verse and 8 for the bridge (middle bit), 32 bars in total. Modern genre songs often veer away from this format, so you might just get a verse and a chorus repeated with a small solo section, for example. Or just a riff or hook, repeated at various times throughout the song (for example, rap and hip hop).

Let’s look at the formation of the song used in the ‘Singing A Song – Putting It All Together’ section of the program, the timeless ‘Amazing Grace’. In this song there are simply 16 bars to each verse, which make it like a traditional Folk song. So we need only look at a single verse to see the basic form of the whole song. To demonstrate this, the version below is a simplified form of the chords and tune, in the key of Eb.

Hear the verse above

Not the most inspiring of versions when there’s no groove, i.e. syncopation, just the basic tune. However, once again we have the time signature in the top left hand side of the sheet music, 3/4 time, demonstrated by the click track. One and two and three.

The chords are played depending on the bars indicated. The notes of the tune are part of the chord within the bar.

This sheet music is split into the treble clef (higher) and bass clef (lower). In this instance, the chords are in the bass clef, the tune in the treble clef. It’s in the key of E flat, shown at the left hand side of the music.

The beginning chords are E flat, the key of the song, then A flat, the fourth note in the key of E flat, and then back to E flat again. And the tune fits in to the key of E flat with every note:

The 9^th (the lyric ‘how’) simply means that from the root of E flat, or wherever you start the scale, you keep counting up 9 notes. So after an octave, E would become the 9^th, G the 10, A flat the 11^th, B flat the 12^th and C the 13^th.

Amazing Grace Full Song

And moving on to the full sheet music of the Amazing Grace version (above) used in the Full Program section ‘Putting It All Together: Singing A Song’:

This is another 3 stave version of the sheet music, with voice, piano and bass in that order (piano and bass are grouped by the curly sign at the left hand side of the page). It’s in 3/4 time and the key of Eb, with a 4 bar intro.

The chords have been somewhat changed from the first ‘straighter’ version, bringing out the blues and Gospel feel of the song (for more on chords, chord voicings and construction and how they ‘fit in’ to a song, check out the article ‘How To Ad-Lib, Or Improvise’. There are four different vocal versions of Amazing Grace, soul, Jazz, Folk and Country, with sheet music).

D.S.Al Coda

There’s one sign used in the sheet music above that’s net yet been mentioned, however, D.S. al Coda. Loosely translated, this means ‘ repeat back to the coda sign’. And when the coda is reached, i.e. the coda symbol, to jump to the end of the piece, symbolized by a second coda symbol, and to play to the end. This is notated in the music above as a coda sign at letter A:

There are repeat signs in the same bar of the music. On the next page at the end of the second set of staves is another repeat sign. These two signs are always seen together and mean, of course, ‘play round and round’. The writing ‘repeat A (coda sign) X 5 take Coda last X means just that: 5 verses and then the coda sign, the circle with a cross in it, and jumping to the second coda sign with Coda written by it, to the last 5 bars of the tune.

And So…

There are a plethora of examples of the notation described earlier in the article in the ‘Amazing Grace Full Version’ sheet music above. Semibreves, minims, crotchets, quavers, triplets, rests, a letter A, dots, ties, slurs, a Rallentando, coda, repeat signs et al. Ah yes, and the little sign at the end of the song, the slur with a dot above it on the very last bar, means ‘pause’.

For more information on how to read sheet music, chord voicings and musical notation check out the article ‘How To Ad-Lib, Or Improvise’. There are four different versions of Amazing Grace (soul, Jazz, folk and Country) with sheet music explained and vocal MP3 examples.

Many thanks to:

Musician/composer/arranger Terry Disley for arranging and writing out the Amazing Grace Full Version sheet music:

terrydisley.com

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://www.theoreticallycorrect.com/MusicFiction/index.html

http://www.dolmetsch.com/index.htm

http://cnx.org/content/m11884/latest/

http://library.thinkquest.org

for many of the above diagrams and information.

Although music seems to be all about feeling and emotion, at its root it’s extremely mathematical and also beautifully simple. From there can spring enormous complexity, like a mathematical equation. Let’s look at a simple major piano scale to demonstrate this, C to C:

C to C

Hear The Scale C to C

A major scale is 12 notes in total, consisting of tones and semitones (or half tones). Every song you’ve ever heard (and by this I mean Western music), every piece of music ever created, springs from the notes of just one simple scale. Notes plus rhythm equal music. For within this major Scale of C, just taking the white note keys as an example, are also the scales of D, E, F, G, A and B. And if you use the black notes, you get the scales of D flat (or C sharp), E flat (or D sharp) etc, etc and so on up the scale, 12 scales in total (more of this later), 12 notes to a major scale. Already, what appears to be very simple has the potential for considerable complexity.

We calibrate scales by how many white and black notes there are. For a major scale its tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone.

A semitone is a half step, a tone is two semitones together, a whole step, for example C to D on the piano keyboard above.

Hear A Whole tone

A half tone, or semitone is, for example, C to D flat (or C sharp, notated C#, depending on the key you’re in):

A Half Tone, or Semitone

Hear A Semitone

So a scale is collection of tones and semitones. I mentioned earlier that a major scale is: tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone.

The same thing applies for all of the other keys, for example D to D: tone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone. You count the tones and  semitones from the note on which the scale starts. However, to play a major scale in D using this system, we need to play the F# (F sharp) and C# to get the same result as a simple major C scale:

D to D

Hear A D major scale

…and so on up the keyboard, i.e. this applies to every note: C, C#, D, Eb etc.

Since music is so mathematical, it has a natural order, i.e. harmony. You can write music that’s chaotic, but we hear the chaos because it’s the opposite of the harmony we’re used to.

Chords

Going back to the scale of C, it uses all of the white notes, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, 7 in total. The harmony of music is constructed by taking certain ‘key’ notes of the scale to make ‘chords’. These form the ‘shell’ of the chord, and give it its color, and are formed most commonly by taking the 1st, 3rd, 5th and then octave of the scale (i.e. same note as the root, but 8 tones higher).

So the Major chord of C would use: The root, the basis of the harmony of the chord, C, then the third note, E then the 5th note, G and then the root again but 8 notes higher, C .

Major C Arpeggio

Hear A Major C Argpeggio

A chord played in a ‘staggered’ sequence, as in the MP3 above, creates an arpeggio (sometimes referred to as a ‘broken chord’). An arpeggio is usually constructed from the key notes of a chord, for example the arpeggio above is the root, 3rd, 5th and octave of a C major chord. Once again, the same major scale arpeggio can be constructed in all of the keys, by playing the same notes in sequence.

You make it a minor scale, thereby changing the ‘color’ of the chord completely, by flattening the third note, i.e. playing E flat in the key of C.

A C Minor Arpeggio

Hear A C Minor Arpeggio

A D Minor Arpeggio

So a minor D chord, for example, would be D, F, A, D. In other words, you’ve flattened the 3rd, and substituted F for F# (sharp):

Hear A D Minor Arpeggio

Every chord has a color. And you can enrich the colors by adding variation to the chord.

A chord starts out very simply, i.e. a major chord, but can become  very changed by moving one note a semitone, as in the example of the minor arpeggio above.  Flattening the third gives you a minor chord. As in the example above, a chord changes its color and tone most commonly by flattening or sharpening the 3rd, 5th or 7th.

The next step in changing a chords’ color is to change the 7th note, thus creating a 7th chord. Once again as in the example above, a 7th chord can be major or minor by flattening the third or 7th notes.

Here are all of the 7th chords:

Major 7

In the key of C, the Major 7th note would be B:

C Major 7th Chord

Hear A C Major 7th Chord

The Major 7th is used extensively in pop music, i.e. a major 3rd and a major 7th (in the key of C, as in the piano keyboard above, the 3rd is an E and the 7th a B). And just within this change of a chord, we start to get complexity and a pull to the harmony, i.e. the symmetry, of the music.

Minor 7

If you play a C chord with a major feel, i.e. the E (C, E, G, and B – no need to play the C again in this case since you already have it in the chord, what they call the root note), as in the ‘major 7th’ chord above, it sounds very different than if you play the same chord but flatten the E, making the chord a minor one. This gives the chord a very ‘sad’ feel, the pull of the major 7th against the minor 3rd:

C Minor Major 7th

Hear A C Maj Min 7th Chord

I mentioned earlier that if you flatten the 5th of a minor 7th chord, you get the blues scale:

Hear The Blues Scale In The Key Of C

Make a sequence out of this chord, a pattern of chords that relate to each other, and you get the blues.

The Blues

Let’s take a look at a classic 12 bar blues sequence. I mentioned that music has a natural symmetry to it, and this is at work when we play a song. The chords are constructed in sequence, with everything relative to the key of the song, i.e. its root. So in the key of C, all the chords relate to the key of C:

C7 C7 C7 C7

F7 F7 C7 C7

G7 F7 C7 C7/G7

Hear A Classic Blues Sequence

Some notes sound ‘right’ when played in sequence, and have a natural pull, i.e. harmony to them. The F7 leading out of the C7, the G7, F7, C7 progression sound ‘right’. This is because all the chords are related to the key of C. F is the 4th note of the scale of C and G the 5th. So why the 4th and not the 3rd, or minor 3rd, i.e. part of a major or minor arpeggio for example?

The Cycle Of 5ths

I mentioned the natural harmony within music earlier. It often sounds right when chords ‘resolve’, i.e. they complete an equation. You can hear this at the end of a song, when there is a chord that the song ‘feels right’ to end on. The strongest ‘root movement’ (which is what the bass is playing) is actually either down a perfect 5th or up a 4th. When you start on the second note of a key, for example in the key of C you would play a D, and move up a 4th and then down a 5th. This is called a ’2,5,1′ progression, and it’s more commonly written using Roman numerals ‘II, V, I’:

Hear an Example of a II IV I Progression

You can hear this ’2, 5,1′ progression throughout modern genre, Classical, blues and Jazz music.

You can also play the cycle of 5ths through all of the major keys. Starting on any note, the cycle will always lead you back back to your original starting place:

The triangle sign in the diagram above means ‘major 7′.

This ‘Cycle Of Fifths’ is often depicted in a circular diagram. So, once again, wherever you start, it’ll lead you back to the same place:

Cycle-of-Fifths Diagram

Many thanks to: http://www.theoreticallycorrect.com/MusicFiction/index.html for this image

Hear The II V I Progression In all Keys

This MP3 plays the II V I chord progression sheet music shown above.

The Relative Minor Keys

A minor key is called a relative minor key because it has the same amount of sharp and flats as its counterpart, the relative major. Looking at the ‘Cycle of 5ths’ diagram above, we can see that for every major key, there’s a ‘relative minor’ key next to it.

And a minor key is called a ‘relative minor’ because it has the same amount of sharp and flats as its counterpart.

We can get an idea of this by just comparing 2 scales on a piano keyboard. The ‘relative minor’ of C major is A.

As we saw earlier, the key of C has no sharps or flats:

C to C

However, when you play A to A instead of C to C, but use only the white notes, you get the scale of A minor:

A Minor

Since A major has three sharps, C, F, and G, flattening them (shown here in red) creates the scale of A minor.

Hear The Scales of C Major and A minor

The sequence of ‘tone, tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, tone, semi-tone’ is the same for all of the major keys, moving through all the notes on the piano: C, Db, D, Eb, E, F and so on. And the same rules apply to the minor keys (tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone: flattening the third, 6th and 7th).

Back to the blues. As I mentioned earlier, you can hear in the blues example a few paragraphs above, how the chords move and have a ‘rightness’ to them. Chord progressions are never fixed, however. For example, the last chord of the blues progression above is a G7, a ‘passing chord’, which takes us back to the C7. So in the last bar there are three beats of C7 and then one of G7. However, just staying on the C7 would work just as well. Musicians often work out their own way to play certain chords and chord progressions, which are called ‘voicings’, i.e. how you ‘voice’ the chords. As a singer, it helps enormously to be able to hear the chord and how the chords move within a song. You then don’t have to rigidly stick to the tune and can take more risks (check out the article ‘How to Ad-Lib, or Improvise’ if you’d like to learn more about this).

The ‘colors’ of chords, or chord voicings, aren’t just limited to making them a simple major, minor or minor 7th. We saw earlier how changing just one note in a 7th chord completely changes the chord. In fact, there are 5 types of seventh chords.

7th Chords

C major 7th (1 3 5 7). Major 7th Chords have a major 3rd and a major 7th. As musical notation, this would often be written as C with a triangle after it, or C Maj7.

C Major 7

Hear A C Major 7 Chord

Dominant 7th. C7 (1, 3, 5, –7). Dominant 7th chords have a major 3rd and a minor 7th. As musical notation, this would be written as C7.

C7

Hear C 7 Chord

C minor 7 (1 , –3, 5, -7). Minor 7th chords have a minor 3rd and a minor 7th. As musical notation, this would be written as either C-7 or Cm7.

C Minor 7

Hear A C Minor 7th Chord

C-7, flat 5 or the ‘Half Diminished’ or ‘Half Diminished 7th’. Half-Diminished chords have a minor 3rd a flat 5th and a minor 7th. As musical notation, this would be written as C-7 flat 5 or C with a circle and a line through it at an angle.

Cm7b5 (Half Diminished)

Hear A Half Diminished Chord

Diminished 7th (1, –3, flat 5 ,double flat 7th, i.e. the 6th). Fully Diminished 7th chords have a minor 3rd, a flat 5th and a double flat 7th, equivalent to the 6, i.e. the 6th note in the scale. As musical notation, this would be written as or C dim7 or a C with the Circle sign and then a 7.

C Diminished

You can play all of these chords in sequence, from the Major 7th to the fully diminished, and hear, just by changing one note at a time, that as the notes get crunched together, the chord sounds more complex:

Hear The 7th Chord Progressions

In sequence the chords in the sound bite above are: C, C maj 7, C 7, C min 7, C half diminished, C Diminished

Suspended 4th Chord, or Sus 4. And now we get more complex. Play the 4th and the 5th (leaving out the 3rd), get what’s called a suspended 4th, or a sus 4 chord.

C Sus 4

Hear A Suspended 4th Chord

If you play the same chord, the sus 4, then change it to a simple major chord, i.e. moving the 4th to a 3rd, you get a classic ‘resolving’ chord, heard a lot in Classical and Church music, for example.

Hear A ‘Resolving’ Chord

Once again, one note making all the difference.

You can also sharpen the 5th, or flatten the 5th. And yet again, you can play all of these chords in sequence and hear how the harmony changes as you do so. You can keep counting up from the octave, so you get the 9th, 11th and 13th, what’s called the upper part of the chord. And each change of harmony gives the chord another name, and another color.

Modes

We’ve looked at how quickly we can reach considerable complexity from a simple scale.

We can see the possibility for even greater depth, however, when we look at ‘Modes’, once again used a lot in jazz. Any good musician, guitar axe heroes included, needs to have a knowledge of modes for their playing to have any real edge. In the sixties, ‘Modal’ music became popular, when, for example, the whole tune would be written using only a few chords and a ‘modal’ approach. Often the bass player would play ‘the root’ and the chords would change over the static base note, thus suggesting different modes, i.e. the sound of different chords played against the repeating bass note. Wayne Shorter’s ‘Windows’ or Miles Davis’s ‘All Blues’ or ‘Freddy the Freeloader’ being a few examples.

Once again, we can see how simple and complex music is by just looking at the basic modes in the key of C. Some of these modes are used in modern genre music, and some, are simply, not.

By just playing the white notes in the key of C, the scale sounds very different, depending on the note we start on:

Basic Major scale: See diagram and MP3 of piano scale above.

Dorian Mode. This one is easy to remember. By playing ‘D to D’ (i.e. just the white notes), we’re essentially flattening the F and C, making this mode akin to a simple D minor:

Hear The Dorian Mode

Phrygian Mode. This scale is E to E (again just the white notes) and sounds very sad. Composers use this scale if they want the music to sound Oriental. It’s also heard a lot in Spanish, Hebrew and Gypsy music. Once again, you’re flattening the F and G, C and D notes, the scale starting with a half-step, E to F:

Hear The Phrygian Mode

Lydian Mode. This sounds almost the same as the major scale. Starting on the F and playing up the octave, once again just the white notes. The only difference is the 4th note, which should be a Bb to make it a normal major scale. By playing a B rather than a Bb you are ‘raising the 4th’. This was actually the ‘Major scale in the middle ages’, and is the basis for Gregorian chants and the like. The major scale as we know, with a flattened 4th, came about much later.

Hear The Lydian Mode

Mixolydian Mode. This has the most intricate name, but is also the easiest to recognize. Played G to G (white notes) it has a flattened 7th, and is used across the board for Rock, Blues and Jazz.

Hear The Mixolydian Mode

Aeolian Mode. A to A, playing the white notes. We’re essentially flattening the C, F and G. It’s also called the Natural Minor Scale.

Hear The Aeolian Mode

Locrian Mode. B to B, white notes. Verrry odd to the ear, and hardly ever used.

Hear The Locrian Mode

So we can start to see the intricacies of music, everything based around a system that’s so simple it’s hard to believe such amazing complexity lies waiting to be discovered.

And now we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to move on to the next part of the puzzle: How to Read Music (link).

Starting, and then running, your own band can be broken down into 2 categories: starting a band with a group of friends, or colleagues, or instigating your own project. The first group is usually organic in some form or other (you are already friends, you have the same interests) the second is challenging for a whole set of other reasons.

Since the first category is organic, let’s talk about the second category, starting a band your self. And let’s imagine its music to which you’ve written either the music or lyrics, or both. The genre is not so important here as the fact that you’ll be performing music that’s close to your heart.

If you want to start your own band you have to know what you’re doing if you want to really get a great band together, yet again, whatever genre. The more you’ve got it together, the more the band has a chance of success. If you feel ready, but don’t have the real musical vocabulary for a band (writing musical charts, if needed, directing the band throughout the gig), but have the intuitive skills (you either write the songs or the lyrics, or both, and have a clear musical sense), then find a musical director, or MD. Look for someone you click with, who is ‘on the same page’ of what they want from the band. How it sounds, how it feels, what it’s saying. An MD is a friend or writing partner or someone that believes in your project. Or someone you can afford to pay. An MD is often the keyboard or guitar player and does all of the above and generally keeps it all together.

Or you might have found a producer, or they’ve found you (check out the article Finding A Manager for some hints in this area. The relationship you have with a producer depends on a lot of factors. The genre of music, your age group, how sussed/gullible you are, if you’re friends, or colleagues, or you are being ‘produced’. So once again, use your instinct.

You might decide to run the band yourself . This means, for example, ending the songs, counting in the band, knowing where you are in the song. Check out these articles if you want to learn to read music: How Music Is Constructed And How To Read It, or have a problem with rhythm, How To Feel Rhythm, or want to learn to Ad-Lib, i.e. play with the tune: How To Ad-Lib, or Improvise. You need to read music, or play an instrument, or find a away to communicate your ideas (for example, there are many free music software programs where you can make a demo of the song. Check out the article: Home Recording.

Apart from being able to keep the band together during a gig, you’ll also need to have the business side together as well. Getting the gigs, paying the band etc. Once the band is under way it’ll develop and progress in it’s own way, the band will hopefully grow into more of a unit and the responsibility won’t be all on your shoulders. Initially, however, it’s up to you to get the proverbial ball rolling.

Generally, the higher the level of musicianship on your part, the higher caliber of musician will be drawn to the band. The word will get around. This is true at whatever level you’re starting, be it school, high school or whatever the scene the music relates to. So get lessons. Learn an instrument, even if it’s only rudimentary. You’ll know what the musicians are talking about, you’ll always know where you are in the song, which in turn gives you confidence and cred. with the musicians, i.e. they will respect you and listen to what you’re saying. Band politics are a whole other topic, but it’s the same in any other area of work. A good manager creates a good working atmosphere, a bad one, the opposite.

If you’ve written the music in some form or other, then you’ll be invested in it emotionally. So, bottom line, you need to find people who have the same enthusiasm for the music as you do. If you all suffer from general apathy, then you are, I’m afraid, well and truly buggered.

Where you look for the musicians will depend on the genre and your own situation. If you’re in school or college, you’ll probably find each other through the social grapevine. If you’re starting from scratch, aren’t part of a scene but have the drive to get a project started, then there are still a number of options open to you. Once again post on Craigslist, put an advert in the paper, put adverts in local rehearsal and recording studios, put the word out. If you need an MD, audition a whole load of people and find a guitarist or piano player you really click with. If you can’t read music but have a good idea of the sound you’re going for, you’ll hear the right player. If they’re into the music, then hopefully they’ll want to help and get involved. If they’ve answered your add, odds on they’re also starting out in the music business, or else semi pro and/or just having fun. Serious working musicians often have their own network – who they know, what they’re known for and specialize in etc etc, and often have no need for Craigslist and the like.

If you have some funds available and some training, then go to some gigs and hear the bands on the circuit, and see if you can talk to the musicians afterwards. If they’re not interested, then they might know someone of similar skill level who is. If you have a gig and can pay them, and even better a regular gig, then they’re more likely to be interested.

I started my first band in this way. I put an advert in the paper for musicians, and then I got 100 phone calls. So I auditioned everyone (not having half a clue that I really knew what I was doing, I later found out) and was advised to find an MD. As luck would have it there was a great pianist who had just moved to town and he needed the work. I had a gig lined up from a friend, so there was regular money that came with the gig (if the gig went well, of course). I have a suspicion this was strong motivation. We all had a blast, as far as I can remember, the gig went well and started its own little scene and we did many gigs together. Then I met other musicians, when for example they had to miss a gig and so recommended a sub, etc., or people came to the gig, so in this way I slowly got into that scene, started doing other gigs, other bands etc etc., just through meeting people. Everything very organic. Once I was in the scene, my lack of knowledge became apparent to me (what are they talking about, ‘D7’?), and so I went to college to learn music theory. However, I’d already been gigging for a couple of years by this time and had learnt a lot as I went along).

OK, so now you have your band. Quite often, you don’t have a gig because people need to hear or see you before they’ll book you. So get a demo together (see the article Making A Demo). It’s likely you’ll be doing quite basic gigs first of all, so a rough demo is OK. Record a rehearsal and see how it sounds. Borrow a camera and shoot some footage is that’s required. If you want to make a more professional demo right off the bat, then you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg. Of course, it’s better to go to a professional studio, but recording music always takes longer than you think, which puts the price up. With the advent of the home computer, home recording is available to anyone, and there are a zillion enthusiasts out there who have learnt, or are learning the art of being a sound engineer (once again, see the Making A Demo). If you can afford studio time at this stage, all well and good. If you’re using bedroom recording guy, or somewhere in between, you can still get great results. Choose wisely. Technology has come on amazingly, and with the right knowledge and with a good mastery of skill (for recording and mixing is an art unto itself), a simple computer set up can become a very sophisticated recording studio. Hear their mixes and judge for yourself.

Three songs should be enough. Try and choose songs with different dynamics, and, obviously, choose your best three songs. Many organizations (especially web based ones), events, managers, record companies et al require see you. If funds are low, then make your own DVD (Once again, see the article Making A Demo).

OK, you’ve got a good band, you have a demo/film footage you’re happy with, you’re gigging regularly, things are going well and everyone’s pretty much having a blast. So you start to think bigger and realize you need a manager. Once again, check his or her credentials. If your band is doing well, they might well just be seeing dollar signs. This isn’t true of all managers, of course. Despite their terrible rap, I’ve met some really nice (seeming) managers (see the article: Finding A Manager). They seemed like solid people, and their artists seemed happy. Bands find managers from all walks of life: Some are friends of the band, or started as fans of the music, or started to manage for one band, were good at it, and then gradually added to their roster until it became their profession, for example. Once again, follow your instinct. There are also a lot of crappy one’s, and we’ve all heard horror stories. Get to know a bit about the music industry, know what you’re dealing with. Once again, check out the Finding A Manager article for a more in depth look at getting business help.

How else do you get your name out there? Many bands find fans on websites such as myspace, garageband.com, reverbnation.com or many other such forums. Quite often, however, they also work hard doing gigs, creating a fan base, getting their songs published and thus receiving royalties, practicing hard, partying and creating a noise where ever they can. Just posting your music on a site and not doing any networking at all very rarely reaps rich rewards. You need to draw people to your band, your website, your project. There is an upside and a downside to the amazing amount of music that’s now available to the consumer, illegal downloading included. There are only a few really huge record companies left now, and the whole music business is changing and shifting. There is A LOT of music out there, a lot of it available for free. We also live in a communication age, with our senses being bombarded left, right and center with information. So for your band to succeed, if you are focused and determined you’re giving yourself the edge.

Because of the above reasons, it’s harder to get signed by a record company. They demand proof of sales and/or a large following or fan base. They can’t afford to take the risk. Many gigging bands make most of their money from merchandising at gigs or while touring. Of course, try that route, but also make use of the internet as much as you can. A book I found useful is: how to get your music on the internet . Very informative. It’s often harder, but can be done. Once again, persevere and you will always find your métier.

Stage fright is very rarely an easy fix, and can be very deep rooted. And we often try to avoid getting into situations where it’ll be tested, so it remains this boogieman at the edge of our consciousness. If you have stage fright and you really want to sing, or are using learning to sing to deal with stage fright (for example, you have some public speaking you can’t avoid), at some point you’re just going to have to bite the bullet. Once you accept that, however, help is at hand.

The first rule of thumb is to face challenges gently, so your learning curve is a gradual and comfortable one. Since no two singers are the same, the opportunities to sing in public can be many and varied. Karaoke is a good way to start if you don’t know any musicians or aren’t involved in a musical community. There are many good home karaoke systems out there (link), and it’s a great way to get started (more of that later). Joining a choir is also another great way to deal with stage fright. You can sing as loud as you want and the spotlight isn’t on you, while you’re also learning the basics, i.e. how to read music, control your breathing and the note, and hear harmony.

There’s a basic misconception re. public performance: that everyone else is more confident than us, judging and/or laughing at our performance. My own experience with students is that everyone, on some level or other, suffers from stage fright. And it often goes back to childhood, and can be simple or very convoluted. As simple as kids laughing in the classroom, to the fact that for example, it was always a big thing how ‘the whole family’ was at singing, so whenever he/she sang they weren’t being one of the clan if they sang well. Or having fun or being expressive was frowned upon (‘children should be seen and not heard’). The basic truth is that an audience wants to be entertained. They want to like you, and will be forgiving of the odd mistake. They want to be moved, to be transported and hear the story of the song. Conversely, the more afraid we are, the more embarrassed they will be for us. We want to be in that first category, but often end up in the second, like a deer in the headlights. So, what to do?

First of all, your stage fright matters more to you than it does to them. They’re worrying more about themselves, and this is a passing moment. They won’t be going home picking apart your performance, for example. They’ll only really care if you move them, and are usually sympathetic if you’re obviously nervous (and if they’re a tough, judgmental crowd, what are you doing there and why should you care what they think?). To move an audience, you have to be in the now, focused on your performance, not in their opinion of you. Which means, once again, training your mind over time not to focus on the bad things about your performance, but to stay in the moment, i.e. not to judge yourself, but to bring them into your space, rather than losing your attention ‘out there’ in the crowd. First rule of thumb: When you make a mistake, tell you mind to put it in a box and you’ll deal with it later.

And this is where the practice comes in. Just getting up and singing the song, hoping for the best, very rarely works. Every song has it’s particular challenges and foibles: difficult breathing passages, high notes, a string of difficult vowels etc etc. So take one song that you really connect with and learn it well. I mentioned karaoke earlier, and this is often a good way to go, initially. Choose a song that’s in a key that’s comfortable, i.e. in the middle of your voice (check out the articles: Vocal Ranges). If you’re going to be singing with a real musician or musicians, you can choose a song where you can change the key, but karaoke songs are always in the key sung by the original performer. Apply the guidelines in the online lesson Putting It All Together: Singing A Song, or the chapter from the manual: Putting It All Together: Singing A Song. Sing the song many times, get to know it well. Deal with its challenges. Record yourself if possible, even if it’s just sung into a recording device or even an Iphone (there are a few recording aps. for the Iphone). Test your reality. Forgive the mistakes, or perceived mistakes, and celebrate the good bits. Much of singing is learning to use your instrument. The rest of it is forgetting the technical stuff when you come to sing the song and surrendering to the feeling of it, to the emotion, i.e. the story. When technique meets truth (of emotion), you will give a good, perhaps great, performance. Relaxed and strong, almost like you’re in a bubble.

OK, so there you are in front of an audience. You know the song well, you’ve practiced it and feel ready. The temptation is once more to put your focus ‘out there’, i.e. all over the room. To avoid this, focus on a point in front of you, and sing the song to that spot. Yes, you can look around, and move, etc etc, but let that be your focal point, the point you can always come back to. Let the audience come to you. Let your star shine for those few minutes. Also, we often think that we have to justify being on stage. And this translates as feeling we need to move around. If the emotion behind the song is true, you don’t have to do a thing. Look at Willie Nelson. He always gives a centered, true performance. Nothing wasted, always wonderful. So get rid of any awkward hand gestures or uncomfortable movements. If you’re not feeling it, don’t do it. Don’t smile inanely if you’re not feeling it. However, ‘Fake It Till You Make It’ also applies. Teach yourself, over time, to focus on the song and not your nervousness. Also, try to feel the rhythm of the song, and let that be the basis of how your body moves. It doesn’t have to be much. Just tapping your foot, or feeling it in your solar plexus will do. Check out the article ‘How To Feel Rhythm’ for help with this.

Once you feel comfortable with the song, follow your intuition. It’s usually right. Take a few risks. If you don’t know if you have intuition, then try to simply tap into the feeling of the song through your solar plexus, especially on the ‘in’ breath, and feel the rhythm in your body. And try to enjoy it. The less you worry about it, and fret about whether you’re doing it right, the more you can relax and give a true performance.

OK, so now you have your band. Quite often, you don’t have a gig because people need to hear or see you before they’ll book you. So get a demo together. It’s likely you’ll be doing quite basic gigs first of all, so a rough demo is OK. Record a rehearsal and see how it sounds. Borrow or hire a camera and shoot some footage. If you want to make a more professional demo right off the bat, then you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg. Of course, it’s better to go to a professional studio, but recording music always takes longer than you think it’s going to, which puts the price up. With the advent of the home computer, home recording is available to anyone, and there are a zillion enthusiasts out there who have learnt, or are learning the art of being a sound engineer.

See if you can get a fixed price for the project, rather than by paying for the hour if you have a budget. They might be into it, and it also means that it won’t take forever to finish (providing no corners are cut, of course. Once again, trust your instinct). Again, you might find them on Craigslist or similar forum, or someone you’ve heard of through the grapevine, or at the rehearsal studio or the notice board of the local coffee shop. Hopefully you’ll know how you want the band to sound, and if they know their salt they’ll play you what you need to hear. And, also hopefully, you’ll know if they’re for you, it’ll feel right. Don’t go for and it and just hope for the best. Do, however, try to get an experienced engineer, one who knows his or her stuff. Some gigs book from just a crappy rehearsal recording, but the better gigs demand a more professional approach. So you might be able to get away with something basic at first, although at some point or other you’ll need a proper demo.

Choose wisely. If you’re using bedroom recording guy, or somewhere in between, you can still get great results. Technology has come on amazingly, and with the right knowledge and with a good mastery of skill (for recording and mixing is an art unto itself), a simple computer set up can become a very sophisticated recording studio. Hear their mixes and judge for yourself.

Three songs should be enough. Try and choose songs with different dynamics, and, obviously, choose your best three songs. Many organizations (especially web based ones), events, managers, record companies et al require to also see you. If funds are low, then make your own DVD. You might know a great animator or film maker who wants to try it as a project. If they need to see you live, then get a friend to shoot you at a rehearsal or a gig. Or hire a camera, then edit the footage later. Or hire a club or rehearsal space, create a vibe, get your friends to come and film a few songs. If you have a budget to spend, you can still do everything relatively cheaply. The bigger the city, usually the easier it is to arrange because there is just that much more demand for it. Hire a proper cameraman, lighting guy and makeup artist. Get a place with a vibe, get a plan, get as much as advice as you can, and shoot it. Learn how to edit or find an editor. You’ll then hopefully have a DVD that shows your talents and looks relatively professional. Or with just a digital camera you can get a basic recording (and even edit later on your computer to make it look a bit more professional).

Once you have a demo that you’re happy with, you’ll need to package it. Hopefully someone in the band knows photoshop or similar software, or you know someone that does. Artwork for promo packages does not have to cost an arm and a leg, this is something you can easily do yourself.

Then you’ll need to get some copies made. You don’t have to get a thousand made. CD duplicators come and go at an alarming rate, but there are many out there that will just print 100 or even 50. Just do a google search and see what you come up with. I found a good one here in San Francisco called mixonic.com where you can get them made singly if you want. The cost goes up the less you order, of course. However, it’s pointless to get a zillion made when you’re only approaching a few venues/managers initially. I guarantee that once you’ve been playing for a while and have started a fan base and got a good set together (and have made a few more connections), you’ll want to make a CD you can sell at gigs.

You’re also going to need some photos of the band. If you don’t have the cash, then try a few things out and see what you can photoshop. Or find a photographer you like and do a shoot in an interesting setting. One word of caution: avoid ‘The Brick Wall’. There’s a whole website dedicated to bands who’ve had promo shots done against a brick wall, i.e. it’s become a huge cliché. A bit like picking up a guitar and playing ‘Stairway to Heaven’ in a music store. If you’re a solo artist, it’s more important to get some professional shots done. Look around and find a photographer who specializes in photographing artists, if possible.

Then, last but not least, get a brief bio of the band. The line-up, where you’ve played, and the genre of music you specialize in. If you’re a solo artist, then the same thing applies. You’re experience, your range (if applicable), plus your musical genre. You don’t have to get that detailed with a bio. They just want to find out a bit about you. However, the more real experience you get and connections you have, the more impressive the bio. But if you haven’t had a whole lot of experience, there’s no point mentioning stuff that simply isn’t relevant.

Ok, so it’s one thing to understand the mechanics of singing, and quite another thing to put everything together creating a clear, even tone. If you’re not sure if you’ve found it yet or are still at a loss, let’s do a quick checklist to help you find that pure note.

First of all, every time you take a breath in, tell your body to use the diaphragm. Remember, the breath starts in the center of the solar plexus, moving outwards, i.e. sideways. To help the diaphragm relax, try to get the feeling of ‘smiling’ with the diaphragm as you breathe in.

This helps avoid constricted breath, strained vocal cords and a tense body. An image that can be helpful when practicing a clear note is that of a ping-pong ball kept absolutely still on a jet of water. As we breathe in, the diaphragm relaxes, then works to produce an even, controlled breath, keeping the note clear and focused at the back of the mouth.

If the note is sounding strained, you’re probably doing one of the following:

Tensing or sticking out the neck.

Sticking out, and/or tensing the jaw. Remember, the tongue is doing the work for you, not the jaw.

Placing the tongue too far forward, or else bunching it up in the mouth – remember that when the note is propelled into the mouth, it then becomes an ‘acoustic cave’, so the shape in the mouth needs to be very focused.

Pressing down on the larynx at the back of the mouth. You should be able to feel if you’re doing this, but you’ll also hear it in the voice. It’ll either sound too breathy, strangled or strangely ‘froggy’. It helps to remember the image of the tongue going straight back, ‘two big muscles’ (really one, but it helps to think of them as two) under the tongue creating the ‘round shape’ at the back of the mouth, everything focused and in balance.

One little trick that can be helpful to find the pure note is to first of all push the tongue down at the back of the mouth, thus pushing down on the larynx. Then gradually raise the tongue incrementally at the back of the throat, making a ‘ghuh’ sound. When you reach the center of your voice, i.e. the tongue is raised enough that the pressure if off the larynx, you should hear it in your voice and also feel it at the back of the mouth (make a sound bite?).

Another way to not only find the pure note, but to also imprint the techniques into the body is to sing them. The same student who coined the ‘deadmouth’ phrase also came up with this idea, and I think it’s really helpful. So, for example, you’d sing:

‘I’m breathing with a nice relaxed diaphragm, back relaxed, knees relaxed, body relaxed under the string, looking straight ahead. My head is balanced on my spine, my voice connected to my breath. My jaw is relaxed and slightly back, and completely relaxed. The tongue is doing all the work for me, two big muscles under the tongue pulling the tongue straight back, and then creating the round shape at the back of the mouth. The tongue is arched at the back of the throat, so that it feels like I’m smiling at the back of the throat, everything balanced. I’m controlling the flow of air from the diaphragm, and I know that it only takes a small amount of air to sustain a pure, clear note. The note is sitting…etc.

Another thing to remember, once again, is that the subconscious is still at work, finding ways to make life easier. Finding a path, over time, that works better than before. Once that path is clear, it’ll start going to the ‘right place’ automatically. For example standing with better posture. You might have to work a bit to get there, but it’ll be worth the effort.

Everything needs to happen at the same time, working together as one, for it to really work. And you’ll know when it’s working because you’ll hear the difference. It’ll feel and sound right.

Ah yes, one last thing, when you find that pure note, it can really help to think of it as ‘floating’ at the back of the mouth, nothing to do with you. Once again the Zen paradox of singing: you recognize the place easily because you’ve been there many times before, but you don’t hold on to it in any way. Create the sound, and then let it go, ready for the next note.

Ok, so let’s first look at starting a band from the singer’s point of view. Let’s imagine that you’ve reached a level of expertise that you feel comfortable with, and practicing in the bathroom is no longer cutting it (this article also being aimed at the novice, i.e. you want to break in to the music business but aren’t sure where to go from here). There are as many ways of starting a band as there are genres of music, and all over the world there are a million bands forming and re-forming as we speak (figuratively, of course, give or take 2 or 3). So let’s start with the obvious: what genre of music do you want to focus on? What kind of singer are you? And the most obvious: always choose a genre, or even genres, because you love the music and it feels right. Not because you think it’s going to make you into a star/popular/win the lottery/sell your Aunties pig.

So let’s break it down and look at a few main genres. This is obviously limited to my own experience and what I’ve learnt from fellow musicians and from teaching (and, of course VERY occasionally from the TV), but if I leave anyone out, let me know – there might be new genres growing out there, especially since the Internet feels a bit like the Wild West. And, since I’m old, Father William, I might not be hip to some scenes at all. Shocking, I know, but true.

Rock – aka ‘ You Raaaaaaaack’

The kind of rock band you’re in depends very much on how old you are when you join. If you’re in your teens, then you probably joined the band because you were all friends or neighbors or didn’t know anyone else. Or it’s with a school rock band, and you all gravitate together. Whichever way it turns out, these are often the bands where you have a great time, practice sporadically, write your own music (the level of expertise not being the answer in question) and last for any number of years, months, days or hours.

Moving on to the next phase of this incarnation, is the signed rock band. You’ve usually lasted because of either one or some or all these reasons:

You’re all gorgeous

One or more of you is a talented writer

You are all gifted musicians with a great work ethic (i.e. you practice regularly and with focus)

You work at getting along/you understand you need to leave your egos at the door/you barely tolerate each other but don’t want to go back to working at Walgreens

or

You have a great manager who has somehow helped to guide you through the landmines of the music industry and/or made good business decisions for you and/or is Wolverine in disguise (see the blog ‘How To Find A Manager’)

If you’re auditioning for one of these bands (their singer is leaving, for example), it’s like as not you’ve reached a level of expertise and general knowledge re. the business that you don’t really need to be reading this. If you are reading this, GET BACK TO THAT AUDITION.

There are a few other Rock genres:

You’re all professional musicians who start a rock band ‘as a project’ and/or serious business venture. You know who you are.

You’ve been in bands all your life, and always have a band, or are in a band. You love it, and do it mostly for fun and for the love of it, although it sometimes drives your wife/girlfriend round the bend/she/he loves it and has started managing the band. Many such bands find each other on forums such as Craigslist.com, and if you’re starting out and just seeing what’s in the area, like as not you will be involved in some way in this community, or similar communities. And the type of experiences you encounter will be many and varied: depending on the genre of music you’re involved in, the area you live in and other such factors. The feedbacks I’ve had back from these experiences have usually been positive. Although, of course, and this is obvious but also worth saying, trust your instinct. If it seems iffy, don’t touch it with a bargepole.

You live in Nashville, and are a part of the music scene. Nashville is a city whose focus is, basically, the music business, so it’s a good one to look as at as an example of a ‘music microcosm’. It’s one of the true homes of the music industry, full of talented writers and performers. All of these writers, performers and music producers are continually working together – often with a great level of expertise – writing, performing and creating music. It springs to mind the image of a hive of extremely efficient bees – cross-pollinating, tending to the hive, working, working (and, I’m sure, in some cases plotting – aah, realism). And doing it with an extremely high level of professionalism and enthusiasm. If you want to move to Nashville or similar city that’s central to the music industry (LA, London or New York for example) and join the elite squad, then practice, practice, practice. Nashville’s focus is generally Country and soft rock (the soft rock, pop and the country scene meet at many points nowadays). However, the music business is tough, and all the corny old stories are true. So become the best you can possibly be. If you’re doing it all for the right reason, you’ll find your own path (grasshopper), whether it’s becoming a jobbing session singer, being signed with some sort of deal, starting your own band, finding musicians through the grapevine, or simply singing in a local gigging band for fun . Or some, or all of the above, sometimes at the same time (a common Nashville or music biz example: put together with a writer, or co-writer, and/or a band looking for a singer. Check out the article ‘Finding A Manager’ for ideas on how to put together a promo package to get help and start finding contacts).

Rockabilly bands – they often demand a high skill level.

Rockabilly also has a definite scene, huge fun factor and vibe. Rockabilly singers remind me a lot of early big band singers. All from the chest and diaphragm. A good rockabilly singer has to have power and swing (check out the article ‘How To Feel rhythm’ for the definition of swing), and work well with the band. As well as be a good showman. Getting started in Rockabilly is the same as for any other scene. Either start with putting ads here, there and everywhere and see who responds, and/or go to some gigs and get to know the scene. See why the most popular bands are popular. See if the musicians cross-pollinate, i.e. play with other bands as well. If you can get a gig lined up, and can pay them, they might want to play for you as well. It might take some serious persuading, so you’ll have to have your end of the deal together.

Live gigging bands usually have to play for at least two 45 minute to 1 hour sets, sometimes three depending on the venue and the pay (sometimes 4 if it’s an event). That’s a lot of playing time. Each song usually takes about 5-10 minutes, depending on the arrangement and the song. So we’re talking between 7-10 songs for a 45 min set, usually. If you haven’t written enough material, then learn some of the rockabilly standards (or some other standards if you’re interested in another genre), or find some little known unusual songs that you can get together to rock the crowd.

That’s about all I know about Rockabilly. Personally, love the hair. And the vibe. And the groove.

Shoe Gazers, aka Indie Bands.

Love Indie bands. They’re very much about honoring the inner you, I think, which I’m all for. And sometimes the relevance of a small experience being huge, either at the time or in hindsight. Or so it seems to me. If you’re in an Indie band you have to come from a true place, or the hardcore will never speak to you again. Ever – i.e. integrity is key. Indie bands always write their own material, and cross-pollinate with the rock circuit, to a certain extent, and are usually very committed to the music. So if they’re looking for a new singer and you get to audition, take it very, very seriously.

I’ve had a number of students who were in Indie Bands, and the problems that they found technically were those of purely physical power. The songs were personal and internal, and so it sounded wrong to really ‘sing out’. So they were’nt getting beyond the first few rows. The diaphragm is key here, and to keep it relaxed as you breathe in, no matter the intense subject matter of the song. The more you can focus your core energy; diaphragm, chest and note (in the mouth) all ‘connected’, the better. Get the tongue working. Speak the words of the song like it’s a poem, out loud, using the ‘deadmouth’ technique. Then sing the song again, focusing on the feeling of the song. Start to rely on the diaphragm and get rid of the jaw completely, it’s only getting in the way.

Heavy rock bands. Metal bands.

Many first bands are heavy rock bands, or metal bands. They take a lot of energy and commitment. I think it gets much harder after about 35, 40, something like that. Although, many heavy and metal bands have been together for years and love it. Or get together again years later and play better than ever. If this is your calling, then remember that these gigs can be mega heavy on the vocal cords. Get lessons, seriously. Or use this program diligently.You might have great natural technique, but if you find yourself getting hoarse, or out of breath or straining in any way, then get some help. Worse case scenario is nodes on the vocal cords. This is usually caused by continuous strain to the vocal cords. Also, you’ll sound better, over time, and you’ll enjoy singing all the more. It’ll also give you good breathing technique – if you’re gigging a lot, it can be tiring, and this is always a sign that you’re not breathing efficiently.

The same holds true for starting a heavy rock band as it does for the other genres. These bands tend to be very committed, so it’ll be harder to find musicians from other bands willing to just jump ship. So look to start the band from scratch, initially, and wait until you get a really rocking unit before you go to the next stage of regular rehearsals. Get it really tight before you make a demo.

Rock. Hmm, Rock is not so simple anymore, methinks. It includes a broad spectrum, from ‘internal’, brooding rock (Goth on one side, baring the dark soul and facing the dark night), through Indie Bands, to the Cure to U2, not necessarily in that order, to really heavy metal bands and punk on the other side. Rock is primarily about taking the emotion to the max. And singing Rock is just the same. As long as you’re singing truthfully, you can’t be over the top, or seem ‘hammy’. In fact, Rock audiences demand that you do this. It’s the modern form of opera. Just think of classic rock bands from the ‘70’s, aka ‘Iron Maiden’ or the hair bands from the ‘80’s. A lot of technique needed. And long, round vowels so the chest is used, opening up to head resonance at the same time. But get the feeling right and everything else follows, as night the day. And the focus isn’t so much on playing well (although that helps – greatly) so much as playing and performing with integrity.

The Professional Musician

I mentioned Nashville earlier. This type of musician’s community is often true of any city, even small communities, and the genres often cross-pollinate. Which brings us on to another type of musician: the jobbing, professional, modern day, playing musician. Becoming a professional singer and musician changes your view of the music industry and your place in it entirely. For the jobbing musician, your skill level is usually recognized, as is also your earning power – and it becomes a job. I’ve been lucky enough to play with some fantastic players over the years, and it never fails to blow me away how many wonderful musicians there are around the world, often playing to a very small audience, and all of them continually working at their craft. Musicians often know other musicians and someone may well be in a rock band, and play jazz on the side, and play in an orchestra, or big band, and also do sessions. And have a home recording studio, which they use regularly. All of which is just part of their job of being a musician. So there is a lot of movement in the music industry, and often a lot going on. As your ‘network’, for want of a better word, grows, so does your knowledge of music and also the music business, grow. And you’ll find more and more opportunities to find your true métier. So you get to know a lot of people as your sphere of understanding grows, and you find yourself in many different, and often hilarious, situations.

The Professional Singer

Singers are often different, however, in that they often specialize in a genre of music that really suits them, rather than jumping regularly from genre to genre, as in the early bee reference. This does happen, of course, but a singer will usually know in their heart of hearts, what type of singer they truly are. True Session singers are the only different type of singer that I can think of. They can often emulate many different singers and styles, and so they cross-pollinate often! A musician’s word for having a good skill level is ‘chops’. Some session singers have awesome chops. Of course, singers of types and sizes can be called upon to do a session. And now, in this computer age, technology is so wonderful and we can have the equivalent of a full studio working from our computers, there is a huge online creative community of every genre and taste imaginable, that’s growing and changing all of the time. So, especially in the beginning stages of your career, you will meet all manner of people doing projects in their bedrooms, forming bands, creating gigs and who knows what else. Yet again, trust your instinct.

However, I digress. I’ve a theory that you’re usually kind of born the singer that you are. Opera singers are definitely born. You can’t fake opera. I mentioned earlier that rock singers (the good ones, anyway) are often akin to opera. Think of Freddy Mercury, or again a lot of 80’s hair bands. There’s also an incredible purity in Opera and force of power, and often the same holds true for rock. Classical singing is something else completely, and needs a completely different set of chops than, say, Jazz singing (see the article, ‘For Classically Trained Singers: A Few Tips On Modern Genre Songs, Especially Jazz’). In fact, the two genres are very different in essence. Classical singing is like a perfect vase going from moment to moment, and jazz singers differ by playing around with the time of the piece, the rhythm, the notes and phrasing. Two very different ends of the scale.

I mentioned that I feel we’re often drawn to the music we most respond to mainly through the feeling of the music, and also, just importantly, it’s rhythm. How we naturally feel the beat contributes greatly to how we respond to the music. If this is an issue for you, then check the article: How To Feel Rhythm.

Many singers gravitate towards the music they feel most affinity for, and, if they persevere, get drawn into the scene of that music. Whether they can make a career in that genre depends on a few factors:

The major genres are usually well represented in the major cities of the world. Except that I expect you’ll get more rock in New York and more Euro Pop in Zurich. So the more ‘out there’ the genre you’re involved in, generally the smaller the scene. This can make for some very loyal and committed fans, which helps with a fan base and so regular audience, so that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a strong platform from which to expand (or you might like the small scene and are’nt concerned about making it grow hugely).

The Function/Event Singer. If you’re looking to work as a jobbing singer, like as not you’ll gravitate towards the work of the jobbing singer. Wedding bands, Top 40 bands, corporate music, music in restaurants, especially Jazz music or singing standards (i.e. Cole Porter etc), cabaret, sessions, jingles. Or else pop bands, and rock projects and sessions. These often fuel (i.e. pay for) your own private projects where you might write your own music, or have a special project or band that you join or form. For many people, the idea of being this kind of singer does not work. They want to do what they want to do, not a whole lot of else besides. These are the singers who have another source of income through a day job or similar such activity.

NOW, other genres

Pop Singers

So you want to be a pop singer. If you haven’t yet found the ‘poppy voice’, first of all experiment with ‘The Mask’ and the pop reverb, aka the band ABBA, i.e., that kind of sound, and on pulling up from the perineum on really high notes (link to pop reverb chapter). Placement of the note is also key, because a pop singer’s sound is often very pure, then manipulated through the vowels and note placement aka Alanis Morisette. Good pop singers always get the diaphragm thing and have great control of the note.

Vibe wise, pop singers more often than not feel the note right on the beat (or their voice is placed on the beat by the mouse click of the sound engineer at a later date. Aah, cynicism). Also, and obviously, learn to dance. And wear a scrunchie, but only when really appropriate.

Pop songs are often projects. Started by a record company, or a producer, or a recording geek, or a group of friends, or even, by you. It often takes a high level of expertise to be a really good pop singer, however. Don’t be fooled by the frothy lyrics and bouncy charm/gut wrenching ballad. Christina Aguilera, for example, has great chops. Mariah Carey has chops. Celine Dion has great chops. You might not like their music or style, but you can hear the chops. So if you want to be a pop singer practice, and focus. The voice is a muscle – develop it day by day.

OK, let’s say that you have the chops. Or have a chop, or ch, and are working on the others, and feel ready to get more involved with the scene, i.e. finding work as a pop singer. First of all, try every avenue. One thing will lead to another. For example, sign on with a casting agency, especially extras and advertising, and put ‘singer’ in your vocabulary. Make sure your picture is up to par. You might find this appalling, but the pop world especially, is very competitive, akin to the acting lark. A lot of money is to be made, and with that comes it’s up and it’s down side. So, be prepared, and, aware. Look at craigslist, look at rehearsal, recording and dance studios. Oh, and take dancing lessons. Make a demo of yourself singing, and also, preferably, footage of yourself performing, either in a staged setting or at a gig (see Starting A Band). See if there is an agency for session singers. See if you can get some session work. Often people starting a professional, moneymaking project will turn first and foremost to an experienced session singer. You might be just what they’re looking for. Follow you’re instinct, and you will no doubt learn the business, and find your métier (also check out the article ‘Finding A Manager’ for some tips on getting together some promo material).

Soul singers. You have to have soul to be a soul singer.

It’s obvious when it’s sung true, and the opposite when it’s not. When it’s right on, it’s wonderful. There are many forms of soul music, all the way back to Gospel. And you have to have chops PLUS natural ability to be a soul singer. Soul singing is a lot about technique. The pure voice controlled from the diaphragm, through the chest, for the sound feeling, aka Soul. Think of the chest and the diaphragm being linked, UGH! Soul singing, at it’s best, is also about joy. Stevie Wonder from the 70’s, that gorgeous tone and amazing groove. If you want to get into a soul scene, try joining a Gospel choir initially. Or get to know the musicians in the Gospel band. They often know the scene, or are involved in it, or know people who do. Look in Craigslist, look in the local newspaper, record store, recording studio. Go to a few gigs. See if you can talk to the musicians. Soul musicians are usually of a high caliber and will cross-pollinate. If you have the work, they’ll get involved. If you feel you’re at the right level and can run a band, put the feelers out (an advert in the local paper or music paper, posting on craigslist et al. Check out the article: Starting, And Then Running Your own band).

Jazz Singers

Jazz singers are often the ones singing standards in a restaurant, or performing at a late night club, or doing an art gig, or (often) a wedding. One of the primary reason being that Jazz has become an ‘art’ music and isn’t even a teeny bit as popular as it was, say, pre Rock Around The Clock era and the advent of Rock and Roll. So they have to feed their addictions through wine bars and bat mitzvahs.

Jazz singers usually feel the music way behind the beat, and love the old standards. They also like to be a part of the vibe, rather than the lonely diva out front. Part of the cake, and not the only baker. In fact, the old word for a band working well together was ‘cooking’. A good Jazz gig bakes a very good cake. They’ll often do other gigs as well as other genres, but they’ll keep coming back to Jazz as a first love.

If you want a career as a Jazz singer, be prepared to not make a huge amount of money. If you live in a town, city or community that’s Jazz friendly, that’s great. They are out there. Jazz musicians often find each other by doing similar gigs, and definitely cross-pollinate. In fact, many Jazz musicians regularly do sessions, because to become a good Jazz player you have to have some serious chops. And they also need to make a living. To get a Jazz lineup, get a gig that pays, and they’ll probably agree to do it. At least once. Which is why it’s hard to keep a serious jazz band together. The musicians are usually busy doing many projects, yours being just one of the many. So have a ‘b’ team ready if they’re not available. If there’s a place where jazz musicians hang out, go there if you want to get into the scene. Do a summer school. Or, once you feel ready, put an advert in the paper, or put the word out, once again on Craigslist and see what happens. You might get lucky and find a good band, but it’s better to know the musicians yourself or have an in somehow. This holds true of all genres, but especially jazz: you need the right ingredients to bake a truly good cake.

Rap and Hip-Hop

This is a huge part of the music industry, which also joins with the soul and soul related, hip hop and hip hop related genres. It covers a lot of areas, in fact. I know next to nothing about the rap and related scenes, I’m afraid. Not through lack of interest, it just never came into my sphere of living, and I never gravitated to it. I do have a student who is a hip hop/soul related writer and singer. Something I’ve noticed from watching rap artists etc, the good ones’ energy always rings out, i.e. they’re very centered, onstage. Plus it’s so percussive that the good ones improvise with it and know how to groove. If you’re a rapper and getting short of breath or your throat hurts, you need to learn to breathe from your diaphragm and learn to use your tongue when you speak, not use mainly your jaw and so tense up the vocal cords. Singing is an extension of speaking. Placement of sound in the mouth, key (it might seem ultimately ‘un-Gangsta’ but technique applies to all the arts, unfortunately. Although the mind boggles: ‘No, Yoh, yoh, at the BACK of the mouth. And put the gun on the table, please’).

Blues

Blues is a roots music and can be found in many, many, places. A blues community is also often a great place to try out or develop your chops, especially if you’re just starting out and don’t feel confident enough to join or form a committed band. This is not to denigrate blues musicians at all. There are a lot of amazing musicians, and bands, out there. Doing gigs, forming serious bands, touring, studying their craft. This section applies more to the semi-pro type of blues bands. For example, they play in the local pub or club, everyone playing for the hell and pure fun of it, the accent not being on expertise or competition. It’s great if you play great, if you play crap, that’s OK too. Here you’ll have an appreciative and supportive audience. And Blues aficionados know their stuff, so often the critique’s you receive will be genuine (if not always sought after).

Folk

Folk is often linked with blues, and often cross-pollinates, the music being ‘rootsy’. There are many differing types of folk bands, from Folk Blues, to Folk Jazz, to Blue Grass to Early Music to Appalachian Country Tap Dancing. Although there are many professional folk bands touring many countries in many different guises even as we speak, there are also just as many semi-pro Folk bands performing in pubs, clubs, community centers, school hall and local festival even as we speak. If you want to join a folk band on the touring level, start with the little bands and get your chops together. Practice, practice, practice. These bands are often tremendously skilled and knowledgeable about their genre, and also usually do it for the love of it. As with blues music, folk lovers are often really knowledgeable about their genre, and you’ll learn a lot about the music, plus be honing your craft at the same time. And if the scene if anything like the British Folk scene, downing an awful lot of beer (and in some cases mysteriously waving hankies about aka Morris dancing). Then it’s the same as with so many other genres of music. One thing leads to another and, once again, you’ll find your own métier.

Becoming A Broadway or Cabaret Singer

If you have the wish to become a stage/Broadway singer, then it’s likely that you’re also going to need to act, since the two go hand in hand. This is a highly competitive field. Go to any open audition, and there are people queuing round the block. To become a successful Broadway singer, you need to have a powerful voice, first and foremost. Not only because you need to be heard beyond the first row, but also because this genre of singer has a particular sound. Clear, powerful, good enunciation (i.e. you can hear the words), and diaphragmatic control. You also need to move, since musical theatre shows often require the performer to dance. So get some lessons: acting classes, dancing classes, singing lessons. Try to get into drama school or, at least, summer school. Here you’ll get into a network and meet likeminded people. Once you feel ready, then get some headshots done by a reputable photographer, 8 x 10 along with a short, concise bio. Look at the headshots that friends have had done, ask around the grapevine. Look in the classifieds of local ‘stage’ type of magazine. Even better (and, often, harder), find a theatrical agent. But first find a couple of good audition songs (go for something in the genre of the musical you’re auditioning for, but try to avoid the obvious really hackneyed songs that everyone else will be doing. The ‘auditioneers’ will have heard the song a hundred times. Once you’ve found the song, you’ll need to find it in your key. Check out the article Vocal Ranges if you’re not sure what this means. Then you’ll need the sheet music. Either google the song, or else a good one to start is, yet again, sheetmusicdirect.com You can download ‘Sibelius Scorch’ to enable you to see the first page of the song, and from there change the key by scrolling up and down. Viola. Print it out and you have an audition song in your key).

Once you feel ready to go get ‘em, first of all get your head in the right space. There’s a particular mindset needed for auditions, which usually have nothing to do with the actual gig when and if you get it. Be focused, i.e. just focus on your ‘bit’ and try to be put off by all the other hopefuls.

When you are hired, be prepared to work very hard. Long rehearsal hours, then night after night of performing the same show. Your instrument needs to be in great shape to avoid getting tired and run down. The longer the run, the harder the challenge to keep ‘in the moment’ and not be thinking about what you’re going to have for dinner. Luckily for the audience, a lot of Broadway singers don’t see it that way and have a great work ethic.

In the US there’s also a healthy Cabaret scene. Jazz and Cabaret singers usually tour this scene, often with ‘themed’ shows (i.e. ‘The Songs Of Cole Porter’ or a one man/woman show). There are a lot of very high caliber cabaret singers, so this is not a scene that you can just fall into. Just singing a bunch of songs is not going to make your name. So go to see some shows, especially the more respected performers, and get a feel for what they’re doing, and why it works, marry that with what you feel you want to say, and craft your show from there.

Most major city has at least one venue that caters to the Cabaret audience. Usually a venue that has an up-market vibe that probably serves food and drink as well. This puts the price up on the ticket and means, depending on the audience attendance, that you get paid reasonably well. Once again, you will need a demo, headshots and probably footage of yourself performing. Like as not, a reputable club won’t hire you straight off the bat. They’ll need reviews, and a promo package that looks professional, and even better, a fan base. Some of the venues have a regular audience that are going to come to the show anyway, trusting the venue (or it’s a tourist attraction). So the venues’ name depends on it, but they still won’t book an unknown. So get a gig at a smaller club, and try to get the papers down. If you have the money, hire a publicist to do this for you. Get in touch with the Clubs’ rep and try and convince them to come to the show. Or see if there is an agent in town who deals with booking these clubs, and see if you can get on their books.

So those are a few musical genres. The same holds true for every genre. Put adverts everywhere. Get used to networking. The most challenging thing with starting any new band, or career, or project from ground level is getting the ball rolling and getting the first few gigs.

Organizing Your Band Or Solo Career

Let’s imagine that you’ve found the band members, have a set organized and are happy with the way things are progressing. You’ve made a demo you’re happy with (check out the article ‘How to make a demo’) and are ready to get out there and start gigging. If it’s a group effort, then it’s time to have a meeting and see who’s prepared to do what. Regular rehearsals have to be organized, phone calls need to be made, leg work needs to be done. Often the gig is just the icing on the cake. Once you’re underway, things will get easier. The word will get around, you’ll get a fan base and a mailing list and it won’t be so hard to convince club owners you’ll pull a crowd. Once you can pull a crowd, then you can start paying the band properly, but at the start, energy needs to be focused to push that ball up the hill.

The same principles apply if you’re starting a solo career. Once you feel ready, and have a professional promo package together, then put the feelers out to find a manager, or producer, or writing partner, or band, or agent, or anyone to help you on your way.

So, To Sum Up….

I think with every one of these genres, I’ve said ‘These are very competitive fields…’. It’s usually harder to get the ball rolling in the music industry, whichever branch of it you’re involved in. At ground level are the flakes, and the con artists, and the crappy gigs. Of course, this exists at every level, but when you’re learning the ropes, it’s that much easier to see the signs early on and so avoid the pitfalls. There are also some sterling people, some great little venues, and networks that can help you. So keep your eyes and ears to the ground and, once more, use your instinct and you will find your métier.