Leaders, Singers, Vocal Team, Voice, Worship Leading
Sing Him (Overcoming Vocal Struggles) (Show #13)
#SingHim (Video Below)
Making Great Music Starts with Great Vocals. Rehearsing the vocals is the best you can give to your band and to your church. If singing is praying twice, then let our words our words of prayers be meaningful and singable.
So how do we overcome the vocal struggles in rehearsal? Job 36:24 says: “Remember to extol his work, which people have praised in song.” Rehearsal for the voice is one of the greatest values, yet misunderstood essentials of the worship team.
The simplest way the church connects in worship is through the voice. We want the vocals to be clean and clear, so they are easily understood. Usually, you only have time to rehearse everyone at once: band and singers. Some vocalists feel they are forgotten, get lost in the mix and buried by the band. Here are a few steps to help generate ideas to increase the effectiveness of rehearsing the vocals.
Basic Vocal Care:
Water, water, water. Hydration is the first step. The less water you have in your system, the drier your voice will be. When you try to sing your voice will tire much more quickly. If you try singing with a dry voice, your vocal cords (as well as your sinuses) will be irritated.The problem occurs when singers try to force more air to compensate the lack of moisture. This only speeds up the drying process and can cause further damage to the larynx. Prep Your Voice: Don’t wait for rehearsal, sing your way to rehearsal.
As I drive, I do a few breathing exercises, humming low notes and singing scales. The first song we sing at rehearsal is usually a simple and fun tune to get everyone in shape. When you step into a rehearsal cold, it can feel like waking up at 3am for an early morning jog. Conditioning of the muscles is just as important for a runner as they are for a singer. (more on the subject later).
When you get to rehearsal, don’t just stand there and/or guess the parts! The worship leader or vocal director needs to provide some layout per song. This is especially important if you do combined rehearsals with band and singers.
Work The Parts:
When I work my team, I orchestrate the vocal parts as I do the band. As a whole, the singers are the leaders of the group, if they don’t now where to go, neither will the rest of the church. Line-sight and vision – this refers to keeping the singers in a stage area in which they can easily see and be seen by the leader. Each vocalists also needs to see each other. Upfront singers are upfront, choir is behind us supporting the entire team. “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King” Psalm 47.6 [ctt template=”10″ link=”79V30″ via=”no” ]We want the singers to lead, not be wallflowers.[/ctt] At the same time, they have a wider circumference of the stage to connect with the people in the room.
I have them out front with me, to my right and left about 10-15 feet away, with an added 2-3 feet behind my standing position. We try to use the whole stage for coverage, but not too far for loss of connection. I’m able to see their mouths, like they can see mine. This is significant for phrasing, matching sound, tone and timbre. (another post idea).
Heads Up Out Of The Music:
Remove the stands. Use a lyric monitor or backwall screen to glance at the words. The only other thing distracting in a worship service, besides having a bad sound, is a having bad visual barrier. Get microphone stands, music and stuff out of the way. When vocal teams use stands, by nature, the heads move down and the eyes drill down into the music. This is not engaging. Confidence monitors can also serve as the same problem.Using a back wall projector is helpful because it forces the heads and eyes out; but you have to be careful not to sing into the screen. [ctt template=”10″ link=”hML2v” via=”no” ]”Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.” 1 Chronicles 16:9[/ctt] The safest resort is always to memorize the words.
At the same time, the singer can easily become one with the song. If we’ve been singing the same tunes for years and use the same lyrical/casual language, then memorization is more of a fear than an ability. Live with the song during the week and watch the lyrical vine grow in your soul.
@BranonDempsey @worshiptt
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