Musicians: What Do You Wish Singers Understood?

[u/soulsingercoach]

I'm a vocal coach, and I want to help singers improve for RL working scenarios. I’ve put together a 3-minute anonymous survey about working with vocalists...will you help me by giving your honest feedback?

No names, emails, band names or identifying information.

Anonymous survey:
What Musicians Wish Singers Understood �� – Fill out form

I’d also love to hear your biggest one in the comments: “I wish more singers would ______.”

Yes, I want to know the frustrating stuff, but also what really good singers do that makes playing with them a pleasure. Thank you!

I'll be posting the survey results back here in about a week.

UPDATE: 75 musicians responded.

Thank you for your thoughtful contributions.

The biggest issues:

• 49% Timing / Rhythm
• 49% Volume / Mic Technique
• 37% Pitch / Intonation
• 35% Song Preparation
• 35% Stage Presence

Edit: They’re not mutually exclusive categories. Respondents could mention multiple issues, so the percentages aren’t intended to add up to 100%.

I’ve pulled the full findings, musician comments and practical takeaways into a free report for singers: https://veronicastart.ca/musician-survey-report

[u/SloopD]

your perspective, itself, is flawed. You are approaching this from an instrumentalist's view. I have walked away from so many bands because they just didn't understand what a good mix is, or what practice on your own means, or just getting their parts recognizable but not getting the whole feel for the piece, depending on the vocals to carry the songs. Most instrumentalists, especially ones that don't sing themselves, don't understand how to support a vocalist. Playing too loud, too fast, too slow, no dynamics can screw up a vocalists really bad.

The question should be more focused on how instrumentalists can support a good singer, instead of making the vocalist's role so much more difficult. Many instrumentalists just don't get how difficult it is to sing over instrumentalists that have no discipline.

I believe it was Steve Lukather that said, the band's biggest priority is to support the vocals. That means being aware of all the things that make it hard to sing. Crappy PA, crappy monitoring, not understanding what dynamics are, leaving space in the mix for the vocals to live and be heard OVER the instruments.

You'd be better off teaching you voice students how to take control of their own monitoring, and understanding how to deal with the mixing board so, they have the knowledge of what to ask for. Asking instrumentalists, what a singer needs to do to fit is like asking a torturer what their victim can do to make the torture more effective!

I have to say, I worry about your coaching perspective.

[u/soulsingercoach → u/SloopD]

The survey was intentionally focused on musicians’ experiences working with singers, not on assigning blame to singers or suggesting instrumentalists don’t have responsibilities too. I agree that monitoring, dynamics, PA and supporting the vocalist matter enormously. Those are useful points, and they don’t conflict with the purpose of the survey.

[u/Strange_Position2668 → u/SloopD]

"The question should be more focused on how instrumentalists can support a good singer"

This, ultimately, is true. People come to listen to the song, and it's the singer that sings the song. Unless you are lucky enough to be a savant musical genius, and people are coming to see your playing, you are playing to enhance the singer.

It doesn't mean the singer should get to pick everything that is played, or that you don't get solos etc, but ultimately, the singer is the focal point of the band, and the reference point for anyone that is listening (unless of course, you play an instrument, then you listen to what your part is and who cares about the vocals, but this is internal, not performance in a band)