Getting Comfortable On Stage

by Cari Cole

It wasn’t long ago that I, like you, was pursuing the path of being an artist and carving out my niche and persona on stage. One of the first things I teach my artists after they learn the basic logistics of the stage is how to get comfortable.

7 Ways to Getting Comfortable On Stage

1. OVER-REHEARSE. The worst is when you can’t relax because you are worried about remembering your lyrics or unsure about your voice. The key to getting comfortable is getting your performance to the level that it is automatic. You do that by over-rehearsing. For instance, rehearsing every single day for 1 month before your performance will help you be way more relaxed and confident. I often find people are afraid to over-rehearse – as if it takes some of the magic from your performance, but the opposite is true. The more you rehearse, the more comfortable you get and the more confident your performance will be. The more energy you will have to focus on performance and not on worrying about your voice or lyrics. Your goal is to create a home for yourself up there. You do that by knowing your material in your sleep.

Insider Tip: You get the Ultimate Performer Tools & Techniques Guidebook when you purchase the Singers Gift Warmups!

Insider Tip: Performers that accompany themselves sometimes let their playing distract them from performing well because they are struggling with chord changes. You might want to consider someone else accompanying you until you are totally comfortable playing and singing or practice your playing every day until it’s smooth.

2. WEAR CLOTHES YOU LOVE! Plan your clothes ahead of time and think of your stage clothes as a costume to distinguish them from the clothes you wear every day. As a performer you are creating a fantasy for your audience and wearing the same clothes you wear everyday doesn’t cut it. Carouse small boutiques and young designer shops for unusual things that make a statement – you don’t want to look like you bought clothes off the rack from a department store. Image is a massive part of the role of rockstar. Every performer has their particular image or style. What’s yours? Start by tearing out pages of magazines of stuff you like and making a vision board.

3. WRITE SONG INTROS Ahead Of Time. One or two brief stories about how you wrote your songs (what inspired you) along with a few other brief comments about songs and introducing the band is all you need. Not talking makes your audience uncomfortable and talking too much also makes them uncomfortable. Keep your introductions to 2-3 sentences and don’t introduce every song, but have an intro to every song ready.

Insider Tip: Play the first two songs of your set straight through and then say hello to the audience, thank them for coming and introduce Song #3.

Insider Tip: Keep a cheat sheet on the stage floor in case you blank.

4. YOUR AUDIENCE IS YOUR FRIEND. One way to get more comfortable is to imagine the audience is a group of friends. An effective way to deal with stage fright or jitters is to use your imagination – pretend it’s how you want it to be. And no matter how many people are in the audience, pretend they like you – a lot. The truth is, people want you to do well so they can enjoy the show.

Insider Tip: Sing with conviction. Performance is not the time to hold back. Give it everything you’ve got. New-to-the-stage performers don’t power their performance with enough energy and it comes across as amateur.

5. 2 SURE-FIRE VOCAL TIPS. There are two things I teach all of my singers to remember during performance. One: Open your mouth on all vowels more. Opening your mouth will instantly give you more sound with less strain. And Two: Breathe into your back (and of course take deeper breaths for high notes). Breathing into your back is a trick for singing better high notes and difficult phrases. Works like a charm and will make singing easier! The more ease in your voice, the more relaxed you are.

6. REHEARSE ON A STAGE, not in your Living Room. Rehearse for stage in a rehearsal room with mics, lights, monitors and a decent size stage. You may even want to dim the lights and invite some friends. You want to create a vibe that is as similar to performance as possible. Sing with the energy and intensity you will sing with at your performance. Step on the stage and enact the performance in your mind to help you imagine what it’s going to be like. Close your eyes and imagine the place is filled with people there to see you. Did that just make you nervous? Good. Getting used to it ahead of time will keep you from being blindsided. Remember, a little nerves are a good thing; otherwise your performance will be flat.

Insider Tip: Some club owners will let you rehearse in the club prior to your performance – a day before. Try to always get a good sound check before your performance whenever possible.

7. PERFORM OFTEN. Perform at least once a month. It’s true, the only way to get really comfortable is to perform all the time. Once you go on tour for a six-month run, you will never have to worry about stage fright again! (Unless you perform at the Grammy’s – or your equivalent if that’s not your thing). Until then, you simply have not had enough experience to be comfortable. However, performing at least once a month will help you build your home on stage.

Insider Tip: One performance is worth ten rehearsals.

Venues in major cities do not like it when you perform more than once a month (unless you can regularly bring 60-80 people).

There are 2 solutions to this:

a. Perform one show per month and promote that show. For a second performance, look around for a Songwriter Showcase (you usually perform 2-3 songs at these and share the stage with other writers) or some group show where you are not responsible for the entire audience. Another idea is to join forces with another band and share the responsibility of bringing guests.

b. Schedule regular rehearsals and use them as pseudo performances.

Here’s to a rockin’ show!!