“Turn up my microphone!”
“Lower the music volume!”
“Turn me up!”
“Turn me down!”
“I can’t hear myself!”
How many of you have heard these phrases from an artist performing on stage? Here’s an even better question: How many of you have found yourself saying them before or during a performance? I do, and I’m not afraid to admit it. In some situations, it may be the DJ or whoever is in charge of the sound system. In other cases it may be the sound system itself. But in most cases, and this is in no way meant to belittle any emerging artist, whether you sing, rap, or play an instrument, it may not be any of those situations.
Yes, that’s right: it might just be YOU.
I’ve seen many artists get agitated because they feel like the audience can’t hear them or they can’t hear themselves, and they automatically blame whoever is running the sound. But there is nothing wrong with the system; The mics are brand new, the speakers are very well leveled, and the EQ is on point. The problem is the way they hold the microphone. If you are a professional and/or important artist, C’MON SON. (Though nowadays some major artists don’t know how to perform on stage, but that’s another topic. *cough*) But if you’re just starting out, I get it. At the same time, I feel sorry for most of you because you are just jumping in ready to make it, but you don’t have the proper training needed in this music industry. There are methods that lead to success and you have to be willing to learn them. If you want people to hear you on stage, you have to learn how to use the microphone.
HOLD THE MICROPHONE
You can sing and/or rap as loud as you want, but the audience won’t be able to hear clearly if the microphone is too far from your mouth. No one should be watching you perform with him completely close to your chest. For best results, the microphone should be at least 1-2 inches from your mouth while playing. If you’re a singer, the only time you should step away is when you’re projecting your voice to avoid being too loud on the speakers, at least not more than a foot away.
“PUSH” THE MICROPHONE
Rappers, this is ESPECIALLY for you. We’ve heard this term before: “Don’t hang up the mic.” For those who don’t know the meaning of this term, “cuffing” is when a person wraps his hand around the ball of the microphone while he speaks or bangs. From my own experience, this hurts an artist because it blocks the sound field. It also muffles and distorts a person’s voice to the point where he can’t even understand what he’s saying.
Your hand should hold the handle directly under the ball. This will allow the microphone to pick up sound better so your audience can hear it more clearly. Now, I’ll admit that some people feel differently about this; there are artists (even more so rappers) who believe that “slapping the mic” actually helps turn up the volume so they can be heard better. Heck, I’m actually guilty of doing it from time to time, but more out of habit than anything else. If you “hang up the mic” (and be honest with yourself), I recommend doing what you were doing until I generally started to hold it correctly – practice at least leaving enough room on top of the ball so you have a better chance at not sound muffled.
KEEP THE MICROPHONE CLOSE TO YOU
The way you hold the microphone when you’re not performing is just as important as when you are. You should never let it hang to the side between verses (this also applies to backups and publishers). Letting it dangle as if you were about to drop it to the ground only adds more effort to bring it back to your mouth when it is time to perform or speak your adlib. Not only that, it also causes that deafening sound we like to call “feedback” when you get close to a speaker or monitor. You are literally putting the microphone on the monitor when you leave it hanging.
So, to prevent this from happening, keep your arm bent and close to your body when you’re not speaking, rapping, or singing. This will make it much easier to bring the mic back to your mouth, as well as avoid placing it on your monitors.
IN CONCLUSION…
Performing on stage is all about making a lasting first impression on your target audience. The people watching you—fans, fellow artists, A&Rs, and top industry executives alike—are paying attention. They are paying attention to your stage presence as well as your energy, determining whether or not you can move crowds. But most importantly, they are paying attention to their delivery. And, in my opinion, his delivery starts with the microphone.