5 Tips To Blitz Your Audition For The Voice

We have all heard of the TV show “The Voice”, with the novel idea of having the judges only listen to the voice during the audition while not being able to see the contestant.

Even though there are several steps that a singer will need to take to just be able to sing for a blind audition, in this article I want to share 5 tips that I believe will help you to blitz the actual blind audition, whether you are chosen or not.

There are many factors on why some singers are chosen and others are not. I have seen some very good singers with great voices and vocal technique get rejected in the blind auditions for reasons that most likely had nothing to do with their vocal talents.

One thing I think the judges look for is uniqueness, so if you are a R&B singer and you sound like every other R&B singer out there, then chances are you might get overlooked because a number of R&B singers may have auditioned before you and they have already been chosen.

No matter what style or genre you sing, you need to have something that is unique to you. Don’t try to sound like other singers, but try to find your own style and voice. One way to do this is to listen too and sing many different styles of music. What you will find is eventually your own style and voice will develop, but it will come out of your own unique influences.

If you are a R&B singer, try singing rock and vice versa, maybe even try a little country etc. All these different influences “munged” together in an already unique individual should make for an interesting artist.

So, with that said, let’s look at 5 tips to blitz your voice audition……

Tip # 1 – Develop Good Vocal Technique

Good vocal technique is the foundation of great singing. If you have this down, then everything else becomes so much easier.

If you don’t know what good vocal technique is, then I would encourage you to find a good teacher and start taking lessons.

If you can’t find a good teacher then try to find a good online course.

If you sing with correct vocal technique, not only will you have an impressive range and tone, but you will also be able to sing without damaging your voice. This is important because it means that you will be more likely to have a long career and not need vocal surgery in your 20’s and 30’s like so many modern singers seem to do.

If you get chosen, the schedule will most likely be quite grueling, meaning you may be doing a lot of singing over a short amount of time. If you don’t have good vocal technique, you may find yourself struggling as the competition goes on.

Tip #2 – Develop Vocal Stamina

Even if you have a great technique, you will still need the stamina to do a lot of singing as well as being able to sing your audition song through comfortably.

One piece of advice my singing teacher told me was to develop enough vocal stamina to be able to sing a song through at least 3 times with no breaks in between. This way, you will know that you can sing it very comfortably through at least once without your voice tiring.

I don’t just recommend this piece of advice for auditions, but you should also do it for the competition performances as well. Knowing you can sing a song through comfortably, is one less thing you need to worry about, allowing to concentrate on more important things.

Tip #3 – The 120% Rule

I first learned about this rule when i was preparing for singing exams.

It was told to me by my accompanist who was a professional piano player.

The rule goes something like this – you should practice a song or piece etc 120%, meaning that you practice it until it is second nature or you could sing it in your sleep.

The thinking behind this was that during a performance, your nerves, the environment and all the other things that go along with performing will automatically drop 20% off your performance. You will then be effectively performing at 80%.

If you practice until the song is second nature, then the 20% drop in performance will still leave you at 100%. You should get to a point that no matter what is going on in your environment, you should be still able to perform the song without skipping a beat.

So practice, practice, then go practice some more.

Tip # 4 – Be Believable

So, what should you sing. Well, pick something that keeps you on your toes, yet is still quite comfortable to sing. You don’t want to be straining to hit the high notes, and remember you can suffer a 20% drop in performance when auditioning or singing in public.

All the other tips have been about your voice, but this tip focuses on you. If you are a little left of center, then pick a song choice that goes along with that part of your personality.

Another way you can do this is by picking a song that wouldn’t normally suit your style and then coming up with an arrangement that makes it work for you. This can really grab peoples attention and says a lot about who you are as a person.

What ever you sing, make sure that it is believable and authentic and who you are comes across in the song. I have seen singers get chosen who are not necessarily the best singers, all down to the fact that they are interesting and there was something about them that made people sit up and take notice.

I have also seen other singers who may be technically excellent, not get chosen because they are boring or sound just like every other singer.

Tip # 5 – Get Some Gigs Under Your Belt

If you are a singer who gigs frequently, then keep doing what you are doing.

If you want to audition for The Voice and you don’t perform in public, then this is for you.

The only way to get better at performing is by performing, and frequently. I have heard it said that you should be performing twice a week if you can.

Frequent gigging will help you get used to singing in public and will also help you calm your nerves.

You will also get used to microphones, PA’s, loud drummers etc. Basically, the environment of performing.

I would suggest getting out and gigging for a year before you go for an audition, if you can, especially if you don’t normally perform live.

Summary

Well, i hope this article has been informative and you have gained some valuable information. I also hope that if you are going for an audition for The Voice, that it all goes well and we see you warbling away on TV.

Please feel free to leave a comment or like us on Facebook, Twitter etc.

As always, I wish you success in all your singing endeavors.

Andy Barnes

Follow

Do You Want To Learn How To Sing From Your Diaphragm But Don't Know Where To Start?

Increase Your Vocal Range, Power and Tone By Learning How To Sing From Your Diaphragm

You have most likely heard singers talk about "singing from the diaphragm" and wondered what all the fuss is about.

Learning how to sing from the diaphragm can start you on the journey to be able to sing effortlessly through your whole range without any cracks or breaks, increase your range and help improve your vocal power and tone - all because it is nature's way of singing.

(results may vary depending on the individual)

Sing Better Today