You are about to perform your songs. Isn’t that thrilling! I’d like to help you to make 5 important decisions about your songs.
First, it has helped me a lot to realize the following:
When you perform, you create a mood. Choose songs that suit you, your talents and your character. Choose a mood that suits the song. It’s great when everything comes together and you’ll feel really empowered on stage.
- Your first tool for that is your intention. This will become the vehicle through which the mood is set. Do you want your audience to sigh with compassion, jump for joy, shed a little tear, have them reflect on love?
- Your second tool is the tempo and rhythm. The rhythm or feel (style) helps to dictate your intention. Swing could be loose, carefree and easy. Other rhythms may make you want to dance, or are more energetic. If you slow down the tempo, it makes the lyrics more important. If you speed up the tempo, it makes the lyrics less important. Experiment and have fun!
- Your third tool is the key. The mood of the song is also effected by the key in which you sing it. If you want to sing in the speaking range of your voice, transpose songs to lower keys. Not too low however, for the energy in the song may become too low. If you are looking for more excitement: choose a higher key, but never set the key so high that you can’t sing comfortably.
Okay! Got that? Now let’s proceed.
Decision no. 1
Decide on the feel (style) of your song (ballad, swing, latin, waltz). This is a great process. You have many styles to choose from, and sometimes you can even mix them though I would advise you to do that only once you are completely at ease with performing the song.
Styles that are commonly used in jazz are:
- swing (slow, medium or uptempo),
- ballad (open, walking ballad, bluesy 12/8 ballad),
- latin (bossa nova, samba, boogaloo),
- waltz (¾) or 6/8 feel.
Here’s “Lullaby of Birdland” in all kinds of different styles. Sure, a song isn’t perfectly suited for every style. This is just to give you an impression of feels and possibilities.
Decision no. 2
Decide on the tempo of the song (slow, medium, up):
- make sure the tempo supports the story and emotions you want to communicate and that your lyrics are still understandable for your audience at a fast tempo.
- Check this at home, record yourself. At what tempo can you still apprehend the words? If you can’t, then your audience certainly cannot. In that case, choose your tempo a bit slower.
Decision no. 3
Decide on an intro for your song:
- A very commonly used intro for a medium or uptempo song could be the last 8 measures.
- A very commonly used intro for a slow tempo song (like a ballad) could be the last 4 measures.
- Other common intros are a turnaround (I-VI-II-V) in major or minor or a vamp, usually on the V7sus4.
- If you have trouble with these intro’s, start right from the top without an intro and ask a musician for your first note. Be sure to check which note is your first note and write it down for yourself. This way you can simply ask a musician; could you give me a ‘C’ (if C is your first note) for example.
Decision no. 4
Decide on how to perform the song
You have several options for a medium or uptempo song:
- Sing the whole song, followed by an instrumental chorus with a solo, and pick up at the beginning of the song to sing the complete theme once more: the whole form will be played 3 times, thus 3 choruses.
- Sing one chorus, then have the pianist solo on half of the song’s structure and pick up and sing the other half of the song: the whole form will be played 2 times, thus 2 choruses.
A ballad:
- Sing the whole song only once, so 1 chorus.
- Or sing 1 chorus, then jump to the second half of the song, thus skipping the first half of the second chorus.
If you prefer things to occur spontaneously, that’s fine. As long as you know the song and it’s structure very well and feel comfortable with a higher level of uncertainty.
Decision no. 5
Decide on the ending
Common endings are:
- ending as is (once through)
- repeating the last phrase
- repeating the last two or four bars, twice or three times, optionally slowing down on the last repetition.
- More on that in ‘Part 2 – Key moments.’
Assignment
Do this for every song you’re planning to perform.
