“Get my mic up!”

“Turn down the volume of the music!”

“Flip 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 have and I am not afraid to admit it. In some situations, it may be the DJ or whoever is running the sound system. In other cases, it may be the sound system itself. But in most cases, and by no means is this said to belittle a promising performer, whether he sings, raps, or plays an instrument, it may not be either of those situations.

Yes, that’s right: it could be YOU.

I’ve seen many artists get nervous because they feel like the audience can’t hear them or can’t hear themselves, and they will automatically blame whoever is playing the sound. But there is nothing wrong with the system; the microphones are new, the speakers are very well leveled, and the equalizer is on point. The problem is the way they hold the mic. If you are a professional and / or important artist, C’MON SON. (Although some major artists today don’t know how to perform on stage, 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 jumping ready to succeed, 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 must learn to use the microphone.

HOLDING THE MICROPHONE

You can sing and / or rap as hard as you like, but the audience won’t be able to hear clearly if the mic is too far from your mouth. No one should see you perform with him all the way close to your chest. For best results, the microphone should be at least 1 to 2 inches away from your mouth while you are presenting. If you are a singer, the only time you should step away is when projecting your voice to avoid being too loud on the speakers, at least not more than a foot away.

“PRESS” THE MICROPHONE

Rappers, this is ESPECIALLY for you. We have heard this term before: “Do not handcuff the microphone.” For those who are unaware of the meaning of this term, “handcuff” is when a person wraps their hand around the microphone ball while speaking or striking. From my own experience, this hurts an artist because it blocks the field of sound. It also muffles and distorts a person’s voice to the point that you can’t even understand what they are saying.

Your hand should grip the handle directly under the ball. This will allow the microphone to pick up the sound better so that the audience can hear it more clearly. Now I will admit that some people think differently about this; there are artists (more rappers) who believe that “cuffing the mic” actually helps to increase the volume so that they are heard better. Shoot, I’m actually guilty of doing it once in a while, but more out of habit than anything else. If you “handcuff the mic” (and you’re honest with yourself), I recommend that you do what I was doing until I usually started holding it correctly – practice at least leaving enough room on top of the ball so you have a better chance. by not sounding muffled.

KEEP THE MICROPHONE CLOSE TO YOU

How you hold the mic when you’re not performing is just as important as when you’re performing. You should never allow yourself to hang to the side between verses (this also applies to backups and hype). Leaving it hanging like you’re about to drop it to the ground only adds more effort to bring it back to your mouth when it’s time to perform or say your adlib. Not only that, it also causes that deafening sound that we like to call “feedback” when you get close to a speaker or monitor. You are literally placing the mic on the monitor when you let it hang up.

So to prevent this from happening, keep your arm bent and close to your body when you are not speaking / rapping / singing. This will make it much easier to bring the mic back to your mouth, as well as avoid putting it on monitors.

IN CONCLUSION …

Performing on stage is all about leaving a lasting first impression on your target audience. The people who watch it – fans, other artists, A&R and top industry executives alike – are paying attention. They’re 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 your delivery. And, in my opinion, your delivery begins with the microphone.