Being nervous and having to sing a solo do not mix well at all, this is called singing anxiety. All singers no matter how famous and successful they are today had a period of time where they were simply afraid of singing a solo in front of a crowd. There are a few lucky singers who actually love singing solos in front of others without even being nervous, but for most beginner singers their nervousness will impact their early singing career.
You can stop being nervous while singing a solo by calming yourself down, some singers do breathing exercises while others meditate in order to calm themselves down. Once you are on the stage you have to focus on how you are singing, and nothing else matters. If you have friends or family members in the crowd then maintain eye contact with them while you are singing as this will stop you from being nervous.
If you want to enhance your singing and speaking voice then my personal recommendation is to use a natural vocal booster that also soothes and relieves hoarseness Click here to check it out on Amazon.com
It is understandable why so many people get nervous when singing a solo, especially if they have a more introverted personality. Sooner or later you as a singer will have to face your inner demons and sing in front of a crowd. Luckily there are a lot of things that you can do to calm yourself down before singing if you have read my recent article Best drink for singing voice? ( Top 13 drinks to help your voice ), you already know that some of these drinks also have calming properties.
Although what you have to keep in mind is that being nervous to sing in front of a crowd is mostly in your mind. Not everybody loves to be the center of attention, some people outright avoid it at all costs while others simply love it, it is simply a character trait, love it or hate it you have to work with it. There are a lot of talented beginner singers who never progress as a singer due to their crippling stage fright, but if you are serious about singing then you will have to face your fears. There are a lot of talented singers who have an actual fear of singing in front of family, but if you can not sing in front of your family you will not be able to sing in front of an audience ever.
How To Not Be Nervous When Singing A Solo?
Feeling nervous when singing a solo is a common experience, but there are strategies you can employ to help alleviate anxiety and perform with confidence. Firstly, preparation is key. Practice your solo piece thoroughly, ensuring that you know the lyrics, melody, and any specific techniques required. Familiarity breeds confidence, so rehearse until you feel comfortable with the material. Secondly, focus on your breathing. Deep, diaphragmatic breaths can help calm your nerves and provide support for your vocal performance.
Take a moment before you begin to take a few deep breaths and center yourself. Additionally, visualize a successful performance, imagining yourself singing flawlessly and receiving applause. Positive visualization can help boost your confidence. Lastly, remember to embrace the joy of performing and connect with the emotions behind the song. Channel your nervous energy into passion and expressiveness.
Earn a 50% Commission on each sale by simply sharing my guides with friends and family on social media, check out How To Sing Better 101 Affiliates
Calm Down
This is probably easier said than done if it would be as easy everybody would be able to do it. The problem is that some singers get so nervous when singing a solo is that they might even develop a temporary mental block, making them even forget the lyrics. While others simply freeze and do not even move a muscle, I honestly don’t know which of the two is worse but I have seen both of them sometimes being displayed by one person in a matter of a couple of seconds. If you want to know how to stop your voice from shaking when singing then your first step is to calm down.
A lot of people will say that it is normal to get nervous when singing a solo, as you probably want to impress the people who are listening to you. However, if you put too much pressure on yourself once you get up on the stage your brain might even panic. Calming down is simply adopting a different mindset, even if you think that the audition will change your life and you get your hopes up which in turn might make you panic. Most singers have a shaky voice when singing nervously and this isn’t what you want as a singer.
My personal recommendation is to try to have fun and look at it in a different way, you will be singing in front of a couple of people who will give you valuable input about your voice and performance for free. Most people who have started singing have done so because they are having fun, you have to remember this and adopt it as a mindset, the moment your singing becomes all about money, fame, and success you will probably find that singing isn’t as fun as it used to be.
Breathing In Deeply
You can simply calm yourself with certain breathing techniques. Inhale deeply and hold the air in for a split second and then exhale, all your focus should be on breathing and nothing else. Just remember to do it slowly, otherwise, you might even hyperventilate which will definitely worsen your situation. If it helps you can even put one of your hands on your chest and the other one on your stomach to feel how you are inhaling and exhaling, do this for a couple of minutes and you will become less nervous.
Control Your Shyness
A lot of people simply consider being nervous on stage as something normal which happens due to too much pressure. Although this is true on some level the major problem is with shame, people simply do not want to disappoint others or be laughed at. This power of shame can be crippling, especially for new singers, and they end up doing the same thing which they are trying to avoid. You can fight this feeling of shame all you want, but if you are not confident enough in your ability as a singer you will have difficulty going past the shame part.
If you have ever tried to control your shyness then you have probably already noticed how difficult it is, oftentimes you get a brief moment of calmness when all of a sudden the feeling comes back and often overwhelms you. You have to imagine what could be the worst-case scenario, you singing awfully or simply being so afraid that no words come out of your mouth. Neither of these cases is desired by any singer but it could happen to any singer no matter how good and talented they are.
You will have to learn to let the feeling of shame pass by naturally without fighting it, this will be fairly difficult the first couple of times when you are singing a solo, but sooner or later you will not feel this feeling of shame and you will only focus on trying to sing as best as you can. If you want to learn how to overcome stage fright when singing then you have to keep your shame in check at all times, especially while you are performing.
Focus On Singing
It will be fairly difficult to focus on singing a solo the first couple of times as you will probably get overwhelmed by different kinds of emotions. Emotions can be positive for a singer as they can project with the song but if the emotions are overwhelmingly negative then it will be extremely difficult to achieve it. You have to focus no matter what and try to actively ignore your feelings, simply try to think logically.
You are singing the solo probably to impress somebody or a group of people, think of it as a new stepping stone of your singing career, although do not put too much pressure on yourself in order to not get a full-blown panic attack. You should focus that this experience will give you a greater opportunity and even if you are not singing as well as you could you still achieved one of your goals and fears which is singing a solo in front of others.
Practice Singing Solo
You have to practice every day in order to get better. Pick your song and learn the lyrics, tones, and everything else, you have to be able to sing the song even if someone wakes you up in the middle of the night. Just do not over practice as you might injure your vocal cords and that is the last thing you want if you will sing a solo. Singing isn’t as much different as acting, your main goal is to provoke some kind of emotion from the audience so make sure you practice projecting through your song as best as you can. There are a lot of singers who are afraid to sing loud if you are among them then you have to practice and work on it before you go and sing a solo in front of a crowd.
Get Plenty Of Sleep
Have a good night’s sleep before you sing a solo if you have ever been to an audition tired then you probably know how difficult it can be as your emotions will be all over your place and you are constantly trying to fight being sleepy. Most beginner singers will find it difficult to have a good night’s sleep the day right before they sing a solo, however, you can calm yourself as described above. If you are still not able to fall asleep then do some pushups and a hot bath, this should relax you enough so you can get a good night’s sleep.
Have A Positive Mindset
No matter what happens you have to be positive and stop second-guessing your abilities if you as a singer have made it this far already then there is no point in turning back now. A lot of beginner singers second guess themselves and their abilities as a singer, although this is normal to a certain point, but you still should focus on being positive than on anything else. If you go and sing a solo with the mindset that you will sound awful, well then you will probably sound awful.
However, if you go singing a solo with a positive mindset then it will be reflected in your singing, just enjoy singing and have fun with it, do not force it.
Have Friends In The Crowd
The simple presence of your friends who believe in you should be enough to calm you down. In addition to this calming effect you can seek them out while you are on the stage and simply sing to them, it’s like putting on a blindfold where all you can see is your friends. Their familiar face to whom you have already sung before will make you feel a lot safer and calmer during the solo. It doesn’t even have to be friends, if you go to the audition alone you will probably have to wait for some time, try to make some friends as even this short bond will help you out.
Imagine The Audience In Their Underwear
You have probably already heard this one, it was a line from some movie back in the day. Although you might find that it actually works, imagine the entire crowd is just sitting there in their underwear which will take a lot of pressure off you as a singer. Although you probably need to have a fairly good imagination in order to almost convince yourself that they are truly in only their underwear, but if all else fails you should give this trick a go, couldn’t hurt. You simply have to learn some way how to get over the fear of singing in front of others as soon as possible, before it starts negatively impacting your singing career.
Be Confident While Singing
If you are asking yourself how to sing a solo confidently then you have come to the right place, a lot of people wrongly think that shy people can not be confident, however, if you have looked at any singing auditions you probably noticed that there are a lot of shy singers which in fact are confident. You as a singer have to be confident or at least look confident enough even if you are shy. While there is nothing wrong with being shy, being overly shy that you are having a difficult time getting your voice heard will be a big negative when you are singing a solo.
Drinking Water
If you are at an audition where you have to wait for your turn for a couple of hours then you can easily forget about hydrating yourself due to all the emotions which are surfacing as with each minute passed you are getting closer to performing. If there is nothing else than water then you should stick to lukewarm water as this is the best for your vocal cords, however, if you want to prepare some kind of special drink before then take a look at my recent article What to drink before singing high notes? ( Top 6 Drinks ).
Find Your Comfort Zone
When you are on stage you will probably have to stay in a designated spot, usually, an X will mark the spot. Before you sing a solo in front of others, imagine yourself being on the stage, where will you look or what will you look at. Try to find something you can latch your eyes on and once in a time take a look at it while you are on stage, this can be a family member, friend, or even an object. Just keep in mind not to stare at the same spot while you are singing as this will be awkward and you will have to keep at least some eye contact with the audience.
Singing Karaoke
If you are a beginner singer who is not used to too much attention then the simple thought of other people looking at you while you sing can be crippling. You can easily train yourself not to be nervous and to even enjoy the spotlight by simply singing at karaoke clubs and bars. Oftentimes the lighthearted atmosphere will, in fact, boost your confidence and will let you focus on what is important which is singing. If you are a beginner singer and do not actually know what to sing then check out my article Best karaoke songs for bad singers ( Top 27 ).
Key Takeaways
- Practice your solo piece extensively to build confidence. Know the lyrics, melody, and dynamics inside out. The more familiar you are with the song, the less nervous you’ll feel.
- Prior to performing, take deep breaths and engage in relaxation exercises to calm your nerves. Deep breathing can help regulate your heart rate and alleviate anxiety.
- Imagine yourself performing flawlessly and receiving positive feedback. Visualization can boost your confidence and help combat nervousness. Additionally, remind yourself that mistakes are normal and part of the learning process.
FAQ
How do you sing a solo confidently?
Singing a solo confidently requires practice, preparation, and building self-confidence. Rehearsing your solo thoroughly, visualizing success, adopting positive self-talk, and performing in front of supportive audiences can help you build confidence in your singing abilities.
Why do I get nervous when I sing by myself?
Nervousness when singing solo is common and can be attributed to performance anxiety or fear of judgment. It may stem from a lack of self-confidence, concern about making mistakes, or the pressure of being the sole focus of attention. Engaging in relaxation techniques, deep breathing exercises, positive visualization, and gradually exposing yourself to solo performances can help alleviate nervousness and build confidence.
How do you fix a nervous singing voice?
To address a nervous singing voice, it’s important to work on managing anxiety and building confidence. Techniques such as regular vocal practice, performing in front of small and supportive audiences, seeking guidance from a vocal coach or therapist, and engaging in relaxation exercises can help reduce nervousness and improve your singing voice.
