When you sing and play an instrument at the same time, it is paramount that you feature the voice above the instrument. Whether one instrument or an ensemble of instruments is accompanying a singer, an audience will immediately direct its attention to the singer. The challenge for you as a singer when you are accompanying yourself is not to lose energy in your vocal production while playing the instrument.
In my years of coaching, I’ve found that singers often lose energy in their facial muscles when their fingers are busy mastering the accompaniment. This affects their diction. I have also frequently observed singers attempting to produce the melody line by following the shape of the keyboard, reaching up for high notes and lowering the head and larynx for lower sounds. Singers forget that they don’t need all that physicality. In fact, thinking of the melody that way impedes the vocal production.
Even when you are accompanying yourself, it’s important to take time to practice the singing on its own, without the instrument. Remember to use the vocal technique of finding the space, or loft, of the oral pharynx to accommodate the tune and its range, without using unnecessary manipulations to reach pitches. It takes a bit of practice to combine singing and accompanying yourself at the same time.
My student, Levi Capper, generously allowed me to record and share one of his voice lessons. In the video above, you can watch as I offer vocal coaching while he sings an original tune and accompanies himself on the guitar.
Notice how I help Levi connect to the text of his song. I ask him to speak the text, find the shapes of the vowels, and think of them moving in a forward direction. I also remind him to lift the muscles in his face, especially the muscles of the upper lip. You can really hear how these suggestions help his voice to come forward, in front of the sound of his guitar.
When you are accompanying yourself and you feature your voice above the instrument in this way, you give the audience the chance to hear the words you are singing. Your voice becomes more free. You connect to the audience through your storytelling as you sing and play.
