SINGING WITH EMOTION: PART ONE

Singing with Emotion: Part One

One of the best definitions I’ve ever heard of music came from one of my college classes where a fellow defined music as, “Emotion that you can hear.”

And really, when you sit back and think about why we enjoy the different music we listen to, it’s usually because it makes us feel something or because it’s in line with what we’re feeling. Sometimes we’re aware of this, and sometimes we’re not, but think about it.

What type of songs do you listen to when you are happy? Sad? Frustrated? Excited? Angry? Overwhelmed? Intoxicatingly in love? My guess is you probably have certain songs or artists that you listen to for each of these.

So why does this work? Well, psychology teaches us two things:

1. We like people that are like us, and,
2. The most dominant emotion in the room is the most contagious.

So, if you’re in a mood that’s portrayed well by an artist, then you’re going to be drawn to their music. But at the same point in time, if an artist connects well with a song, they can start to pull you in that direction emotionally as well, helping to bring you deeper into the song.

Truth is, you have the power to do this as well. If you’re performing, you are automatically the dominant emotion in the room because you have a mic. From there, all you have to do is choose the right songs to connect with your audience, then sing your song in a genuine and therefore contagious way, and your audience will be eating out of the palm of your hands.

So now that we understand that music is about more than just notes and words on a page that can be translated into flowing melodies, let’s talk for a minute about what we as singers can do to make our voices connect with others even more on an emotional plane.

Analyze the Song:

In order to help your listeners fully feel a song, you’ve got to know on a deep level how you, the singer, feel when you say each part of the song. Some songs have a consistent emotional feel, but most will evolve into different emotions throughout the course of the song.

For example, take the song “Forget You” by Cee Lo Green (which I’ll admit to indulging in from time to time). In it, I’d argue that the main emotion of the chorus is hurt/angry, while the verse tends to be a little bit more frustrated in feeling, and in the bridge he’s so upset, he breaks out into sounding like a blubbering fool all the while, the music is fun, upbeat, and makes people feel good (ironic, isn’t it?).

Which brings me to my next point… the emotion portrayed in the singers voice doesn’t always have to be in line with the lyrics. Sometimes we use sarcasm to evoke emotion in a song.

So, before you start to really sing a song, sit back and take a few minutes to break down each line of that song so that you know exactly what feeling you want to portray during in that line. Once you do that, you’re ready to start adding the emotion.