When an audience comes to hear you sing, they want to do more than see you, they want to hear you connect with the story behind the songs you sing. All the movements you make on stage should relate back to and enhance the story telling of your song. Being able to move and sing is important, yet starting small is best. Try these tips for striking the right balance of movement while singing:
Practice singing at home while you do general household tasks like folding cloths or washing dishes, so that you get used to doing other things while you sing. Once you can move around easily while singing, try speaking the words to your song and take note of what gestures you use. The way you move your hands when saying the words to the song will help you to identify the most natural gestures for when you sing the words.
Moving too much may detract from some songs. When you first start practicing a song, allow yourself to move freely and then slowly begin to get rid of the movements that don’t add to the interpretation of the song. Too much meaningless movement will not help your audience to interpret the song’s story. For example, a classical song generally won’t need many gestures and requires little movement. Take a few steps but don’t stray too far from where you started.
For those of you who have just begun singing, your first priority should be to concentrate on your singing and technique rather than movement. When you first begin singing before an audience, don’t try to tackle to many things at once. Just developing your vocal technique will most likely be enough to keep you busy. When you’re ready to go from just good technique to coordinating that technique while telling a story you need to know how to move. Learning how to make eye contact with your audience and how to move will help you connect with your audience and help them connect with your songs.
Beginner singers tend to move their hands a lot when they sing because they believe that gestures make their song more appealing to the audience - and gestures can do just that, when they are used effectively. Just remember it is not just your hands you should be moving, move your entire arm so that your elbows are not glued to your sides and make sure that your hands are not clenched but open.
Especially if you tend to move your hands when you speak, you will feel uncomfortable and unnatural if your try and keep your hands by your sides when you sing. Read the songs lyrics aloud like it is a part in a play so that know what is going on in the story and how the character feels and would react to what is happening. By becoming the character in the song, gestures will be part of your natural reaction to what is happening you can use those same gestures when you sing to help tell your story. Remember though, that you should not move unless it adds to the story you are telling.
I hope this information will help you to improve your singing performances. If you want to do more to learn to sing or have ever wondered if it is possible to teach yourself how to sing then I strongly recommend you check out online singing lessons like Sing With Freedom from Per Bristow. Best of luck!