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Topic: Getting comfortable singing and playing  (Read 919 times)

Offline noam1

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Getting comfortable singing and playing
on: May 18, 2022, 01:38:36 AM
Hi y'all,
For decades -- literally, decades -- I've dreamt of having a repertoire of pieces I can play and sing together.
I've worked on it. I've walked away from it. I've come back to it and tried again. I was trained classically, so I had to unlearn a lot of stuff and learn new stuff.
Now I'm finally good enough at the piano part. But... then comes the singing. And suddenly, it's unexpectedly hard.
I have a good voice. I used to sing in choirs and other ensembles when I was young. But I have very little experience singing solo. And -- now that I have a performance opportunity in a month -- I'm listening to myself practice and getting really cold feet.
Is my voice still good enough? Maybe it was never that good solo but fine in an ensemble? Am I projecting enough when sitting at the piano? Am I too distracted with the playing to give enough power to my voice? What if people think I sound like a soulless imitator? What if they can discern the holes in my playing?
What if I'm not good enough?
I don't know where to go with this. I have had disappointing teachers in recent years so I don't have one right now.
What do you suggest?

Online brogers70

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Re: Getting comfortable singing and playing
Reply #1 on: May 18, 2022, 10:41:29 AM
Get some honest friends to listen to you and tell you what they think, after making it clear you do not want them to spare your feelings if they think you are not sounding that good.

Offline lelle

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Re: Getting comfortable singing and playing
Reply #2 on: May 18, 2022, 01:24:10 PM
An important question is, even if your voice does not reach a certain arbitrary standard when you sing solo and play piano, why does that mean you aren't allowed to perform? Even if you would be bad, how are you gonna learn if you are not even allowed to try? To fail? To practice? Especially since it sounds you have a good foundation ("I have a good voice") and you just need to learn how to branch out into this area which is outside your comfort zone.

Life is short and even if it ends up being a spectacular failure, nobody who matters is going to remember or care.

Offline thomas10

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Re: Getting comfortable singing and playing
Reply #3 on: June 02, 2022, 05:59:30 AM
Just wanting to do it is 90% while the other 10% can be rehearsed, perfected, critiqued, analyzed and refined.  Get psyched and attack!
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