Microphone Technique

After standing backstage at a school Jazz concert watching a vocalist perform with a small combo, the thing that I walked away thinking was, "She was holding the mic too far away from her face." Seriously. I remember that her voice was very pleasant to listen to; it was reminiscent of Amy Winehouse and Norah Jones. However, the way she held her microphone when she was singing on stage, made it hard to hear the attention-grabbing timbre of her voice. This is an aspect of singing that some vocalists tend to forget about and/or wouldn't even really think they needed to be aware of: how to sing into a microphone when performing.

SM 57 or 58 (Shure Microphones)

When discussing microphone technique, we have to talk about the equipment because the more we know about it, the better prepared we can be when we have to use the equipment. Although there are other brands and types of dynamic microphones, I chose to talk specifically about the Shure microphone because they are the most commonly used. (The technique and information that you learn here can be applied to other vocal dynamic microphones as well.) Below is a picture of the Shure microphones--the SM 57 is the top microphone and the SM 58 is the bottom microphone. 

Although the bottom microphone (Sm 58) is more commonly used for vocalists, you may encounter venues, musicians or friends who use the top microphone (Sm 57) for vocalists. Your approach to performing with both is the same.

Proper Posture & Mic Placement

Whether or not you perform with a microphone, proper posture is the same as the posture you use and practice during warm-ups: standing with your feet slightly hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, shoulders slightly back and chin parallel to the floor. Make sure to stand up straight as slouching prevents you from taking in full, deep breaths to sing.

Vocal instructors that I've studied with have taught me that the proper distance between your mouth and the microphone is a "hand's length"--this means that you measure the distance between your face and the mic by the distance between your thumb and your pinkie finger when you place your hand up between your face and the mic. This is a useful tip to remember because if you stand too close to the microphone, even when just speaking into it, you can cause the mic to feedback (an unpleasant, loud sound that comes from the speakers that you are plugged into) or your voice will end up sounding very "boomy" (deep with forceful, punching noises that happen when you say any words with consonants). Also, remember to adjust the microphone stand so that the mic is right in front of your mouth, being mindful of what kind of shoes you will wear during your performance. For example, it's common for many female vocalists to wear heels during a gig, making them taller, so you would have to adjust your stand to the appropriate height if you were wearing those type of shoes. 

Vocal Volume & Mic Placement 

The distance between your mouth and the microphone also depends on how loud or soft your voice gets while singing and what type of feel or effects you want to create for your performance. If you know that at the beginning of a piece, you are barely whispering the words of the song, bring your mouth closer to the microphone. Similarly, if you know that you will be belting a note in a particular passage of the song, either take a step back from the microphone or pull it slightly away from you, depending on how loud you get when you sing in your middle and upper register. This is why it is so important to really experiment with your voice and know every aspect of it. This is true of the song you will be performing as well so you can prepare ahead of time what you will do. For example, I know that I can hit fairly low notes in my chest voice (also known as my lower register), but when I attempt these notes, I can't produce that much volume. So, I bring the microphone close to my mouth so that the mic can amplify those notes. Don't bring the microphone below or above your mouth, though, because the audience will have a hard time hearing you with either placement. 

Although you can probably gain some microphone practice by singing at your local karaoke bar, I would also suggest trying to perform with some type of band. Anywhere from two to five musicians would be a good size group. Not only do you get practice with singing on a mic, but you also can meet new people and challenge yourself, musically. This is just another step in the process of becoming a better singer, musician and performer. I hope to see some of you implementing these tips on stage soon!