Singing Live vs. Studio Performance

[Mahesh]

I wanted to open up a discussion on the differences between singing live and performing in the studio. In a live setting, you only get one shot to deliver your best, with all the unpredictability that comes with it. In the studio, though, you can take multiple takes to perfect your sound, which creates a totally different mindset.

 

I’ve noticed that, back in the day, when I was gigging regularly, I was much less nervous before going into a performance or even recording sessions. But after spending the past few years primarily teaching and working from home, I feel like I’ve become less accustomed to that “one-chance” mindset of live singing. I might even feel a bit too comfortable now with the option of retakes, which is something I never thought about as much before.

 

I’m curious if others here feel the same. Has the shift between live and studio environments changed your approach or mindset as a singer? Do you think one style helps prepare you for the other, or do they require separate skills altogether? 

[David in WV]

In the studio or on stage, you're still singing live.  How do you or would you feel if you were singing for a one-shot recording of a live performance?  Kind of a hybrid category.    I think the value of having the opportunity of multiple takes in the studio applies to any instrument performance, not just a singing voice, and is two-fold: (1) to work out what notes you want to sing or play, and how you want to sing or play them; and (2) to get a take of the best performance thereof.  The audiences in and out of the studio is very different.  On stage, it's an audience of many people, most if not all of whom understand that you are performing live in one take.  In the studio, the audience is you and your satisfaction in carving in stone for all time your best performance.  Perhaps an interesting thing to ask yourself is: If I know I will be singing this live, should I carve in stone for all time in a studio recording a performance that took me a zillion takes to get close to "right" and am likely never going to be able to duplicate well live, and does the availability of studio and/or real-time pitch correction influence my answer that question?   

Edited November 12 by David in WV

[Steve]

It's my experience that any performer, whatever instrument they use, would like to get the first take right. Wether that's in a studio or live! If you go into a studio and have to do 10 takes to get it right, I don't think you've prepared enough beforehand!  

Having said that! If the song you're recording is new and has not been performed live yet, doing several takes with slight variations might be an advantage, so that a final decision can be made on how the song will be performed live! 

[David in WV]

@Steve  If you're paying to record at someone else's studio, for sure work things out beforehand.  But if "going into the studio" means simply turning on your home computer, then cost isn't an issue, and since you'll be playing back something you've already recorded to sing to, it would be kind of silly not to hit "record" on the vocal track during each practice take as you work out what you want to sing and how you want to sing it - no?

Edited November 12 by David in WV

[john]

When you regularly gig you build up confidence. Start with a vague idea of the things that can go wrong. You slowly learn ALL the things that can go wrong… will, and you learn how to cope. That learning that you can and will cope is vital to your overall confidence.

 

After some time away, you main reasonably aware of what can go wrong but worry that you’ve forgotten some, and forgotten how to cope with some others. In short, you lose confidence in yourself and your ability to perform to the standard you believe things should be done to.

 

In the studio you can make multiple takes, which of course eases any confidence concerns. The only real concern you may have are basic performance issues and the rising cost if the number of takes goes through the roof.

 

As David says, the modern home studio gives you the peace of mind that costs will not be escalating.

 

Something that can help is…. Dun dun dun, practice. When you are an experienced musician it is easy to fool yourself that you need less practice. With less practice comes less confidence. So, hardly rocket science to work out that more practice will help.

 

”An amateur practices until they get something right.

A professional practices until they can’t get it wrong.”

 

I rest my case.

 

Yep, an axiom with more than an element of truth. You are a professional, after all…. Practice damn you! *cracks the whip*

 

lol

 

 

[MisterB]

I speak not as a singer (never have been!), but as an instrumentalist - I think live performance vs. recording is a whole different ball game.  With a performance, a bad decision, or a bad note, gets set free once its over.  With a recording, its a constant regret that gets repeated every time you listen to it, and possibly every time other people do too. So the pursuit of perfection in recording is understandable. In live performance, depending on your abilities, it may not be possible.  Certainly never was in mine.

 

 

Edited November 15 by MisterB

[Mahesh]

On 11/15/2024 at 3:46 AM, john said:

You are a professional, after all…. Practice damn you! *cracks the whip*

LOL These days, I've been getting a different kind of 'practice'. Because most of my hours in the weekdays go into teaching my vocal students, I'm sort of in a constant state of practice - showing the students how to do one thing from another. I think it has made me a much much better singer than I've ever been. But it has also allowed for my awareness to wander and distract itself with the many things that could go wrong or the many things that could be done right. Clearly, the best I've ever sounded for a live or studio situation is when I wasn't thinking about any of these things or maybe even thinking at all. So yeah, it's a balance - even practice.