Don’ts While Singing

1. Don’t neglect to Use Body Language when Singing.

A song without anything happening visually is boring to look at.
Try singing your whole song, for example, while walking around your practice space.
Or swing your arms when you have the urge, allowing the passion in your song to lead the way.
Free yourself to use your body in a liberating way.
Afterwards, practice more realistically, using the new freedom you’re exploring.

2. Don’t Plan Your Movements Ahead of Time.

The only true physical expression in a song arises spontaneously.
Even if you become more conscious of body language while singing, you should never plan out your gestures beforehand.
Create the conditions for your hand and arms gesture rather than the gesture itself.
What you do physically at each moment in your song will then happen naturally and organically, and will look and feel right.

Don’t Move Without Purpose in Your Performance.

Make your actions appropriate to your lyrics. Each action will have a purpose.
Don’t tramp about the stage in an attempt to create excitement that doesn’t otherwise exist.

4. You must Command the Stage when You Sing.

Whatever the content of your message, your physical stage presence—must match your lyrics in terms of impact.
As a singer, you must actually command the stage. If you use only some of the space, or stand stock-still, you’ll seem unnerved by the setting. Imagine that you, the person farthest from you, and everyone in between is enclosed in a single invisible bubble. It’s a bubble of energy; and your job is to fill it with your presence. That may mean larger movements and gestures than you’re used to. So become comfortable with it. Your job is to turn people on. So keep the electricity flowing.

5. Don’t fail to use Gestures to Amplify ideas in your Lyrics.

Lyrics alone are not enough to convey meaning.
That’s why you have a voice, a melody and other means of physical expression—to bring your story to life.
Choose the most important thing in your song. Without thinking about the actual movement beforehand, speak your idea out loud, using a SINGLE GESTURE when you make that point.
Did your gesture support or amplify what you were singing? I’m sure it did. So allow your gestures to emerge naturally from the critical points in your lyrics. Your gestures should be few and well defined. They should come out from your physical core rather than from far outside your center, like waving your arms in the air. Your song will gain focus and power.

6. Don’t Stay Tight.

It’s a big mistake to stand like a statue and sing without moving at all.
Equally bad, however, is to create fake movement.
If you assume a posture or stance, you’ll feel the effects of that pose or movement emotionally.
Staying loose while allowing your physical expression to flow will boost your comfort and confidence.

When the audience thinks, you’re enjoying yourself, they’ll respond in kind.