Many songwriters share the fear of forgetting their lyrics when performing in front of an audience. Although you probably thought it was an incurable problem, there are things you can do to help those lyrics flow.
“What’s the next line?”
Many times we start thinking “okay, what’s the next line?” when we’re on stage. We don’t normally think that way when we’re at home practicing, but on stage we’re so afraid of making a mistake and risking social rejection that our fear compels us to ask ourselves these questions. As if it would help our performance to be perfect.
Although the opposite happens. Normally, when we ask ourselves questions like “what’s the next line?” it makes us more nervous, 1. Because it reminds us that forgetting the lyrics is a possibility (we didn’t even think about it when we were practicing at home) and 2. It’s not what we normally do when we are practicing by ourselves. It’s a break in our routine. And the last place we want a break in our routine is when we’re on stage.
Focus on the appropriate emotion
So how do we prevent this from happening? The key is to focus your mind on the emotion of the song and what the main character is experiencing. Your mind can only really focus on one main thing at a time. When you focus your mind on your emotions and what your main character is going through in your lyrics, there is no room for the question “what’s my next line?” because you are busy thinking about other (more important) things. Get involved in the story you are presenting. Think of yourself as an actor.
Not only that, but when you think about your character’s emotions, the lyrics will be there, because you’re thinking in terms of a whole story and not just a bunch of lines. You are thinking in terms of the whole and not just a few small parts. You are experiencing a story as it happens, rather than listing a few lines in your head.
Another great side effect of thinking this way is that your stage presence will be better. Why? Well, one of the most important jobs a singer has is to meld emotion with his lyrics. The letter and the delivery of the words must work together.
I’m a big proponent of not using a lyric sheet when you’re on stage for this very reason. Think about the last time you were at an open mic and saw someone sitting on their stool singing along to a lyric sheet that was on a music stand in front of them. If you know what I’m talking about, I can guarantee you’ve seen a singer whose lyrics are separate from his word delivery. He has to be, if he doesn’t even know what words come next until he sees them on the page in front of him.
In the spoken word, our tone of voice has much more meaning than the words we say. Singing is an exaggerated way of speaking, so this concept applies to singing as well. If you begin to think about the emotions you should feel when you sing and tell your story, your vocal performance will improve.
practice practice practice
That said, don’t think you can walk up on stage completely unaware using this technique and think the lyrics will just come to you. Practice is crucial.
Practice at home without your lyric sheet. Much. Change the way you practice to focus specifically on your lyrics. Try singing your songs a cappella. Then try singing them a cappella at twice your normal speed, just to see how you can handle that change while at home practicing. It will better prepare you for the hectic nature of the setting.
And if you’re someone who currently plays live with a lyric sheet in front of you, you can slowly wean yourself out of that habit. If you normally play five songs with one lyric sheet, next time you have a concert, try playing only four songs with the sheet. When you’re sure of that, you can narrow it down to just three songs with the sheet, then two, etc. Before you know it, you’ll be wondering why you ever needed the lyric sheet during your live performances.
As a last resort, improvise
For the times when you slip up and forget a line, just stay calm and add something else. Most people probably won’t notice anyway. Especially if it’s your own song and you’re not familiar with the lyrics. If you forget a lyric, DO NOT stop playing, or laugh and say something like “I’m so stupid, I forgot my own words.” You don’t want to draw attention to something that others probably haven’t noticed anyway.
It’s also important to realize that if you miss a line, it’s no big deal. You don’t want to make a habit of it, but all artists experience some kind of forgetfulness from time to time. Just realize that it’s okay. It doesn’t define you, it’s just a silly slip. Then forget it and move on. I can’t tell you how important it is not to dwell on little mishaps like that.
Your turn
Remembering your lyrics is an attainable feat. Just be persistent and remember to focus on the emotions your main character is going through. And practice! Nothing worthwhile happens overnight. The most important thing is that you have fun and try not to take each performance too seriously. Just let it be what it was and move on to the next one.