Learn How to Sing Backup Easily Like a Pro

Learning how to sing backup is not easy. In fact, it can be harder than singing as a solo artist. As a backup singer, you have to pay attention. You need to follow the lead of someone else. You have to blend your voice with theirs. You even have to cover for someone else’s mistakes, sometimes.
You can’t learn how to sing backup without learning how to listen. Listening is vital for a backup singer. Remember, when learning how to sing backup, you are not the center of the performance. In fact, a good backup singer is practically invisible. You should be there to accent the main performance, not take it over.
Blending in with the main vocal is very important, when you’re learning how to sing backup. To do that, watch the main singer constantly. Be sure that you can see their face. That way, you can tell when they are going to sing. You can tell other things, too. For instance, if the main singer accidentally sings the wrong verse, you can keep up. If you watch your own sheet music, you might sing a different verse and, even if it’s the right verse, you might be blamed. Learn to recognize gestures and small movements, if you want to learn how to sing backup, too. Sometimes a singer may want to repeat a certain section of a song. If you miss that indication, it can lead to trouble.
One key to how to sing backup is to line up your phrasing with the lead singer. The best way to do that is to watch their face and start singing your line quietly, when they start. As the phrase progresses, you can get a bit louder and blend in easier. Also, when you end a phrase, do the same thing, only reverse it. Sing quieter toward the end. Jumping in at the wrong time is a major problem that a lot of backup singers have. If you want to learn how to sing backup successfully, avoid falling into that trap.
The ending is especially important, when you are learning how to sing backup. You should be sure that you don’t sing longer than the lead singer does. To do that, try dropping the first consonant of each word that you sing. That will do two things. First, it will make sure the lead singer gets the lead in the phrase. Second, it will help to keep you in sync with them, so you aren’t singing beyond the point at which they stop. Of course, it is also important to keep your eyes open. Be prepared for what is coming up. Watch for subtle cues.
Remember, your job is to blend in. Making it a memorable performance is important, even if the audience won’t remember you specifically. Follow these simple steps and you’ll learn how to sing backup properly in no time.
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[...] to sing in groups to add kick to the performance. Singers who are better at blending in tend to do backup singing. They get a lot of session work, but rarely sing lead. Then there are specialty singers. Those [...]