What is a Vocalist?

@Pharoah - I agree that voice lessons can really help someone who wants to be a vocalist. They're probably especially helpful for someone who wants to be a classical vocalist and sing opera or something like that.

However, it's pretty clear to me that a lot of vocalists that perform in rock bands don't have training. They all seem to have their own sound, and that sounds might not necessarily mean they have a "good" voice.

One thing I've always found interesting about being a vocalist is that you have to have some raw talent, but you also really need training. Most people aren't born knowing how to read music or project their voices. Voice lessons can help someone that has a little bit of talent become an extremely skilled vocalist!

@SZapper - I can understand wanting to pursue something musical that you have a chance to be good at. I'm not a great singer either, so I've never been any kind of vocalist.

I don't feel like it's a big loss though, because there just aren't that many job opportunities for vocalists (unless you become a famous recording artist, but that's very unlikely for most people.) I had a few friends in college who majored in music with a vocal concentration, and they ended up becoming music teachers instead of career vocalists.

I enjoyed singing in the chorus when I was in elementary school, but I didn't continue on as a music vocalist after that. My voice isn't that great, and I was much better at playing instruments. So when I was in middle school and high school, I played in the band. I enjoyed it, and I was good at it.

I still sing now, but only in the privacy of my car or shower.

I sing background vocals for people as needed. I've never been one to bask in the spotlight, so singing backup is perfect for me.

I have a knack for picking out harmonies. I can either sing high or low harmony as needed.

I have done live performances, where I stood behind the other musicians at a microphone, and I have done studio work. I actually prefer the studio to the stage, because there, I can be completely invisible to the public.

@cloudel – I have trouble with singing loud enough to fit in with a band. My voice has always been rather gentle, and when I push too hard, it takes away from the appeal of it.

I had been running an ad in the college newspaper's classifieds that read, “Vocalist available.” I had one of those soft voices that can soothe a person to sleep, and this didn't work with most of the bands I tried out for, because they wanted to play loud music that would drown me out.

I ended up just picking up a guitar and playing shows on my own. That way, I could set the volume of the music and determine exactly how loudly I would sing. I think that I sound much better solo than with a group.

My uncle's band wanted a vocalist to fill in for my aunt, who had been the lead singer of the band. She had decided that she no longer wanted to perform on stage because of health issues, so I stepped up to audition for her place.

They had told me that they wanted a vocalist who could sing everything from hard rock to country. I was a pretty good impersonator of voices, so I fit the bill perfectly.

I had never sung with a band before, so having to sing loud enough to be heard over the instruments was a challenge for me. The fact that they turned up my microphone helped, but I really did have to put forth extra air and force.

I think it is important for a vocalist not to fake emotion, because this can come across as silly and unauthentic. I can always tell if a vocalist is really feeling a song or if he is simply being overly dramatic.

Often, people who have studied theater tend to put too much drama behind their singing performances. This is fine if they are acting out a play, but if they are just singing somewhere without having to act out scenes between songs, this is uncalled for and a little distasteful.