5 Qualities Every Singer Needs to Practice To Work With More Producers

As a producer, I am always looking for solid vocals. A lot of times, I'll hear something that is very close to sounding good but there is something going on which makes it unusable. It sucks because most of the time it's not because the singer is terrible, or the lyrics are dumb; it's because of fixable problems.

I wanted to take some time today to explain some of the qualities producers look for in a vocal when creating a track. Hopefully it will help. So without further ado, here are the 5 qualities that every singer or vocalist needs to practice.

1. Learn to Sing on Time- This doesn't refer to being punctual, which you should be, but this has to do with singing on beat. Singing on beat is very important because it can really make the music come alive. You can practice singing on time by using a metronome or using a click track, but it's very important that you master this and be able to sing on time without even thinking about it.

2. Tone is More Important Then Pitch- Pitchy vocals are very easy to fix, but if the tone is bad then it's a deal breaker. Work hard at developing your tone, sing on key, and make sure it's awesome.

3. Find Your Voice- In this world there are so many singers and vocalists out there but there is only one you. Make it a priority to be yourself and stand out by being yourself. People should know after the first few bars this is [insert your name here] singing this song.

4. Invest in Some Gear- Just like a guitar player will spend $500+ on a guitar, you will need to invest in an studio microphone. Don't go cheap either. Get a good one because you need one to get a quality recording. Once you have a great recording, you'll be amazed what you can do with it.

*Sweetwater is a great place to research and shop for Studio Microphones

This has to do with collaborating with producers outside of your area. A LOT of collabs right now are done by sending stems back and forth. You are limiting yourself if you refuse to get gear.

5. Get Some Technical Skills Under Your Belt- Practice recording yourself singing. You're more then likely going to have to capture the vocal and send it to the producer you're working with. You don't need to do anything fancy to the raw vocal, just make sure it is recorded well and isn't clipping, distorted, or technically problematic.

Make it easy to work with you. Add a 1 bar click track at the beginning of the vocal to help sync it up to the music. Record some additional takes and while your at it, record some background vocals too. When producers are working with vocals, their is a lot of layering and effects going on to get them to sound good in a mix. The more vocal options, the more creative the producer can get with the final sound.

If you can sing on time, with a great tone, recording with solid gear, you're easy to work with and your voice is uniquely you, then the sky is the limit to what you can accomplish.

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to like, share, and comment below.