Singing and playing for an audience

Gesader,

I used to be the same, I hated my voice and to some degree I still do.
I dont really know how I got over it, I started singing infront of mates while drunk in my mates bedroom. I must have got a few compliments? I cant remember.
I think i was kind of forced to sing in front of people when I was the bassist for a band and we had a gig but no singer. Since I done a little bit of mumble backing singing I got opted to sing. When the crowd clapped and cheered I think it was then I thought I cant be that bad after all.

It is all about confindence. Get a few drinks in you when you have friends round and get it out. One thing though, belt your voice out. It will not sound too good if you are shy about your voice and people cannot hear you. I have a few mates that would not sing but they have pretty good voices, they just lack the confidence too.

As for playing with a songbook, I do it all the time! even big stars have used books or autocues for their own songs while singing to thousands and they get away with it so why cant we?
I have been told before using a book is cheating or it doesnt sound like you are singing from the heart while having a book in front of you but I disagree.
memorising a song though probably will make you more confident singing it.
Your voice is an instrument and so is a violin. Violinists use sheet music to play, all we are doing is using words to play.

Ken

I don't like my voice either, but I haven't figured out how to sing while using Johnny Cash's voice, so I stick with my own. 

Use the songbook.   Doesn't hurt to work on memorizing a few songs, but there's no reason for you to memorize 100 songs or whatever.  Memorizing a song is good practice, but it isn't the purpose of our playing.  The purpose of our playing and singing is to make music.  You can make music with a songbook in front of you, usually better and with more confidence, so as far as I'm concerned a songbook is fair game.  I use mine all the time, but I don't sing in front of audiences outside of buddies at a campfire.   However, when I've been on stage playing in a Dixieland band, in a stage band, in a playhouse orchestra, and in a praise band (all with bass not with guitar), I had music in front of me.  Sometimes it was just a couple notes on a transition, or sometimes full blown sheet music, but in every instance I had some kind of prompt to buoy my confidence. 

- Zurf

Listen to some of the Greats in music. Johnny Cash did not have a great singing voice, neither did Kris Kristoferson, Janis Joplin, Zurf, Tiny Tim, etc. But they had a decent voice and  could connect with the audience, carry the melody of the song and tell a story. I don't sing and probally never will but thats just me. If you think you have the talent to sing, then go for it.

Nela

I started playing the organ when I was 5, when I was about 10, added the violin and a bit of piano.  I always used sheet music.  It's nice to know other people use sheet music too. 
This sure helps me a lot.  I will just keep on using my little guitar song book. 
As for voice, my daughter says I'm not that bad.  Actually she says my music teachers voice is worse, so this should make me feel better.
Thanxs for all the advice.

i could never get over the fact that i was supposed to be " the big entertainer" .... having 2000 songs in my head and you would still get some drunk asking for an obscure song and you cant do it ... ( or remember the words) .... you will never - ever satisfy everybody.... you are better off working out a 1 and a half hour session spread out . and they listen to what you provide . do not do requests. unless its one that you done earlier to repeat it so as to make the night nice for you . thats just me .

Try an open-mic night. I went empty-handed to one, and after I saw there were people worse than me who got up, that was enough for me to try it the following week. I took my music with me because I was afraid of getting lost. I only had to refer to it for the first line of each verse, but it took out a lot of that fear.

One funny thing -- if you're nervous and sweating, and there's a hot light shining on you, that will make you sweat even more which, in turn, will make you even more nervous! So stay out of the friggin' light!

I'm not nuts about my voice. I tend to sound like Neil Young and consequently play and sing mostly his music. However, when I play in front of others, I try not to play him, because I don't want to hear, "that sounds just like Neil." If I play a song of his, I try to pick an obscure one, so no one will know!

I also try to play new songs that I haven't already played 100,000 times on my own. I like to think they sound fresher. Sometimes it sounds better because I have yet to discover the things that trip me up.

Cool.  Happy it worked out for you. 

Don't worry about the teacher switch and don't take it personal.  In all likelihood, it had nothing to do with you.  When you work through an agency like that, there are a lot of scheduling conflicts and issues.  And of course musicians often have two or three different income sources - teaching, gigging, touring, maybe a side job as well, and that causes conflicting priorities and schedules as well. 

Now, if you figure out how to sing well, would you let me in on the secret?  I'm about a twenty year habit away from sounding like Kris Kristoffersen.  Not really baritone, not really tenor, and only closely approximating pitch. 

- Zurf

I have been singing since I could talk...and this always helped me feel comfortable. It's some advice from my Dad
If you just let it go and not worry about how you sound when you sing...you will sound better:) Pretend you are someone else watching you play and belt out the notes as loud as you can. When I sing it's like sometimes i hear a note that gave me goosebumps (in a good way)....and then realize that it came from MY mouth. Don't think about how you sound while you are singing. Worrying just distracts you from the song...
Also the audience appreciates it more when you let it go and give it your all. It shows a kind of vulnerability that helps you connect with them. Everybody hits a sour note once in a while, brush it off and keep going