how to test a vocalist??

D

dcptnsdcvd

New member
i'm not sure if this is the right place for this question, but it seemed the best suited place.

my band is currently trying to find a vocalist. we have found someone who sparks with the current members and has the right attitude and energy, but we are having a hard time figuring out if he's "our" vocalist. but we don;t know how to tell if he is. we want someone who writes the right lyrics and sings the right notes for the music. so would we have to work with him for a while, write a few songs and get him really in touch with the band before we'll know if he's really the one??
this seems like getting him too involved and attatched before we've decided on him, ya know? like, we could go through all of that and find that he's not what were looking for. and it would be a let down to him and a waste of our time.
so how should i go about "testing" this guy??
what should i look for??
how do YOU find your vocalists?
Mike...
 
i think you will need to take the time to let the guy(or gal)become your freind,as well as the other band members,befor you can see what the real potential is.
5 half ass musicians that like each other,will make better music than ten superb musicians that despise each other.
sheppard
 
dcptnsdcvd said:
my band is currently trying to find a vocalist. we have found someone who sparks with the current members and has the right attitude and energy, but we are having a hard time figuring out if he's "our" vocalist. but we don;t know how to tell if he is. we want someone who writes the right lyrics and sings the right notes for the music. so would we have to work with him for a while, write a few songs and get him really in touch with the band before we'll know if he's really the one??
this seems like getting him too involved and attatched before we've decided on him, ya know? like, we could go through all of that and find that he's not what were looking for. and it would be a let down to him and a waste of our time.
so how should i go about "testing" this guy??
what should i look for??
how do YOU find your vocalists?
Mike...
Click to expand...

Hey Mike,
What exactly are you looking for in this new member? If you want a lyricist, you better damn well be sure you either get along really well or he's a god of creativity and talent. Most bands organically form from the seeds of a music writer and a lyricist and pick up pieces from there. From what I can tell, it sounds like you don't have both of those parts yet. If you want this guy to come in and be that creative lyrical force, your search is bound to be that much tougher. He might lead you in a totally different direction from which you intended... and that might be a good thing. See Eddie Vedder joining Mookie Blaylock/Pearl Jam for an example of how this can turn out well.
On the other hand, if you're just looking for someone to throw out front and be the voice and image of your vision, I'd say it's mostly a talent based decision. Get a dude with the voice and the face and let him know he will be your puppet from the get go. Steely Dan did it for several cuts on their first two albums and it didn't bother them.
Personally, I've tried both approaches and a mix of the two (where we shared creative responsibility). I personally prefer to keep my tunes the focus and let a pretty face with good pipes bring them to the world and do them justice...

Hope I gave you something to think about.

stone
 
Just be honest with him and tell him just what you told us here. That you will try him out for a while to see if he is what you are looking for. That way it's up front, and there are no surprises.
 
Yeah, I go with what DJC said. Let him know out front what the scene is about. If you are dealing with a spoiled brat ego maniac you will know pretty soon. (Like about 2 seconds). Consider that the first test which he (she) can pass or fail.


chazba
 
Unfortunately, it seems that the more talented the vocalist (especially if they're good looking) the more EGO you will have to deal with.

Add a good lyricist to the mix, and you've got more trouble.

Top it off with a talent for catchy, original vocal melodies... you get the idea.

Keep in mind that a band is a MARRIAGE.

You have to be able to work together without too much friction. The key operative here is WORK TOGETHER.

I agree that a band of mediocre musicians working together is preferable over better musicians that can't stand each other.

Of course, there are examples like Journey which beg to differ with my position...

Neil Schon used to come to the studio drunk off his ass... just so he could deal with Steve Perry.

The friction eventually broke up a very commercially successful group.

I am getting to the point where I think nearly all vocalists working in a band should get psychological counseling to help them get along with the other members.

I might think differently if I could sing.... :D
 
I think testing the personal compatability is the key. I mean his ability to sing is established pretty much from the second he opens his mouth. And any band members initiative in contributing to the songwriting grows in stages. Some dudes show up with a stack of their own stuff begging to do it, others simply add the perfect final line. So the human compatability is the key. Axel Rose refused to share his drugs.. see where that got him? All kidding aside, if your new dude can sing great. If he offers support and wit and all that while you guys gig...all the better.
 
Having a vocalist who can sing well in the style you play and get along with the other members takes precedence over whether he is a decent lyricist. Why? Because if he can't write decent lyrics, then there is a good chance that another member of your band can do a better job.

Kerry King of Slayer typically pens most of the band's lyrics while Araya does the vocals. It's a situation that works well, allowing the vocalist to be creative in his singing while allowing others to contribute to the effect of the song as a whole.

Also, writing good lyrics is a technique that can be developed with less bruising of egos. Just be sure the new guy knows up front that if he has a weakness in this area that others may take up the slack.

Cy
 
Lot of good posts here. Some good ideas.

Compatibility with the other members is a good thing to have.
No matter the reason Journey held together, they did, and so have other groups, recorded or just local town bands. I've been in groups that was like an ice hockey game. But we were all musicians and we all played well together.

This vocalist should be able to add a bit more than just vocals. Songwriting would be a good plus.
Some knowledge of 'music' beyond singing is another plus. Can he create tunes, melodies, etc.
His style of music is also important, to a point.
Like StonePiano said. His talents could lead you're group into new areas. But, as an exageration, he's a country singer and your group is metal, there could be a problem.

Tell him like it is. The guy has feeling like you and the other members of the group. Have a meeting at Denny's or someplace where the setting is relaxed. Talk about it, let everyone give their opinion on the guy, and have the guy give his opinion on you guys.
Being up front and honest with everyone is one of the keys to making a good work place. When that is reached the job is easier and the show goes on.
 
Finding a Vocalist

Hi fellow musicians: I've been looking for a female volcalist to sing the songs I've written for a female and yeah it's been a tough road. So far I've interviewed three girls, two were back up singers, and one, whom I would consider a lead singer, sings in a country voice....this is after I tell her I am looking for a soft and med rock pop contemporary ... anyway I am a back up singer myself and Im finding it very hard to find someone that can "actually" sing never mind if he or she is even comaptible to work with! Guess it's all part of the game!!
 
Keeping all of the above in mind, this new singer songwriter must be able to sing and write better that any other member of the band in the bands style, or there is no sense in having them join the band.
You should be able to write lyrics, get the singer.
 
dragonworks said:
Keeping all of the above in mind, this new singer songwriter must be able to sing and write better that any other member of the band in the bands style, or there is no sense in having them join the band.
You should be able to write lyrics, get the singer.
Click to expand...

My partner and I are starting to work on a CD compilation project. While it is of a certain genre, we put an add in our free City Paper soliciting vocalists. Our audition required the auditionees to sing The Star Spangled Banner, and then come together wiht 3 or 4 other auditionees to sing the hook of a background vocal part of a song we wrote. We chose the SSB because it is a general "tool" song - one that shows delivery, vocal range, staying in key, inflection, and other basic tenets of a good vocalist. Once we decided he or she was a keeper, we went back and listened to the recordings of the audition and began to place the vocalist on a song we felt he/she was best suited for. The second audition will be to try hin or her on that particular song. The other thing we looked at strongly was attitude and ego..after all. as said above, gotta be able to work with the vocalist and vice versa...
 
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