Singing Alone or Singing in a Group?

(Last Updated On: June 28, 2023)

As a singer, you must realize the differences between singing alone and singing in a group.  One is not better than the other.  Both are good in their own ways.  Sometimes singers will even do both in their careers.

Remember the song “We Are the World”?  Most of the singers in that big group were made famous by singing alone.  It is good to know what the differences are between singing alone and singing in a group.

Most singers begin when they are young.  Exposure to singing at a young age will usually come through school or church.  Both of these are normally singing in a group.  Normally a child will not sing alone until they have displayed some singing ability and are starting to take singing seriously.

Get Famous?

It’s true that if you are singing solo, you are likely to get famous faster. But, it doesn’t mean that a great fame cannot be achieved through singing in a group.  The world of music is full of choruses or other related groups.  Singing in a group is completely different from singing solo. It requires different skills as well. A powerful singing group has the ability to attract the audiences by creating magic all around.

More often, you would either find yourself singing in a group or alone. Singing alone for the first time is often scary, and your level of anxiety may shoot up before your singing. Singing in a group, however, allows you to relax, knowing that you have others to accompany you in singing.

How To Sing in Group

It is advisable that if you are not yet used to singing alone or going solo publicly, it is good to start singing in a group in front of an audience. In this way, you can easily work on reducing your anxiety concomitant with singing in front of an audience. You would surely notice that when singing with your peers onstage, your anxiety level about performing onstage readily diminishes. With your peers, you can promptly get used to singing in front of an audience, and you can easily translate your newfound confidence in singing into singing alone. Many singers who had suffered from anxiety when singing in public were able to work their way from singing in a choir to singing solo. You can also do it if you patiently join the choir and slowly work your way to auditioning for solos with a choir.

1) Know Your Vocal Range

The moment you join a choir, the choirmaster will readily determine your vocal range and will assign you to a particular voice group. You may be assigned to the harmony part which is different from the melody. In a choral group, you will also become familiar with reading musical notes which is essential to learning music. Your vocal teacher will surely assist you in learning how to read music. Moreover, learning how to read notes will make it easy for you to learn music compared to those who do not know how to read notes.

2) Avoid Being a Wrecker or Someone who Sings Out of Tune

A choral group is a homogenous group that is characterized by vocal harmony. Although it is made of various voices, each voice works together to create beautiful music. However, some recalcitrant choir members tend to act like “wreckers.” The “wrecker” is someone who is so repugnantly confident of his vocal prowess that he/she tends to disobey the conductor, sings off-key, is out of tune most of the time, and is often voicing wrong notes. The wrecker, however, seems to be oblivious of what he/she is doing and is unaware that he/she is wrecking the harmony within the choral group. To avoid being a wrecker, you should carefully watch the conductor, be aware of the correct count, and be conscious of what others are doing around you.

3) Have an Attentive Ear

It is vital if you want to sing in a group to be attentively listening to your colleagues. It isn’t enough to understand the kind of music that you are singing. If you want to become a valuable choral singer, you must know the parts that your colleagues are singing as well. You should also know how to listen to your colleagues. The important thing about singing in a group is how to blend with the voices of your colleagues. You should, therefore, ensure that you are not singing louder or softer than your fellow choir members. Attentive listening must be practiced so that you can start and perfectly end phrases according to the required section or passages. Lastly, you should be able to sing in unison together with your colleagues.

Benefits of Singing in Group

Also, rock and roll acts such as Still and Nash, Eagles and Crosby have recognized the power of singing in a group.  Working as a singing group, demands a lot of understanding and practice in order to be able to hit the perfect pitches / notes and at the exact time.  While, when you are singing alone, the entire responsibility of your performance is on your own shoulders. Additionally, a singing group usually works as a team in order to make the performance great and happening.

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How To Sing Alone / Solo

As mentioned above, going solo or performing alone is a bit scary and stressful, especially, if it is your first time. But it should not be the case. As everything can be perfected and mastered, so do the fear of singing alone can be learned and overcome. You can do this by engaging in proper preparation and having a good knowledge of how to sing. If you want to go solo, you should first choose the songs that suit you and your vocal range well. Then, try to rerun the songs in your head over and over. You should also practice the necessary tips on how to prepare before a solo gig. Keep yourself hydrated and relaxed. When it is your turn to sing, you should remember that you are right and recall your great passion for singing. Eventually, you will be able to deliver an excellent solo performance along the way.

Benefits of Singing Alone

Undoubtedly there are numerous benefits of singing alone.  In the similar way singing in a group is not left untouched with singing benefits.  Now it is entirely up to you as to what you have to decide or opt for as a singer keeping in mind which one is the best for you. You may not be able to do the both, but they can help you develop positive feelings in you.

If you have made a decision to perform solo, then you have to groom yourself as an individual of high caliber as you only bear the whole responsibility unlike in group. Be it any case, just concentrate to perform notes perfectly and certainly it will take practice for you to achieve this goal.

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Comparison and Conclusion

You will notice that there are many people who prefer to sing alone, but there are also many others who want to sing with other group singers.  Singing alone or in a group depends on where a singer is more comfortable to work with.

• There are singers who feel that they can reach the limelight of success alone instead of going with a group.
• But other singers think that success for them is not only in terms of money, but also cooperating with a group.
• Some singers think that their staying power is stronger and more secured with a popular group rather than working alone, and trying hard to establish their own identity.
• In performing alone, one of the most important things to remember is that you’re the person being identified by the listeners as the one hitting the major notes, even if there are back-up singers that are present in the background.  Generally speaking, a concert depends on the ability of the singer and not the back-ups.

In the case of a group, the members can sing major notes; not only the vocalist.  In other words, every member of the band should be able to hit the target notes at proper timing.  Therefore, whether you aim singing alone or singing in group, practice is a major element in both sides.

Based on a recent survey conducted by Norfolk, it was found that the number of singers present in a group is immaterial.  What counts most is the singing technique that the group is using.  This finding is based on the pitch, loudness, timing, and long-term spectra.

Which is better; to perform in group or solo?

There is no absolute answer to this question.  Singing alone or in group depends primarily on the desire and goal of the singers, whether they can achieve their goal as a soloist or in a group.