How do you know when you know a song?

Have you ever been asked to sing a song in a lesson that you ‘know really well’ and found that maybe you don’t know it as well as you thought?

There’s a saying (I’m not sure who first said it): “Don’t practice until you get it right, practice until you can’t get it wrong.”

But if that’s a little too vague for you, and you’re a lover of structure and checklists, then let me help!

There are so many elements to a song: melody, rhythm, lyrics, structure, harmonic structure, story, emotions…

not to mention the intentions of the original songwriter/lyricist/performer, your performance intentions (which could either align or diverge), the historical context of the song or the genre. It’s a lot!

With so many things to consider, beyond the nitty gritty of technique choices, dynamics, phrasing etc. here’s a list of ways I think you can practice a song to be sure you truly know it.

1. Write/recite the lyrics

Off by heart, without prompts!

If you struggle with learning words, try different modes of learning to help: aural, visual, kinaesthetic - or better yet, combinations!

You could write out the lyrics, or draw pictures to remember the story, associate actions with different lyrics, or just listen on repeat. There’s no right or wrong way, just whatever works for you.

2. Sing the melody without the words

It’s surprising how challenging this can be!

Oftentimes, we learn the melody and lyrics together and separating them can be tricky. There could be a reliance on the lyrics to remember how the tune goes (or vice versa).

Test yourself and sing the melody on an SOVT (hum, lip bubble etc.) or ‘la la la’ - how do you get on?

3. Sing it a cappella (without accompaniment)

Another telling one (and definitely one of my favourites).

Without the safety of the backing track or accompanying chords, do you remember the structure? Do you stay in the right key or accidentally shift into a different tonal centre? Do you know the melody notes without the prompt of the underpinning harmony?

4. Improvise over the harmonic structure (ie over the backing track or accompaniment)

The opposite of the a cappella challenge - sing over the harmony without the lyrics or melody.

Are you completely comfortable navigating all the harmonic changes? Can you keep going without getting lost or confused (or bored!)?

5. Describe the story/emotions of the lyrics to someone

The story-telling and emotional connection skills of a singer are paramount.

You need to understand the lyrics and be able to explain the story. If you’re unsure what a line means, how can you convey it to an audience?

This has a couple of sides to it, too: what were the original artist’s/writers intentions, and what are yours? Does the song feel like a love song to you, despite it being written with a different context in mind? Know both options and be able to defend your choices through a committed and intentional performance.

6. Start from anywhere (ie not from the beginning) and not forget lyrics, melody or structure

So often when practising, we start from the beginning. Then, if we make a mistake, we go back to the beginning. That means the first verse is often better known than the last.

Are you able to start from the middle without getting confused? Are you reliant on certain parts of the song to enable to sing other parts?

7. Sing it faster/slower (or in a different style)

It’s always fun to try a song in a different style. But it can also be very telling.

If you need the tempo to be a certain speed in order to remember what words come next, challenging yourself to quicken the pace will really test your knowledge! Slowing songs down can also have real benefits in making sure that feel and rhythm are confident and secure.

So, if you’re looking for ways to practice a song that challenge you a little further than just singing it over and over until you “can’t get it wrong” - try some of these! Let me know how you get on.

For more singing practice tips you can follow me on social media @TessaSmithMusic, or explore thesingersguide.com where there are resources all about optimising your singing practice.