Solo or Choir?

When people hear me sing, the first thing they always say is, “I wanna hear you sing!” But I always end up saying, “I’m too shy....” How can I be a singer and be shy about it? Weird right? To me, I prefer just singing in a choir rather than doing a solo. Don’t get me wrong! I love to do solos too, but there’s just something about being in choir that makes me enjoy it more. Singing in a choir and singing solo are two different things to me. 

Photo  by: Susan Brizick

Singing in a choir isn’t as easy as it seems. There’s more work to it than just singing. The more important thing when singing in a choir is to listen to the rest of the members. You have to make sure that you stay in tune and not off pitch. If someone is off tune or singing something wrong, it can throw someone off which causes everyone to be confused. When everyone is confused, the sound of the voices will not blend together. Choir singing also consists of blending, where you make sure all voices work together. One person can’t be louder than everyone else and another person can’t be quieter. Everyone has to be at the same voice level unless there is someone singing a solo. When singing in a choir, you have to make sure that everyone knows the notes of the song because if someone doesn’t, then it will mess up the song. Knowing your notes is important because if you are singing a wrong note, it will make the group sound flat or sharper.

Singing a solo is easier than a choir. With a solo, you don’t have to rely on anyone but yourself. The only voice you have to worry about is yours. With solos, you are letting your own voice be heard instead of others. Many people will be able to hear YOU sing. You are giving yourself bigger opportunities by putting yourself out there.With a solo, you have more freedom to do what you want with the song. You are able to improvise with the notes and make it your own style. Sometimes a solo performance can be very nerve wrecking for many people, which help you build self confidence. Because you are performing by yourself, you learn how to perform in front of others and build courage and confidence.

Choral Singing

Why do I prefer choral singing rather than solo singing? Singing with a choir is more of a challenge. It benefits me more than solo performances because I am able to learn more from it. Because choir singing consists of many strategies, it gives me more opportunities to not only improve on my singing, but on working together as a group. Choir singing also helps you improve on your social skills because it allows you to interact with others and create more friends. 

If you have to perform somewhere, would you rather do a solo performance or sing with a choir?