How To Hold The Microphone?

Why good mic technique makes a difference

The purpose of a vocal microphone is to faithfully reproduce the sound of a voice so it can be amplified and projected at levels that complement the rest of the instruments.

If you’re not one of them, then using a mic properly will ensure you sound good, help you save your voice, and offer the opportunity to enhance your voice with reverb, delay, autotune or other effects.

Improper mic technique can ruin a great vocal performance. We’ve all heard singers who insist on shifting the mic from hand to hand, tapping on it with their fingers, or positioning it too far or too close to their mouth. The result can be anything from distracting to painful. If you don’t want to be the problem, consider the following tips carefully and be sure to practice.

Know how to hold a microphone

1. Keep your hand on the microphone grip.
2. If not, you should always keep a firm hold on your expensive and fragile microphone.
3. Find a comfortable grip and stick with it.
4. Learn to do it with either hand -- switch between numbers -- so your hand doesn’t tire.
5. The key is to not shift your fingers or hand around while you’re singing so you don’t inadvertently make noise, cause unwanted increases or decreases in volume, or accidentally hit the off switch.
6. Besides finding a mic that suits your voice, be sure that it suits your hand -- neither too thick or thin -- so that you can hold it comfortably over the course of a 3+ minute song.

• Keep your hand on the middle section of the microphone at all times.
• Wrap all of your fingers around the microphone to keep it steady.
• Always hold the microphone using all of your fingers to ensure that it doesn’t move around too much.
• Keep your wrist relaxed and hold the microphone in a confident manner.
• Squeeze the microphone firmly as you use it.
• This helps your ribs to expand and for you to have greater control over your breathing.
• However, try not to squeeze the microphone too hard as this can cause tension to build in your hand, wrist, shoulder, and voice.
• Never hold the microphone limply as this can cause handling noise.
• The microphone will move a lot if it isn’t held securely and all of the extra noise will be amplified may interfere with your voice.

Don’t cup the mic

• It’s common to see pop singers cupping the mic with both hands.
• They do this to reduce external noise and to increase the mid-range and bass tone of the voice.
• The problem is that it only has a minimal effect of reducing other noises and it totally messes with the tone and volume.
• If you’re trying to produce a certain sound, you’ve rehearsed it, and your sound engineer and the band know what to expect, then anything goes, but if you’re looking for a clean reproduction of your voice, stick to a simple grip.

Hold the mic by your mouth at a 45-degree angle, slightly off center

• Hold the microphone at a 45° angle.
• Holding the mic directly in front of your mouth increases the chances of picking up annoying popping p or t or breath sounds.
• Holding the mic at the correct angle, at the correct distance, and slightly off to the side limits extraneous sounds and lets the mic pick up the true sound of your voice.
• In general, most microphones are intended to be held 2-3 inches away from the lips, at an angle similar to holding an ice cream cone.
• Avoid holding the mic directly in front of your mouth, but hold it off to the side a bit, so it’s pointing toward your mouth from the side.
• This should prevent it picking up breath sounds.

Understand how mic distance affects vocal sound

1. Hold the mic close, but keep it 1 to 2 inches from your lips.
2. If your objective is realistic reproduction of your voice, then the secret is maintaining the mic in the same position relative to your mouth.
3. The optimal position is as stated in tip #3 and about 1 to 2 inches from your lips.
4. If you keep moving the mic around, the timbre (the character or quality) and the volume or intensity of the sound will change.
5. Maintaining the correct grip, angle, position, and distance gives you a consistently authentic sound.
6. Try to keep 1 finger-width between your mouth and the microphone to get the best sound.
7. If you move it further than 3 inches away, it won't pick up your vocals clearly.

Move the microphone further away

• Move the microphone further away when you talk or sing more loudly.
• If the sound mix is correct, you should be able to be heard clearly along with the band without straining your voice.
• You shouldn’t feel like you have to sing louder to be heard.
• There are times when your voice may become louder because you’ve moved into a higher register or you’re belting out a lyric, and this may require slight positioning adjustments in order to not overwhelm the mic.
• When you know your volume is going to increase, you can move the mic further away from your mouth in order to compensate, while still maintaining the proper position.
• This reduces the potential for creating a distorted sound.
• It will take practice to learn how much you should adjust the mic position.

Draw the mic closer for low notes

• Just as it’s important to move the mic away from your mouth to adjust for increased volume, it might also be helpful to move the mic closer to your mouth when you know you’re going to sing in a lower register.
• Some vocalists can make these adjustments simply by varying their own volume, so there is no need to move the mic.
• Consulting a professional teacher can help you find the right technique and prevent you from damaging your voice.

Do a sound check

• Do a sound check before you use the microphone in front of an audience.
• Use a sound check to make sure the levels are right.
• Singing in the controlled environment of a studio or at a small venue is very different from singing onstage in a larger venue.
• A comprehensive sound check gives you (and the person in charge of sound) the chance to make sure the levels are perfect.
• Make sure you are heard in the monitors and that the mic is in a good position for you so that you are not playing with the mic stand once it's show time.
• Do not ever be afraid to speak up during a sound check if something doesn’t feel right.
• But it is important to do a sound check before the event whenever possible to adjust the mic volume.
• Ask for a sound check before the event.

Use a mic stand

• Use a mic stand to keep the microphone steady.
• If you’re singing a dramatic ballad where movement could be distracting, or you’re playing your instrument and need your hands free, a mic stand is a must.
• Be sure it’s set to the right height and positioned so that it doesn’t interfere with any of your movements.
• If you plan on using a stand for one number and not for the next, be sure to have a “stagehand” to move it out of your way.
• Setup and treat the stand as if it is your hand holding the mic by maintaining good posture, proper distance and angle.
• And once again, practice using the stand to look professional.
• It’s easy to bump the stand, pull out or trip on the mic cord, or worst case, knock the stand over if you’re not completely comfortable with it.

Project your voice into the mic

• Project your voice into the mic as if the mic wasn’t there.
• It’s worth repeating that the point of a mic is to allow you to sing in a normal voice and not strain to be heard.
• If you take lessons or practice without a mic, don’t suddenly change your technique because you’re using one now.
• Just sing naturally and let the mic do the work.
• Practice regularly to feel confident using a microphone.
• Work with a professional for help using a microphone if you need it.
• Once you feel confident with holding and using a microphone, try it out in front of a trusted friend.
• They will be able to give you constructive feedback and can let you know anything needs to be changed.

Avoid standing too close to the speakers

• Avoid standing too close to the speakers.
• We’ve left the most obvious tip to last… avoid feedback!
• Feedback, that ear-splitting, startling, annoying noise that occurs when a mic and a speaker get too close together.
• The sound is projected out the speaker and back into the mic in an endless intensifying loop.
• If you’re in a small venue, you can avoid the issue by not wandering around.
• If you’re in a larger venue, and you don’t plan on standing in one place, use the sound check to roam the stage and see where the safe areas are.
• Then, during the performance stay within those boundaries.
• When you are startled by feedback, and it will happen, it can be dampened by putting your hand or body between the mic and the speaker until you can move back to a safe area.

Eating or kissing the mic

• Eating or kissing the mic is where you press your lips directly against the mic.
• While seen often in rock concerts, you should avoid it unless you are looking for a specific effect.
• Being too close to the mic can increase the volume and result in a distorted sound.
• Singing with your lips directly on the mic may interfere with your pronunciation and make you sound muddy.

Microphones and voice sound

• Microphones amplify your voice, so they can make your voice sound fuller and bigger.
• However, they can also intensify some sounds like the sibilant s to an undesirable extent.
• By practicing listening to yourself through a mic, you can get a sense of what you like and don't like from those sounds and adjust accordingly.
• In a perfect world, a microphone and the attached cables, amplifiers, and speakers wouldn’t change your voice at all.
• A listener wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the live acoustic performance or the amplified performance aside from the difference in volume.
• The reality is that an amplified sound will always be slightly different.
• The amount of difference between your actual voice and the amplified voice can be minimized or maximized depending first on the mic you choose, and then on all the other choices made in the amplification system including any special effects used such as reverb or autotune.
• Even the arena or hall can impact how you sound once the sound leaves the speaker.