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10 Tips To Drastically Improve Your Stage Presence!

Stage presence is arguably as important as the quality of music that you play at a live show. A band with great stage presence not only engages its audience, but gives them a memorable show that will leave them wanting (and buying) more. Here are some tips to help you and your band drastically improve your stage presence.

1.     Practice In Front Of A Mirror

At your rehearsal space, invest in a large mirror and put it on the wall opposite the drums. When you practice as a band, have all members face the mirror as if they were facing an audience. This will enable you to see your actions as a member of the audience would. From here, you can begin to analyze what aspect of your stage presence you need to improve on, and what already works.

2.     Don’t Look At Your Hands

An important aspect of stage presence is eye contact; eye contact with the crowd, and eye contact with your band mates. In order to do this, it is crucial that you familiarize yourself with your own specific parts of each song, and know them enough to play without looking at your hands/instrument. By eliminating the need to look down at your hands, your head will be raised up, your eyes will be attentive, and you will be able to engage the audience, who in return, will give you the energy required rock out on stage. Learn your parts!

3.     Coordinate An On-Stage Dress Code

I know this sounds like something an 80’s hair metal band would worry about, but in reality, the majority of major acts have some form of coordination in regards to their stage appearance. This doesn’t have to be a big issue, but discussing the “look” of the band will ensure that each member knows what look to achieve when choosing their on-stage attire. It could be as simple as agreeing on a punk look with a country tinge. Or an “Indie” look with a hint of glam. Coordinating an on-stage dress code will make your band look more refined onstage and will also make you stand out after the show for meet and greets, pictures, etc. Make this dress code as strict or as casual as you want, but address the issue! Your don’t want your drummer dressed like a cowboy and your guitarist dressed like Ozzy… or do you??

4.     Develop Good Stage Banter

Stage banter refers to talking to the crowd in between, or even during songs. This is a great way to improve your band’s overall presence onstage. It is always good to designate one person to do most of the talking, but if more than one band member feels confident and has a good connection with the crowd, invite that person to talk as well. Even talking amongst band members while speaking into the mic can give the audience an intimate look into the other side of the band, and will create a connection between your band and the crowd. If stage banter is difficult for all members, work on a set list where there are very few dead spaces between songs. When there is dead space, be yourself. It doesn’t have to be comedy hour.

5.     Don’t Shriek Over A Bad Note

Often, young musicians (and even some older, less-experienced ones), will make an awkward face when they hit a bad note. Not only does this bring the morale of the band down, but it shows the audience that you’ve made a mistake. From now on, when you hit a bad note, act as if nothing has happened. I guarantee, the non-musicians in the crowd will almost never notice a musical mistake, and the crowd that does have an understanding of music will applaud you for being so professional with your mistakes.

6.     Write Your Set List As A “Show”

Aside from the songs, when writing a set list, a good idea is to include the sections where you intend to do certain things onstage. This might include a section where you “promote your merch.” Another might be where you “thank the bar and staff.” Here’s what a set list might look like for a short, half-hour set. *Note that I group songs in threes to show that there is no gap between songs.

7.     Tune Only When You Need To

Many musicians get into the bad habit of tuning their instruments after every song. Not only is this unnecessary, but it ruins the flow and momentum of your set. This affects both your band and the crowd watching you. When creating a set list for a show (as mentioned above), write in sections for tuning so that the designated banter-person can prepare something to kill the dead air. Now obviously, if your guitar is noticeably out of tune, you can fix it, but remember that a guitar should never go out of tune after each song, and if it does, there is probably something wrong with it. Stick to the set list and work on the flow of the set. Your stage presence will improve as a result.

8.     Involve The Crowd

Involving the crowd at your shows is beneficial to your band’s stage presence, and the crowd itself. Encouraging the audience to simply clap along or sing a part of a song will demonstrate that you are: a) comfortable on stage b) aware of the crowd and c) eager to feed off the energy of the crowd. Thinking of unique ways to involve the crowd with your show will, in turn, improve your overall stage presence and stage banter. PLUS, crowd participation creates a connection that people will forever remember.

9.     Always Carry Backups

Guitar and bass players, bring another guitar that is tuned and accessible just in case you break a string. Also, carry an extra working patch cord and another guitar strap (just keep it in your case and forget about it). Drummers, bring extra sticks, and most importantly, an extra kick pedal! (I’ve seen a bunch of drummers blow a kick pedal and have no back up). The reason back ups are so important is because if you break something mid set and don’t have a back up, you’ll spend the entire gig asking to borrow a guitar or restringing something. This shows a lack of professionalism and will kill the morale of your band mates, thus leading to a bad performance.

10.Be Yourself

I know this is kind of a lame final point, but it’s true. If you try too hard to be like someone else, people will see through you. If you’re a bit of a comedian with your friends, be a bit of a comedian on stage. If you’re quiet and shy, you don’t have to be the one doing the talking (but make sure you’ve followed steps 1-9 at least!). If music truly is your passion, then feel the music. Don’t be afraid to close your eyes and get into it. People love watching musicians that look like they seriously enjoy doing what they do. This will radiate from your band and can be one of the greatest aspects of your stage presence.

These have been my 10 Tips To Improving Your Band’s Stage Presence. Just remember that there is more to being a musician than just playing the music. You are a performer. People want to be entertained. By following these tips, you’ll be on your way to enhancing your stage presence, and impressing fans both new and old along the way.

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