The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #127030 Message #2838682
Posted By: Genie
14-Feb-10 - 02:21 AM
Thread Name: Is it Ok to sing from a song book?
Subject: RE: Is it Ok to sing from a song book?
"if you keep a crib-sheet handy you'll never have that experience. But you'll never have the experience of getting all the way through a song unaided, either."
Not necessarily. Having the crib sheet handy doesn't mean you will use it.
I think I'm not alone in having the experience that, if I am the least bit unsure of my mastery of the lyrics of a song (e.g., in another language) and I have a very large-print lyric sheet or cue card visible where I could easily glance at it with hardly anyone noticing, I often can do the song without actually using that printed page whatsoever -- whereas if I don't have that 'crutch' available the fear of blanking out on a line actually makes that more likely to happen.
It's not unlike the trapeze or tightrope artist working with or without a net. Having the net doesn't mean you'll fall into it, but it may provide the confidence needed to stay aloft.