Covering a song can be a daunting task. It is easy to get stuck in a rut and follow the ideas of the original artist. How can we make covers our own?
1. Work out what the lyrics mean to you
Look at the lyrics separately from the song, detach yourself from the emotions conjured by the accompaniment and the original artists' interpretation. What emotions do the lyrics bring about for you? Do they relate to something specific in your life? Do they bring up an image, a character or an emotion? Remember there is no right or wrong, just your story, and creative interpretation. If this is the opposite of the original artists' ideas, all the better.
2. Discover an emotional journey
Once you have your overarching theme or emotion, it is essential to find your emotional journey. An emotional journey is necessary for a couple of reasons. If your audience hears the same chorus or verse sung over and over again in the same way it gets a bit boring, but also within any story or emotion, you have a lot of emotional nuances. For example, if you decide to make your cover a break up song, you won't experience just one emotion, you might experience moments of anger, pain, sadness and perhaps even hope and empowerment.
3. Vocal Nuances
You need to find vocal nuances that reflect the emotional nuances you have chosen so that an audience know what to feel. Vocal nuances are the colours you give your voice to paint your emotional picture, they can cover anything from the use of tone to riffs and runs. You can't really go wrong with your creative decisions. This is your creative piece, your voice and your emotions, so what these emotions are and how you choose to express them are entirely up to you. Check out my video below to see how I explore how different vocal nuances, rhythms, and tempos affect the feeling of Rita Oras "Your Song".
4. Tempo and Rhythm
Most pop songs are around 120 beats per minute, this is because it is a nice tempo to dance to and it makes songs very marketable to clubs. At this tempo, a lot of songs feel lively but if you slow it down it can change the whole feeling of the song. To me, a slower pace often feels more reflective and sad. You also have the option of swinging the rhythm, this is a device commonly used in jazz music and can make the songs feel more laid back or sexy.
5. Have fun and explore the song
You will instinctually fall into a way of performing your cover, but it is vital to take your time and mess around with it. Once you find something, try the opposite, it might not work, but it might also lead you to find a moment of unexpected genius. There are so many times I have made a vocal mistake and realised that it sounds much better than my original idea. Record all your practice sessions so you can listen back and analyse what sounds good to an audience. It's important to approach listening back with a constructive and open mindset. If it doesn't sound how you would like, how can you change it to sound better?
