If you want to be center stage and lead act of the show, you cannot sing backup. You must sing behind the headliner, not overpower them. You must be able to play a supporting position to the headliner and not feel left out if you want to sing backup.

To sing backup is much harder than it looks. Similar to an instrumental accompanist, this style of singing requires that you listen very intently and be responsive . You must learn to breathe and begin and end your line as the main singer does. You must, in effect be the singers shadow.

If you can control your place on the stage, see to it that you can see the singer at all times. To sing backup effectively, this is very, very critical to your job. Learn to watch the singer at all times. If the singer decides to take another chorus or makes a mistake, you can follow them only if you are watching and aware. Watch the singer intently and always. The singer may use a hand gesture to indicate a repeat from the top or even a modulation so be aware.

As the singer goes, so must you. Blend to their phrasing. You can start your phrase just behind the singers melody if you want to blend properly. Sometimes you are not sure of how loud the singer will be so start quietly and gradually come up to the proper level after the melody develops. Another tip is to be easy on the consonants at the start of a line. It may be advisable not to pronounce a hard consonant at all as it may produce a unpleasant conflict with the main melody.

The end of melodies are just as critical as the beginning. If you gradually ease off your phrase as the singer does the same, you will not end after they do and cause much embarrassment to yourself and the band as a whole. Listen, watch, blend lines and you can be a professional backup singer every band would love to have.