INTROS
If your song starts before anyone is ready, you’ve already lost part of the moment. The intro isn’t just a cue, it’s the doorway into your performance. And when you rush it, you flatten everything that follows.
WHY BELL TONES FALL FLAT
Actors often default to a bell tone — hearing their first note played and then immediately starting to sing.
I’m a Broadway audition coach, and that approach gives no runway.
You feel rushed. The room feels unprepared. The story hasn’t started yet, but the singing has.
THE INTRO IS STORY
The intro is where tone, style, and emotional context get established.
It gives you time to arrive, and it gives the room time to receive.
When it’s used well, your first lyric feels inevitable instead of abrupt.
OPTION 1: TRADITIONAL LEAD-IN
The standard approach is to have the accompanist play a few bars before your entrance.
This works when the intro matches the tone of the vocal.
But sometimes, the intro shifts the mood entirely — for example, when the few preceding bars are in major instead of the darker minor quality you want.
In those cases, it can mislead more than it helps.
OPTION 2: START FROM THE END
Another option is to take a few bars from the end of the song and use that as your lead-in.
If the harmony loops naturally back to the beginning, this can feel more connected.
But it still might not fully capture the tone you’re aiming for.
OPTION 3: USE THE V CHORD
You can have the accompanist play the dominant chord — the V chord — that leads directly into your starting pitch.
For a song in A major, that would be an E7.
This creates tension and forward motion into your first note.
It’s clean, direct, and musically grounded.
OPTION 4: VAMP THE MATERIAL
This is one of the most flexible options.
Have the accompanist repeat the first measure or phrase that you sing.
That repetition builds the world of the song immediately.
You can enter when it feels right, already inside the tone and style.
OPTION 5: COUNT IT IN
For pop/rock/R&B or jazz, treat the accompanist like a bandmate.
Give a clear, stylistic count-in: “1, 2, 3, 4!”
This sets the groove instantly and drops everyone into the world of the song before you sing a word.
MAKE THE FIRST MOMENT COUNT
The intro is not filler. It’s your first impression.
It sets your breath, your body, your energy, and the audience’s expectations.
Use it.
🥜 IN A NUTSHELL
Don’t rush the start. A strong intro sets the world so your first lyric can land.
READY FOR A DEEPER DIVE?
Check out my video on outros, where I discuss how to leave the audience with the feeling you want at the end of the song.
