Karaoke Scene's Karaoke Forums :: Singers and Song Selection

Here's where experience is a real plus - listen to the voice, figure his age roughly, and the kind of music that may have been important to him at one time. Make suggestions..."Oh, you know, I thought of a song the other day and was thinking it'd probably be a GREAT song for you!" Why not appeal to the ego, maybe a simple song, let him enjoy the success, even if it is a simple song.

This is something I do for a lot of singers - they'll sing at my show one time and then seriously ask me to come up with suggestions for them. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I always smile and say I'll do my best for them.

I don't let someone make a fool of themselves too many times before I make suggestions...it's also very hard on an audience to listen/watch something like that. Why make them suffer, too?

The thing that gets me is the people that refuse to ever make a key change. I'll have great singers find a new song to sing that everyone loves, but it is just out of their vocal range. Instead of letting me bring down the key a notch they never do the song again. Aaarg ! I have to admit I do do key changes for one of these people without telling them. :evil:

Did you every witness a singer who chooses the WRONG song everytime ?

I'm a believer that a singer should be allowed to sing what ever they want, but it doesn't hurt to make suggestions.

I'm a decent enough singer, but my strength is knowing hundreds and hundreds of songs. (Quantity rather than quality, that's my motto!)

Other singers do the same tired songs over and over and over,..

Thing is...
People sing the songs they like.
Fantastic singers will sometimes sing a song that really does not suit their voice.
Even experianced singers can do it.
The less experianced you can say "Try this one"
You automaticly know what they will do well.
A good KJ can often pick songs for a singer better than the singer.
I bet you have all done it.

Author:	jamkaraoke [ Mon Aug 31, 2009 11:06 am ]
Post subject:	Singers and Song Selection
Did you every witness a singer who chooses the WRONG song everytime ? I had this guy the other day that picked songs that he just SHOULDN'T have . 1st time at the show so I don't know him but every song he sang ...had people TURNING THEIR HEADS. I had a few patrons asked me ..WHAT WAS THAT SONG ??? None of the songs had the timing anywhere near what it should have been, half the songs were spoken and the other half sang off tempo. An older gentleman who tried to sing GNR, and other similiar type songs. Maybe he was trying to sing to the crowd ? I don't know-but he went over like a lead brick. The thing is if he picked "different" songs he would have sounded better and would have been better received by the crowd.

Author:	mckyj57 [ Mon Aug 31, 2009 11:54 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
Sometimes they just don't know music and have no idea what songs would suit them. We have one fellow at my regular show who is terrible. (And perhaps a bit "off".) And he was picking songs that he apparently liked but that were not suitable. I am talking a baritone singing Mariah Carey, Journey, etc. A train wreck of course, especially since he can't sing or carry a tune. Apparently something changed because he now is starting to sing all songs I sing! It is still really bad but it is a lot more suitable. I don't know if he liked the way I sounded and decided he would shoot for that instead of Journey, but he has made a step in the right direction. He just didn't know.

Author:	Karen K [ Mon Aug 31, 2009 3:00 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
Here's where experience is a real plus - listen to the voice, figure his age roughly, and the kind of music that may have been important to him at one time. Make suggestions..."Oh, you know, I thought of a song the other day and was thinking it'd probably be a GREAT song for you!" Why not appeal to the ego, maybe a simple song, let him enjoy the success, even if it is a simple song. This is something I do for a lot of singers - they'll sing at my show one time and then seriously ask me to come up with suggestions for them. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I always smile and say I'll do my best for them. I don't let someone make a fool of themselves too many times before I make suggestions...it's also very hard on an audience to listen/watch something like that. Why make them suffer, too?

Author:	jamkaraoke [ Tue Sep 01, 2009 9:58 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
Karen K @ Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:00 pm wrote: Here's where experience is a real plus - listen to the voice, figure his age roughly, and the kind of music that may have been important to him at one time. Make suggestions..."Oh, you know, I thought of a song the other day and was thinking it'd probably be a GREAT song for you!" Why not appeal to the ego, maybe a simple song, let him enjoy the success, even if it is a simple song. This is something I do for a lot of singers - they'll sing at my show one time and then seriously ask me to come up with suggestions for them. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I always smile and say I'll do my best for them. I don't let someone make a fool of themselves too many times before I make suggestions...it's also very hard on an audience to listen/watch something like that. Why make them suffer, too? I agree on all points --Like I said this was the 1st time at my show and I don't know the guy and maybe the songs he chose are his FAVORITES..can't say. I would be LEARY of suggesting other types of songs until I know this guy better ( if he comes back ) I wouldn't want to insult him

Author:	Babs [ Tue Sep 01, 2009 10:20 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
I agree you need to know the person better before suggesting different songs. I have certain people that just always want to pick songs that are wrong for their voice. They don't necessarily sing horrible. They think singing a harder song shows off their abilities. What they don't understand is if they'd stay in their range it would sound better and that there are songs that are well received that aren't as hard to sing. Most regulars learn after time what songs go over well and which ones don't. They learn to trust my judgement also. For instance they come up and ask to sing the "Rose" and I'll say, oh they crowd would really love to hear you sing "Bennie and the Jets". They may sing the "Rose" anyway and the crowd is silent after. When they come up again I'll say again, How about some "Bennie and the Jets". They sing it and the crowd goes nuts. I'm a believer that a singer should be allowed to sing what ever they want, but it doesn't hurt to make suggestions. The thing that gets me is the people that refuse to ever make a key change. I'll have great singers find a new song to sing that everyone loves, but it is just out of their vocal range. Instead of letting me bring down the key a notch they never do the song again. Aaarg ! I have to admit I do do key changes for one of these people without telling them.

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Author:	angel910 [ Sat Sep 05, 2009 2:46 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
I know KJs like that. Nothing you could suggest is going to make them sing better when they can't sing and will never be able to sing. The KJ i'm thinking of does have one good talent. He is excellent at doing talking songs. Like the Streak or Convoy. But after that he's horrible.

Author:	timberlea [ Sat Sep 05, 2009 4:41 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
People get to sing wharever they want. It's their time. Either they change on their own or they don't. There are people who are tone deaf or have no rhythm, etc. Karaoke is for the masses. As long as they are having fun, that's what counts. The others for the most part understand this and know it will only last a few minutes and then the next singer gets up.

Author:	Karen K [ Sat Sep 05, 2009 9:30 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
I guess I believe in growth as a singer - and there are a lot of neophyte singers who really have no idea how to sing and what to sing - they maybe recognize a song and feel they know it well and try singing it based on that criteria alone. If I have a chance to listen to them a few times, I will make suggestions. It has never backfired on me, and in reality there are singers who have really experienced growth as singers through the suggestions I or someone else may have made. Their singing experience is now much better -- people acknowledge them more, compliment them, and they then on their own begin experimenting with new and better songs more appropriate for their voice. Some people just need a little bit of a push.

Author:	KaraokeJerry [ Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:29 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
I'm a decent enough singer, but my strength is knowing hundreds and hundreds of songs. (Quantity rather than quality, that's my motto!) I developed this repertoire because it never fails -- if I sing a song well, some customer wants to start singing it. So I "lose" that song to keep a customer happy. Other singers do the same tired songs over and over and over, so as I get to know them, I can start suggesting other songs for them. If they are shy about tackling new songs, I will call them up on MY turn as a duet singer, and more or less teach them the song as we sing. Also, I do have a lot of duplicates from varying manufacturers, and I can tell singers that a certain version (or key) may be better suited to them.

Author:	ripman8 [ Sat Sep 05, 2009 1:54 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
It's easy to tell who the good singers are by watching the masses of smokers leaving the room. I quit smoking almost 2 yrs ago but just for that reason above sometimes I wish it were allowed at karaoke shows. For that reason and ONLY for that reason.

Author:	missbipbip [ Sat Sep 05, 2009 10:50 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
Babs @ Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:20 pm wrote: The thing that gets me is the people that refuse to ever make a key change. I'll have great singers find a new song to sing that everyone loves, but it is just out of their vocal range. Instead of letting me bring down the key a notch they never do the song again. Aaarg ! I have to admit I do do key changes for one of these people without telling them. I don't understand that either, except most of my singers who do this will continue to butcher the song every time, knowing they can't reach the notes, but refusing the key change. I have also adjusted it on my own, at times, and they never even noticed. It helped them out so much.

Author:	jerry12x [ Sun Sep 06, 2009 4:26 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
Thing is... People sing the songs they like. Fantastic singers will sometimes sing a song that really does not suit their voice. Even experianced singers can do it. The less experianced you can say "Try this one" You automaticly know what they will do well. A good KJ can often pick songs for a singer better than the singer. I bet you have all done it.

Author:	atxklown [ Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:50 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
Singing the songs that was out of my range did help me work to make it part of my range. When I was one the firsts to acquire Darkness' I believe in a thing called love. And Gnarles Barkley's Crazy. I think I had perfected my falsetto. And even though I try to see if someone who has the voice for a song do a certain song. I just end up doing it and probably end with a chuckle because this was something out of my norm and I wanted to hear it.

Author:	Avg Joe [ Tue Sep 08, 2009 10:18 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
jamkaraoke @ Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:06 pm wrote: Did you every witness a singer who chooses the WRONG song everytime ? You had me bustin' up just reading this first line, all to familiar.

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Author:	Avg Joe [ Tue Sep 08, 2009 10:22 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
Babs @ Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:20 pm wrote: I'm a believer that a singer should be allowed to sing what ever they want, but it doesn't hurt to make suggestions. Keep making the suggestions of key changes. I've had it mentioned to me a couple times and have always appreciated it. I personally can't hear it well enough to say something ahead of time. But if the KJ says something I always remember and say, last time you said....

Author:	Avg Joe [ Tue Sep 08, 2009 10:27 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
KaraokeJerry @ Sat Sep 05, 2009 1:29 pm wrote: I'm a decent enough singer, but my strength is knowing hundreds and hundreds of songs. (Quantity rather than quality, that's my motto!) Other singers do the same tired songs over and over and over,.. First of all, sorry, I haven't figured out multiple quotes in one post yet Good topic BTW. I agree with quantity. The predictable ones start to get stale. I'll never understand why they don't see this though.

Author:	ripman8 [ Tue Sep 08, 2009 2:45 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Singers and Song Selection
jerry12x @ Sun Sep 06, 2009 6:26 pm wrote: Thing is... People sing the songs they like. Fantastic singers will sometimes sing a song that really does not suit their voice. Even experianced singers can do it. The less experianced you can say "Try this one" You automaticly know what they will do well. A good KJ can often pick songs for a singer better than the singer. I bet you have all done it. I've had a few singers ask me, I never come up with anything.