Karaoke Forums

I tried to reenter the topic about difficult songs to sing and saw that it was closed.  So let's open it back up again:  What are some kararoke songs that you find REALLY hard to sing?

I would have to say "Town Without Pity", by Gene Pitney, is the hardest song I've tried so far.  I've done it twice so far (just this week, in fact) and both times I had the kj's put it in a different key, 'cause there's nooooo way I can sing it in the usual key.  The first time I tried it, it went pretty well for the most part (considering it's a hard song to sing and this was the first time I'd tried it), except I screwed up the line in the middle of the song that goes "before this plain granite planet falls apart" or something like that.  I couldn't remember what the notes were on that part.  The second time I tried it, I did even worse--or at least I feel like I did.  (I might need to have it put in yet ANOTHER different key.)  This is one of those songs that seems to practically go into a different key on every line--ok, I'm exaggerating a little, but it _sounds_ like it goes into a different key on every line.  In spite of that, it's a great song and I love singing it.   I just wish I could do it right.  I've never heard anyone else sing it for karaoke, although a few people on another karaoke website say they've sung it, and I think there's some clip on YouTube w/a guy singing it at a karaoke place (I'll have to check that one out).  

OK, how 'bout you guys?

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I find this answer changes all the time for me. First of all, any tenor song is wrong for me to begin with, so I can't really speak to those.

Usually, though,  I can key a tenor song down 4 or so and give it a shot. I usually decide it is not something I want to do, but I can usually hit the notes.

Two songs I like have a huge range and seem very difficult to do -- "It's Not Unusual" and "I Could Not Ask For More". Not that I ever would do them, but I would like to at least *try*.

One deceptive song that is in my range -- "Forever and Ever Amen". When I started singing, I thought I would do that one. NO WAY. It left me gasping for air. Now I can do it, no real problem, but it is surprisingly hard to sing.

It took me a couple of years to get decent on "99% Sure". Now I do it if I am breathing well and feeling good, not otherwise.

I would say some Van Morrison songs.

I'm working on Keep Forgettin' by Michael McDonald, and it is really hard.

I have pretty good range, but the style and range together of his stuff is pretty difficult.

I had to sing Shania Twain's From This Moment On for a wedding a couple of years ago, and it was hard for a guy to learn and sing it well. It took me about a month. I had to sing it accopella with only a piano.  :shock:

I've sung "Full Force Gale".  I love that song!  (even though the karaoke track I sang it with was pretty cheesy)  It's been a while since I've sung it, but as I recall, it wasn't hard for me to sing.  Then again, it would be kinda' high for most guys (I'm female).  I'd say I do about 1/2 guy songs and 1/2 girl songs--it all depends on what I think I might be able to sing.  I tend to avoid the really high Mariah Carey kind of stuff--although now that I've been experimenting with key changing, maybe it might be worth a try...

Actually, did you know that Shania Twain song you mentioned was originally a duet between her and Bryan White?  The single version, though, was just her (although you can still hear him on some of the backup harmonies).  I like it better the way it is on the album, with both of them singing as a duet.  I've never sung that, but I've sung some of her songs:  "That Don't Impress Me Much", "Come On Over" (I kind of cheated on the high notes on that one--I sang lower notes instead) and "Man! I Feel Like a Woman".  (And man!  I screwed that song up (IMHO)!  It was a little too low-pitched for me.  But it went over well with the crowd.)  She did another song with a Billy something-or-other--Currington?--"Party for Two" (I think that's the title). That sounds like it would be fun to sing.  I've heard people do it for karaoke.  

I don't hear that many guys doing traditionally female songs, but I did hear a guy at a karaoke place sing Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing", and he sounded great!  He sang it an octave lower than Whitney does.  And no offense to Whitney, but I think I actually like that song better with a male voice (or at least the guy I heard) singing it.

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4 what?  Steps or half-steps?  Just wondering, since I've been experimenting w/songs where I have to have 'em change the key...At one place I went, the kj said he didn't recommend keying a song down more than 3 half-steps becuz otherwise it would slow down the track too much--are most karaoke machines like that?  (As a non-kj, I wouldn't know.)

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I've noticed that different manufacturers songs react differently to key changes,such as Sound Choice you can't go down more than 2 half steps(2 clicks) without affecting the song quality, but other manufacturers renditions are more forgiving, but with none of them can you go down more than (3 clicks), Also I've never heard anybody sing Stevie Wonder songs like Stevie Wonder, his range flies all over the music spectrum.

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Man Must Know His Limitations -Clint Eastwood

4 half-steps. In karaoke, to my knowledge, you never talk about going up and down full steps. At 8 half-steps down, you are better off going *up* 4.

With regard to slowing it down, all modern key changers are digital and don't affect the playback speed.

you hit the nail on the head, mckyj57. She said "karaoke machines" and you said "modern key changers".

The ones on the machines WILL slow tempo. The ones on the amps, mixers and software will NOT.

I might have put this up before but for me it's "Yeah!". So much of it is at the top of my range. It just doesn't let up. And the rhythms are so precise. If you mess it up you're screwed.

I originally learned it because it's such a great dance number. And I'm glad I did because it's also turned out to be a good one to show off my chops.

Yeah?    

Just kidding.  I don't know the song.  Who recorded it?  

And, Mcky and Matt, you guys know a LOT more about modern technology than I do--heck, I don't even have a cell phone!  (at least not yet)

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"Yeah!" is sung by Usher with Ludacris handling most of the rap. I actually look forward to the rap part because I can get my voice off those relentless high A and Bb notes for a little bit.

The bridge in Eddie Rabbit's Two Dollars in the Jukebox was difficult for me.   Same with Barry Manilows I Don't Want to Walk without You, and Can't Smile without You.  

As far as high notes go, has anyone ever tried Andy Gibb's Everlasting Love?  Yikes!

Ditto what Mcky said about Tenor vs. Bass songs. I have to pitch down on most songs. But I find that if I pitch down more than 2 then the song "just doesn't sound right". A very few songs I go -3

Mcky have you tried Josh Turner yet (modern country) -- it's fun to finally sing something that's truly in your range without key change. And really PROJECT those deep notes

Back On Topic: challenging song... hard to believe but Devil Went Down To Georgia. It's mostly talking, he hardly sings any notes, but the ones he does sing are harmony and LOWER than the melody background singers. Ugh. Also the lyrics are fast. Seems to be a crowd pleaser when done well. Note that SC has 2 versions... they fixed some really bad timing

I can do Josh Turner a bit, but I will confess I don't like his songs that much. I am much more a Randy Travis kind of guy...

American Trilogy- Elvis              Cara Mia ( you know what part)- Jay Black

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hmmmm. i would have to say most jim reeves songs,  for the reason that in order to sing it soft and smooth it leaves u out there pretty much wide open,  u can't hide behind any fancy vocal moves it's just pure vocal singing.....u can hear every fault in ur voice, r at least i can....
i can't say that songs out of my range r hard because hmmmmm they're out of my range not hard just high, which most r....since i quit smoking i don't lower keys as much as i used to....any song over 1 r 2 takes recording is hard for me anyway....
as far as karaoke i believe in always being prepared and knowing the song and the best key to do it in r don't do it at all until u do know it...i had rather sound stupid on another day, plenty to choose from....i could never ever just get up and sing a song i wasn't sure of....unless it's a dare...but that's just me....all the fun may be in doing just that just sing that sucker and have a blast....

I have sung material from just about every genre of music (aside from rap/hip-hop)
and from every era.

One of the reasons I sing at karaoke shows, one of the reasons I have sung over 700 songs over the last 10 years is because of the CHALLENGE it provides me!  

It is not uncommon for me to sing a song for the very first time at a show (someone else's show---why ruin mine?).  If I really like it and think I can/should do better I will then practice it a time or two at home.  Some songs are "keepers"; most I leave behind.

Among my "keepers" are three (3) Gene Pitney songs:  Town Without Pity, 24 Hours to Tulsa, and I'm Gonna Be Strong. I've always been a big Gene Pitney fan.  He was a one-of-a-kind singer.  I suspect he wasn't much of a performer, though, because his songs don't get the play on "oldies radio" stations or at karaoke that so many lesser talents receive.  So, he's become forgettable... UNTIL.. I start singing one of his songs.  You can see from the looks on people's faces that Gene Pitney strikes a chord with everyone from his era.

Anyway, I digress.  I would have to say that in terms of difficulty (intonation), Town Without Pity is one of the most difficult songs I have ever sung.  I have never found one to be more difficult in terms of the intonation.  And any other measure of difficulty is really of lesser importance.  So,  Laura, I'm with you 100% - Town Without Pity

Believe it or not Fancy by Reba Mcentire is one of the hardest songs Ive tried..I mean Ive tried for years to do that one justice MAYBE now that I quit smoking & lost alot of weight I can try again...Ya never know !

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Kelley
Star Sounds Karaoke & Mobile Recording Studio


[shadow=black][scroll]You have to respect your audience. Without them, you're essentially standing alone, singing to yourself....KD Lang[/scroll][/shadow]

Some of the songs named are no problem for me including "Cara Mia" and Josh Turner's songs.  One song I never do at a show is Conway Twitty's "It's Only Make Believe". I can do it, but if I don't hit his steps up in key just right I end up out of range. I have never had a problem with any of his other songs. Another song I have given up mastering is Kenny Rogers "Lady".  Some songs that took a lot of practice for me to master are "The Grundy County Auction" and "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" Their are lots of songs I tried a few times and just moved on to something that just fit me better.

Jim-N-TN

I'm with you Jim, Cara Mia is not hard to sing.  I also don't find a significant challenge in doing An American Trilogy.  Nonetheless, those two are keepers for me that I have done many times over the years.

The thing with both those tunes is that you must have a better than average voice to pull them off; you can't fake 'em.  Same's true for I'm Gonna Be Strong (Gene Pitney).

Of course it helps the performance if you can sing them in close to the original keys; they don't have the same oomph if the key is lowered too much.  Recently, as I'm getting older, I've had to lower Cara Mia at least 1/2 step.  Even lowering it a full step still allows me to "put the song over"