Karaoke Forums

I don't care. Some of the most entertaining and memorable performances on my stage have had nothing to do with the accuracy of the vocals.

Edit: in fact most of them now that I think about it.

I think the longer I have sung karaoke, the less likely I've been to try songs I don't know. You start to get comfortable with what you've sung before. When I first started singing, if I thought I knew it, then I'd try to sing it.

One song I do remember quitting halfway through was Rubberband Man by the Spinners. I thought I knew the song, but the last half threw me a curve ball. On the other hand, I've seen people quit songs that I thought they were actually singing well, but they thought they were singing terribly so they quit. Often times, the singer's perception of themselves is worse than that of the rest of the bar...

WHERE did I say ANYTHING about ANY company? ANY location in my post. Now you're taking a generic posting and turning it into an attack, or responding like it was one. You're not the only one on here getting tired of this junk.

True only in western setting, but not where I come from. People do practice at home. Almost every dvd player sold here have karaoke fuction and karaoke cd are sold in ALL music stores.

To answer the OP question; If someone is in the rotation then that person have the right to sing. But as for myself, I would not even dream of singing a song that I have not tried out at home.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

Streaming sites, singing sites...nowadays it's not uncommon to buy downloads for $1-$2 a track, and they can practice at HOME.

Comcast Cable also has a karaoke channel hosted by SOUNDCHOICE here in Hawaii.

And most manufacturers are going after the home market where the money is, so there must be a huge market of singers practicing before shows.

Most kids i know of have karaoke video games and/or magic sing mics, and the adults have at-one-time purchased a cheap MTV karaoke player and bought cdgs at Walmart.

that kinda stuff you might not hear about in bars Felix.....

If it's a fairly new song, I encourage my singers (those who care anyway) to Youtube their songs if they want to practice them at home. Most new stuff has a version including lyrics.

I also practice what I preach on this subject. I'm working on "Just Dance" as I post here for tonight. Although a chick song, I've been asked to sing it as a duo by one of my very cute regulars.

How's that for motivation?

Was even looking on YouTube last night & we found most of the songs we were looking for in karaoke format of some sort to practice with.

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As far as the singers go, I don't expect anything but the unexpected but I like a mix.

As for practice, I almost always try to learn a song beforehand, just to spare the audience but in comfortable venues I have ventured into the unknown but rarely. It is hard for me to find the key to start if I'm not familiar with the track.

Along with using You Tube, Sing Snap, etc. as practice sites, Chartbuster has just added a practice link to their site. They don't have all their songs up yet but for what they do have, you get the karaoke screen of their version with the guide vocal. It has come in handy for previewing entire versions of their songs rather than buying based on just a snippet.

wasn't aware that charbuster is offering that on-line opportunity. That's good to know.

thanx Leopard

Doesn't matter to me as it is their time in the sun and who am I to deny them?

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

I don't know about that, Jian. Most of my karaoke friends have their own machines at home and take personal CDGs to shows. Maybe it's unique to the Milwaukee area, but we have some serious Karaoke singers here. I know Karaoke is huge in Asia and the Pacific rim, but we ain't slouches.

Who are we to judge? If it could only be good singers, where do you draw the line and how do you decide what level is adequate? It's all about having fun and entertainment. If someone wants to sing and can't carry a tune, oh well! Ever seen anyone throw a gutter ball in bowling? I do have to admit, the bowling alleys let people bring their own bowling balls in.

And in reflecting upon this query, I pondered the following:

(Q) What is the point of practicing? Will everyone always get better simply as a result of practice?

Consider this: Some people have terrible voices and will never sound any better no matter how much they practice. And some people sing songs that just are not right for them!

(Q) If you believe that singers should practice, how much do they have to practice to satisfy you?

(Q) At what level of accomplishment, during or after practicing, should a singer decide to perform a song?

(Q) After a song has been presented at a show, should it ever be practiced again?

I get better when I practice. Once the mechanics of a song are second nature you can add in the emotion or special effects. It also helps to know when to breath on fast songs or to be ready for the high or long notes.

I don't care if anyone else practices or doesn't practice. I do think it helps to have a mic set-up at home because getting used to the sound of your own voice amplified can be a major obstacle for a beginner. But not everyone has the ability to practice with a PA system so practice shouldn't be a requirement.

At first once I learned and then performed a song, I wanted to go on to the next one and hated to repeat. Now that I have to sing more than once every six months I have revisited some songs and either realized that I was singing the wrong tune or that they could be improved upon with practice.

Oh--here's a weird thing. I tend to be a bit like Gomer Pyle--talking voice is different from singing voice. Sometimes it takes a bit of singing to transition. Also my range limits itself even more if I let it go too long.

Another quirk--I like to have the words memorized so I can look around and not be fixated on the screen. Also like to learn some songs in Spanish. THAT takes practice.

Oh okay Eric.

As far as myself, I never really knew where I stood until I sang alot more at home. If I wasn't all that great at home, I couldn't have been that good out there.
Up towards the end of my tour of duty (bar singing) , I started not caring whether I sang or not....was just hanging out with the crowd mostly. I actually became too embarrassed to sing! Especially after realizing that certain songs I use to sing weren't working out for me really recording at home. "Audioslave" for example...."I Am The Highway". The kj lady flipped over that song when she heard me do it. Then when I tried to record it at home, YIKES!! I was crushed by how bad I thought I sounded on it, and would never do it again when she asked. I keep trying......I have it up in showcase right now. It's just not that good.
Hopefully nobody ever thought of me as a primadonna, but I could sure point 'em all out in the bar!

Take up the mic and let 'er rip. I have a certain amount of admiration for people that get up and sing something they've never tried. Sober or not it takes a certain amount of courage to risk disaster.

I rarely sing something I haven't rehearsed. Once in a while I will do it if I know the song really well.

I hosted a show last week that was very poorly attended due to crappy winter weather. There were just a couple (literally) of singers so we just all sort of took turns until they were tired of singing. A couple of people at the bar, who preferred not to sing, requested some songs and I did the ones I at least had a passing familiarity with.

I didn't feel comfortable nor did I do the songs especially well. But you would never know that from the reaction of the people at the bar. I think the lesson is that if you stay on key and sing well enough to make the song recognizable, most people who are listening aren't listening with a critical ear. I still wouldn't be all that comfortable but if the same situation came up again at least I wouldn't feel terrible about singing stuff I hadn't rehearsed.

Larry

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"Life is too short for diet soda and lite beer"

PC

You reminded me of something of interest to me and, perhaps, others. I went to karaoke show several years back at which the host recorded everyone on cassette tape. It was a nice gesture... However, when I got home and listened to myself I cringed. I didn't like my voice and didn't want to hear it, even though the crowd like what I had sung that evening.

Of course, as we listen to ourselves, what we hear travels through our sinuses into her ear. So, it's not going to sound the same as it does to everyone else. I, wasn't entirely shocked about the difference. I've kind of heard it on voice mail and answering machine messages I have prepared for incoming calls.

So, I avoid recording myself or listening to any recordings. That one I mentioned above was immediately thrown away!

And if you take into account what both PC and Ibister have suggested in their last posts... it really doesn't matter what you think of your own efforts. If you think you sound good, are aiming to be entertaining and to please the audience... and they don't like your stuff... I would think that nothing else matters much?

two channel type recording will ALWAYS sound a bit flat. It also isn't mixed well most of the time with the other audio such as background singers and the music.

First time I heard myself recorded, I thought I did good, until I played it. I about QUIT because of that. But I gave it some time, and quit trying to do the nut busters right away! !

As for me, I like to have some sort of practice under my belt before I take on a song. If I'm the host for the evening, I usually make sure I know the song well before taking the mic. However, if it's a light rotation, I may try something new and risk botching it as a means of encouraging new or shy singers ("Hey, the host screwed up and he's still having fun with it! I guess if the host can screw up, people won't think I'm dumb if I screw up"). So it depends on the situation.

That being said, I at least expect the singer to be SOMEWHAT familiar with what they're singing. Can't stand people who sign up for songs only to sing the chorus and just goof off through the rest of the song because they don't know it.

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"K-Jay"
www.kjayskaraoke.8m.com