Karaoke Forums

A post named "looking for opinions" got this idea rolling...it had such positive response I thought I'd try to compile what I teach to my students in person- into a set of "rules" for Karaoke Scene for any of you that are considering competition in a Karaoke Contest.


There is a mindset when you are entering a competition. Some people say "imagine you're going to win" other say "have fun" Still other say "just do your best"...In a way they're ALL right...but I've found that the first one either makes you "cocky" which can be detrimental to you in actual competition...or for people who know they posess limited "talent" it's just not realistic. The latter two mindsets kinda seem like you going in predisposed to "lose" I have a problem with that too. More effective is this "imagine that you get a HUGE positive response from the crowd" If you go into the contest with THIS at the front of your mind- all the other possible "frames of mind" will fall automatically into place.


There are several things to consider when entering a competition. The first thing I would do it get a copy of the scoring sheet the contest judges will be using. Almost all contests- no matter how small- will have a set of guidelines to help the judges "score" your performance. Some of them are DARN intensive but most are pretty straightforward. They have points for "singing ability" (things like pitch, breath control, phrasing,etc.) There is usually also a point value for "stage presence" (things like "how comforable is the singer on stage, do they know the words, do they sell the song, did you enjoy the performance etc.) I have never seen a contest that didn't have at least these 2. The other 2 I see normally are "audience response"- this is pretty self explanatory. The last one I frequently see is point value for "costuming/appearance" In a close contest- this last one can be the "make or break" point between winning or coming in as a runner up. I have one protege who has a great voice- but she is too "pretty" on some songs that require a little more grit and soul. She was recently in a contest where there were 2 other people who, frankly "outsang" her...but she had a great costume that fit her song...and she had terrific stage presence. She won by 2 points over both the better singers So it is VERY important to know what you will be scored on & how those points are allotted. You need to make sure that you are getting the maximun value in ALL of the categories...a Competition is ALOT more than just "singing" in most cases.


The next thing you need to consider is song selection. There are a few things I'd take into consideration...number one- it has to be a song that I am totally comfortable with and that showcases my voice. This means that YOU never pick a song that has a reputation of being a "ball buster" unless you can sing it and NAIL it. I can't tell you how many good singers have lost a competition because they tried to take on one of Mariah Carey's songs- then they left out the whistle note! When you sing a Mariah song- rest assured that pretty much everyone is waiting for the high note- if you don't do it- then you let the audience down. Another one- "Jennifer Holliday/Jennifer Hudson"!These two ladies have some serious grit...if you have a pretty "streisand" kind of voice- you're gonna sound like a MORON if you try do to "And I am telling you" I actually heard a girl who had a really nice operatic voice try this one. Had she sung "Nessun Dorma" no one would have touched her..but she "went there" with "And i am telling you" and got laughed at. So it's crucial that you choose a song that showcases YOU and YOUR voice- NOT what another singer you may admire can do. That means staying away from anything where "hitting" the notes is iffy. I know that many of you think that range is what wins a contest...huge news flash...WRONG! Unless you choose a somg by someone known for showy notes like Mariah or Cristina Most people- including the judges- could care less if you can hit one note or not. What they DO care about is that the song sounds like it SUITS "YOU" if it does then they will enjoy the performance and will score you accordingly.


Another aspect of song selection is the version of the song you use. You can never go wrong with a shorter song. In fact if you are smart= you will pick a song that is less than 3 minutes if the arrangement is available. Musical creations has almost every song that you could consider for a contest in edited versions. If you are serious about competition- I strongly suggest you get one for your song. Lemme give you an example.."All by myself" is a beautiful song- but it builds..then drops...builds then there is a solo...builds then long ending-you will never win in a competition(unless they totally suck) with this song...BUT if you get the edited version that has a verse- a chorus- then it goes into that incredible modulation that Celine does and gets out in 2 minutes...you leave the entire room going OMG! And you probably win! I also STRONGLY urge you to STAY AWAY from any song that has a long solo in it. Rule of thumb- If the solo is longer that 2 or 3 measures( about the time it takes you to turn around slowly) then you will be left standing on the stage twiddling your thumbs looking and feeling like an idiot( I know all you "air guitar" players will be ticked to hear this- but it's true) No one wants to hear long solos- so run Run RUN! from songs that have this! if you still are not convinced- then put yourself in the judges place. You know how impatient you get while waiting for "your turn" to sing? Well imagine that you aren't going to GET to sing- but you have to listen to every singer in the room before you can LEAVE. This is pretty much the situation the judges find themselves in. Lets face it- MOST karaoke contests don't have "FABULOUS" talent...Even at the national and international levels- it's still hard for the judges to sit through everyone. So- make their life easier. I know some of you wait to "score" a person in your head until you see if they hit the money note. But most judges make their minds up in the first minute what they will score you. if you're singing "all by myself" they will probably wait until you have finished a verse and chorus to score you...if you bore them out of their minds for the 4 minutes of the song that come AFTER that- they will NOT be giving you points on the "was she/he entertaining" You need to keep in consideration that there is USUALLY more than singing ability being judged. IF, on the other hand you sing the first verse/chorus then go into thst modulation and get OUT of the song- they will be left with "OMG that was GREAT!" and you will get more points! I can't stress enough how important is is to LEAVE YOUR EGO behind when you are choosing a song..EGO will say "more of me is a good thing" Trust me- even if you're a good singer- it isn't. There is a reason shows like "American Idol" limit the performances to under 2 minutes....and "air time" is only a small part of it. They are all about keeping an audience! If they allow viewers to get bored- they change channels. The same principle applies to a contest...keep the audience's and judging panel's attention and you will do better. The less time you give them to get bored- the higher your chance of accomplishing this is!


Another aspect of the song version is the original singer. EGO is again the enemy- it will tell you have have the chops for a "Whitney Houston" song when actually "Diana Krall" would be MUCH better for you! EGO is what will tell you that "hey this is YOUR time- the longer you stay on that stage - the more you can prove to them!" You will most likely get your AZZ WHIPPED if you listen to your ego rather than the voice of reason. The shorter the song- the better your chances of being remembered for a "winning performance" Choose an artist with a similar voice to you!


Many singers get all caught up in wondering what the other contestants are singing...news flash...They really AREN'T "competition" unless you have a very unqualified panel of judges. If that happens then a better singer going later in the competition will will because the judges are comparing the previous perfommances and "adjusting scores" accordingly to make who they favor win. You'll find alot of contests will throw out the highest and lowest scores to prevent this from happening...But in a well judged contest- you will NOT be competing against the other contestants- you actually are competing against the "best performance" of YOUR SONG that each judge has ever heard. I mentioned earlier about EGO misleading you..It is DEATH in a contest to choose to sing a "luther Vandross" song if you can't sing as WELL as Luther Vandross! I can't stress how important it is to sing a song by a singer who you can either sing as WELL AS...or sing BETTER than. There is also the option of doing a song completely different from the original..and by this I don't mean changing a note or two. I'm talking about TOTALLY changing the song. Unless you're an advanced singer this is a dangerous thing to try because it can backfire...AGAIN- the judges will be comparing you to the original version...if you want to win- you better come out as good or BETTER that whatever that is. Don't let you EGO tell you you're as good as "celine Dion" because you're probably not- chances are if you were- you would've moved past a karaoke contest a long time ago. REMEMBER the other contestants are NOT competition!

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Amen to that advice.

Another thing that may factor into the score is where you end up in the rotation. Singing last is best because you are fresh in the judges mind. (just don't sing bad...) Going first works against you because no judge will hand out 10s for the first one out of the box.

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"Anything worth doing, is worth OVERDOING"... - Steven Tyler of Aerosmith

I agree about going first...but I'd also hope that a qualified panel would use the previous singers as a "bar" and if the first singer was an 8...and no one better came out- I would hope they would refrain from giving those 10's completely.


Going last also does have it's disadvantages- first of all- there is a higher liklihood that your song will have been sung already. That truly sucks if you have a great one. I tell my students to run like hell from alot of great songs out ther because I know they will be sung multiple times..songs like "broken wing", "before he cheats", "my last name", "all jacked up" , " I will always love you", in 2001 "Lady marmalade" right after Moulin rough came out, lately " I am changing" and " And i am telling you" because of Dreamgirls...if you're in a large competition like "talent quest" and you're at the end of the rotation- I guarantee someone will have sung your song numerous times...so in that case going early would help. I was also talking about EGO being the enemy...I have literally sat there and laughed my tail off at how STUPID and egotistical some of these girls are.At talentquest one year there was a place in the rotation where there were 2 girls singing :"broken wing: in the country category back to back...one girl singing somthing else. ANOTHER girl singing "broken wing: then 2 more girls singing other stuff...then 2 MORE girls singing "Broken wing: that's FIVE out of EIGHT girls singing the SAME song. There was yet another girl sitting in front of me and you guessed it- she was planning on singing "broken wing" I told her everyone was tired of the song...and she looked at me and said "But i sing it better" I laughed in her face. She went up there and handed that slip in ad i made sure i was watching the judges when the music started...they actually GROANED..along with every other person in the room! The girl had a decent voice- but she didn't give herself a chance because she let her EGO enemy tell her that she could vocally make up for being redundant in her songs choice. Sometimes- going early can help you...I also want to emphasise what you said about if you're last you better be good! THAT IS THE GODS truth! You will actually be scored more harshly by the judges because they have seen everyone else to compare you too...they are also tired of listening and probably grumpy! So you better BRING IT if you're last! My protege who I mentioned in one of these posts- was something like 10th out of 15. There were 2 girls who out sang her- one was right in front of her...the other was last...but neither had her stage presence...I honestly thing that going where she did helped her. I'm not sure she would have won had she gone last. So IMHO- unless there are only a few contestants competing...say less than 10. I would hope for a slot somewhere in the middle of the second half of competitors. The judges have time to see a good sampling of singers so their pens will be "looser"- but they haven't had time to get bored. Again EGO can be your enemy...goin "last" is only beneficial when you actually ARE the "best" overall performer. otherwise- it can also be the kiss of death.

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any of the rest of you have any thought about this?

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hi, i would think when looking out into the crowd and if ur seeing people just talking as you sing then think that all there doing is talking about how good ur doing....same if everyone is real quiet, there quiet because they don't want to miss any of ur singing....in both cases its probly not true.......but it helps to think that....

as far as where ur at in a rotion i couldn't agree more, these r club contest, most anyway and the judges aren't getting paid and if they are its with free drinks...i entered a contest once and i sang 4th, well the judes were all stiff and proper, but later on when they had a few more drinks they were laughing and singing along with the singer...big differents...and no i didn't come close to winning....this contest was for $5,000, it went on for 6 weeks i think....a winner each night, the guy that did win that night came up to me and said i did a great job and then went on to tell me what he does as far as line up...he was last r second to last....i didn't even make the top 10....yes it was rigged...ll...

i think another thing to consider thats out of our control....keep in mind that there having a contest to bring in new and more people...$$$$$$...
if you go to a club where the everage age group is 21 to 30 and lets say ur in ur late 40s to 50s odds r they really don't want you to win... heck ur in bed by 11....l...ty god i'm still in my early 20s....l just a thought

Billy

hey Billy? if you hear about another contest worth FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS...PLEASE- let me know! I have bags and will travel for that kind of cash!

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How about $375,000.00 in cash and giveaways. Tomorrow night is the last night to qualify. Need more info?

HECK YEAH! Where and when!

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UPdate... the contest kamera girl is talking about is in laughlin NV every sept. ... it's called "talentquest"...if any of you are interested in competing I highly recommend it! the link is www.talentqst.com they have all the rules and regulations listed. They give away 3500.00 CASH to each of the 5 categories
50 and up category
female Pop
male pop
female country
and male country
there is also a duet category- but I'm not sure what the prize for it is.

The second and third place winners also get cash but I can't remember how much. They also give other prizes that vary from year to year. When I won in 2003 I also got a "karaoke library" from "Pop hits monthly" of all the top hits of 2003 in the urban, pop and and country genres. That was supposedly worth 1000.00 on its own. I also got a trophy that is seriouly as tall as I am. So if you compete and you get there by plane..ya need to think about how you're gonna get that stuff home

I can honestly say it the funnest contest I've ever been involved in, You stay for a week in Laughlin(right outside of vegas) and you get to meet people from all over the us and well as places as far away as new zealand! It's super fun! And the talent there is seriously great! So if you go...don't walk in unprepared....the competition is STIFF and they are good performers not just good singers. be READY!

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paula there alwaysa having big money contest here, some r 10.000 dollars....i happened to be at the casion when the top 10 were singing, and they were nothing to brag about....i was expecting elvis himself for 10 grand....i'll keep u posted

Actually this one is in Texas. The finals are tonight.

The Regional Contest is in Ft. Worth in July and the National Contest is Sept. 21-26.

So yes you are correct about the contest.

Regarding the order of performance, to be honest, I don't think it matters! I've been in competitions where i've won (or gotten second or third), and have been first, last, middle, whatever! If you have the voice, the look, the stage presence, you have a good shot. I find no matter where you are, as long as you stand out, you will remain in the judges minds.

I always pick songs that are current, but not necessarily "Top 20" or "Top 40". A song that other people will not likely pick.

But I honestly believe that it doesn't matter what you do, what you sing, what you wear, every judge will have their own opinion, and it's always a matter of luck! A matter of what those judges will think of you that night. You can be a complete package and pick the perfect song, but if the judge doesn't like you, you won't win! Just prepare, do your best and sing your heart out! That's honestly all I think you can do!

Everything in this "entertainment" business is so subjective. It's a matter of where you are at what time!

If you aren't having FUN, then why are you doing it?!

I believe there is a 50 years and over category, also.

you're in the regional contest that moves on to the national talentquest competition in Laughlin!

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Yes mam !!!! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Regarding the order of performance, to be honest, I don't think it matters! I've been in competitions where i've won (or gotten second or third), and have been first, last, middle, whatever! If you have the voice, the look, the stage presence, you have a good shot. I find no matter where you are, as long as you stand out, you will remain in the judges minds.

well there went all my excuses...ty alottttt

But Billy- you're a rawkin singer who can sing ANYTHING...now ya tell me ya got the LOOK too....DAMMIT...Unfair...unfair! Waaauuuggghhhh!

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R u entering, Billy?

hi, no way am i entering....when i first started doing karaoke i thought, to cool maybe i can win a little money, but all contest r rigged i think, ok thats what i keep telling myself after i lose....ll...i don't think the $10,000 one they had here was rigged but the talent just wasn't that good....

i think the lead guitar player for alabama was a judge plus a few other big names.....