Karaoke Forums

Last night, very slow, especially early. Word had it a prominant band was playing at the venue that usually has krappyoke.

Anyway as we got a few more customers and the other room filled up we still only had a few singers. I tried something different and I didn't fall on my face.

I put on Piano Man, believe it or not it's the first time it had been played publicly on my system. I pulled my Lee Oskar C harmonica out of the bag and proceeded to belt out the song and play the mouth organ at the appropriate places in the song. The place went crazy and many of the people in the other room came in. I didn't know how it would go over but it was very successful and who knows, maybe it will become a nightly thing. Rotation didn't fill up after that but we did get more slips after that.

Anyone else ever use any musical props on occasion?

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

I have air props - blow up guitars and the likes, nothing that makes noise anymore. Used to have tamborines & maraccas, but they are very distracting to the singers & got more complaints when they were used.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

In my past shows at a bigger club, I used all real instruments on the stage. Two electric guitars, a bass, two saxes (with the reeds removed) two keyboards, a fiddle, (with no strings), and a full set of drums, (with silencers) The crowd loved it. Now I'm in a smaller club, but I still use the two electric guitars. Nothing fancy, just a couple of junkers from a pawn shop. If one gets dropped, no biggie. The crowd still like to use the two guitars. Stage props are always fun, and it allows people who can't sing, or are too embarrased to sing, to still get up on stage and have some fun.

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My first choice IS Sound Choice.

The hosts where we used to live have real but unplugged intstruments as props. One is a kid's size electric guitar with the neck broken off and hanging by the one string that is left. They also have a trumpet, fiddle, keyboard and drumsticks with no drums. They play along on these instruments all night with a completely straight face which is what makes it funny. Every now and then one will jump to center stage and do a guitar solo on their knees but for the most part they stay in the background like they are just backing musicians.

They also have some hats to stick on people--a 100 gallon oversized cowboy hat, rasta dreadlocks, sombreros, blonde wig, etc. If someone needs a bit of help on their presentation they may find themselves in a hat.

There is an intermittant karaoke host in our area that plays electric guitar along with karaoke--he bills it as that kind of a show--him singing a lot with karaoke in between with him helping. Not our cup of tea but he is very popular.

That is cool. I used to take an old electric guitar or two to the shows I went to (hence the name Lord Airgtar). Others got into grabbing one and rocking out to the songs. I've seen those blow up ones and they look funny when they lose air and the user can't seem to keep it straight. Real instruments add to the appeal of the shows, I think.

I have been using tamborines in my regular show for some time.

My regulars know when it is approrpiate to use and to not use them, and it adds a lot to my show there.

Occasionally I get non-regulars who use the tamborines for evil, and then I have to take them away (usually bad looks from singers or other patrons are enough).

For my other shows that have a lot of non regulars I tend to have a lot more problems with them, but on balance they add a lot to the show.

I also bought maracas a few times but they did not physically last to long and ended up broken.

In the hands of someone with a decent level of musical sill tamborines are a good addition to many songs.

I use a plastic guitar. I even have a REAL guitar stand to put it on

I love it when a singer sings with the mic stand and "air guitars"... too cool.

The plastic guitar has kinda become my shtick. Don't ask me. I did it on a lark a couple of times, and got a big response... now I'll get singers who will come up to do a head banging song, and just get the guitar for me.

I use to play guitar in High School so I know the actual fingering for many of these songs, and there is a certain knack for GOOD air guitar. Correctly plucking and fingering "on note" adds to the illusion just like when someone lipsynchs. Combine that with a singer whose into it (no actual singing skill required), both of us doing "rock moves" and head banging like an actual hair band the crowd goes wild.

Karaoke is frequently more about performance that actually singing, so anything that you can to to enhance that is helpful. Props are great, as long as they don't make any actual noise.

I have on hand:

Pink and blue rock hair
Elvis hair
Several crazy sunglasses from the $ store
plastic guitar
Fake blow up microphones (for those who just want to pretend with their actual singing friend)

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

We have been using props successfully for years now, The biggest hits at my show is the Hat selection.
I have everything from cowboy hats, Pimp, top hats, golfers hat, frank sinatra hats, straw hats, beach hats & sunglasses, leis, boas, wigs ect.
We found a thin metal rack that hold everything and takes seconds to set up and fits in the duffle with all the stuff when done.
Check out the pic.

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[font=Cursive]Don't Just Stand There.....SING something![/font]

I have maracas and a tambourine at my shows. Sometimes my monkeys get incorporated, but that isn't a planned prop.

I was given a vibrating monkey the other night as a gift and the patrons had a blast with it. Anything that isn't bolted down ends up being a prop.

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[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

For props its only good in moderation. When ten singers in a row do it, a bit annoying. Only a select few can pull it off.

Now that's cool! I love it! I'm totally stealing the idea from you!!!

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

I almost grabbed a cue stick to "air guitar", but I figured the owner may not approve of that activity when I was at your gig, Babs. Next time I show up, I will bring the air guitar. BTW, I have a monkey that does a very naughty thing, should I bring it?

Not a new idea, have used stage props (hat's, boas, etc) since I started. They don't get used too often as much as they used to.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

I don't know what comparisons can be drawn between providing entertainment by playing a musical instrument at a karaoke show and having props in use at karaoke? And I also am at a loss to determine what worthwhile info you, Ripman, hope to acquire with this thread about props/toys?

Sure why not?

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Just like any thread, to get opinions, experience & knowledge from others that use them!

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

I believe that the OP is capable of speaking for himself and I don't need anyone else's opinion in that regard


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I use BLOW UPS guitars, Tambourine and even a cowbell ... all in moderation of course. Believe it or not adds to the karaoke experiance for some.

Yes! The guy that got me into KJing is known for his harmonica-playing. His signature song is "Heart of Gold" and he plays at the appropriate times. People love it. Seeing this, I had asked him to play along on the harmonica while I performed "Piano Man", only he didn't just play at the usual spots. He played continuously throughout the whole song, which gave it a lot of life. Same reaction at my venue. The place goes nuts for it, and since then I've seen many people get up to do Piano Man with him.

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

I have a couple really good harmonica players. I agree it can energize a room. I even keep a key conversion chart, so they know what harmonica they need. I attribute so many experienced harmonica players coming in because Chicago is a hub for the blues.

I can usually tell they know what they are doing when they walk in with a case to hold all their harmonicas.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]