Karaoke Forums

Legend has a few songs like this. Need to have E.S.P. to nail the first note timing-wise and on pitch so your vocal pickup blends with the song time-signature... Fortunately there aren't many songs like this, but some of the classic rock ballads with the vocal as the pickup don't offer beat references to the singers intro. I listen about 5 times and try to feel when to come in (also memorizing what the key signature of the song is as well).

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Have always called this a "cold start". In my opinion, unless singers have perfect pitch, they should avoid using these tracks at a live gig. The previous singer (and their song) can throw you off when your song is a cold start. If you're using a cold start track to make a recording, you can always use little tricks like a guitar chord or a piano or keyboard note which can subsequently be edited out of the recording.
John.

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Those who bring sunshine to others cannot keep it from themselves  
Snoopy

I think karaoke manufacture should make an exception in this type of song; this is where they should not try to follow the original. When confront with such version i will just start to sing when the music come to play.

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

Yes Jian, These are genuinely VERY difficult songs. I try to apply some of my pitch referencing, and skills as a musician such as time signature and do the best I can because a few of my favorite ballads are the "cold start" type. Yet regardless of how skilled we are, these songs are almost impossible to hit the first note accurately. Sometimes the song selection tries to give a reference, but the vocal pickup isn't on beat, or it's on what we call an "upbeat" meaning uneven beat.. There are songs that give a pitch (however the song still has the cold start), and the pitch is seldom the same note as the first intro-note the singer is to sing (for some reason. Perhaps the note is the key signature of the song?).

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Snoopy-

I would never be able to handle such a song at a noisy bar with other song pitches preceding my turn to throw off any reference pitch I migh retain by listening to the song intro, and than restarting the song (for reference to retain my initial pitch).

A song I can think of that has a beat counter yet the vocal pickup is not helped by an even beat counter (immitating a drummer hitting his sticks together to count in the song) is Crystal ship (The Doors).. I believe that is an example of where there is no easy means of hitting the Intro "Before you". A few of the Beatles songs have this too. Often with not beat intro (and much of the time no beat reference is better because the vocal pickup is off-beat)

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Snoopy-

I would never be able to handle such a song at a noisy bar with other song pitches preceding my turn to throw off any reference pitch I might retain by listening to the song intro, and than restarting the song (for reference to retain my initial pitch). While there exist songs MUCH tougher in this respect, "Nowhere Man" by the Beatles (I think SC rendition) is a good example of this cold start type song.


"He's a" is a cold start, and while there is harmony the singer can't hit the first note dead on time ! and has no pitch reference.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Jian, I think in the case of Nowhere Man, assuming the backing gave the singer 4 beats, the pickup "He's a" following the fourth beat would be easier to match for the singer !

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".