Karaoke Forums

Diafel's thread made me think of something. I enjoy singing with patrons more than singing solo. Over the years I've lost a lot of the urge to sing by myself and enjoy harmonizing more. I have a lot of regulars that will ask me to sing with them and it works out great because I do love to sing, but hate singing solo because I feel it takes up patrons singing time. I feel a special bond with the regulars that I sing with because of this. Some regulars and I even have little dances made up for the music breaks. It's just fun.

Have any of you had this transformation happen?

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Great, now I feel bad for not knowing "Jackson" well enough when I was asked by the KJ . Another messup, lost connection, dang it.

Harmony is fun even though I don't always know the harmony and have to hunt for it. I've done harmony on the Everly Brothers song, Walk Right Back, and have tried it on Beatles songs, but really need to learn the harmony better on them.

There was one singer who was trying to learn Joe Jacksons Into the Night. He wanted me to sing it with him to help him learn it. It was an interesting several weeks... Some nights he would sing it better and some nights worse. And just when you thought he would have had it learned, it would sound a bit off! This person was on-key on some songs, and off-key on others, and Into the Night was just one of those off-key ones evidently.

A few other songs I've enjoyed singing with others:

Don't Go Break In My Heart, Elton John
Whenever I Call You Friend, Stevie Nicks and Kenny Loggins
Creeque Alley, Mamas and Papas
Games People Play, Spinners

We have a friend who, like you, loves to harmonize more than solo. She and her cohost will join in with regulars they know won't mind and it really adds to the presentation and makes it more fun for everyone. In fact some pick their songs just for those kind of moments. "Day Dream Believer" and "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" come to mind.

On the other hand, I get thrown off really easily so can't handle it and don't even dare try it with anyone else. But now that I think of it, our friend HAS helped on the chorus of a song or two and was so good she didn't throw me off at all. In fact she was probably the only one on key.

Babs, you described me pretty well - I spent years as part of ensembles and harmony is 'my thing.' People often comment that I can harmonize to anyone on any song and that is pretty well it...but I am very, very careful to only do it when asked. There are singers who feel VERY comfortable and enjoy the accolades they receive for their songs with just tad bit of background harmony.

It does make a difference when done right. There are a couple of guys who sing at my Friday show and we do "Let Her Cry" by H&BF and on the chorus we do a wicked 3-part. Another that is great for that is Drift Away, and I often drop the volume on the music and we a capella the last 2 times through the chorus. People really enjoy hearing it, the singers enjoy the kudos, and it is great as a harmony singer to find that sweet spot in 3-part harmony.

Since there are those who expect to hear me sing certain songs (particularly at my Fri night show, which is an all-ages club with a number of older females) I do put myself into the rotation. I am blessed with the ability to harmonize and I use it but don't abuse it. I never assume someone will like it or want it. But the second time they sing, they often ask if I will accompany them. Aim to please always.

What I have started to do and enjoy just as much as harmonizing is to strengthen background parts when they are missing or are too laid back.

It gets easier to identify backgrounds that can be improved upon when you have people singing the same songs week after week!

Singing solo - I try to avoid it and when I sing, it is because there would be dead air if I didn't!

Exactly!

Drift away is one of the songs I do with one of my patrons also. It's scary Karen how we always seem to have more in common. Cripple Creek, Sweet Home Alabama, Amy, The Tide is High, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Joy to the World are some more of my favorites.

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I have also done Cripple Creek; Sweet Home Alabama; Amie (too high and key change doesn't help); The Tide Is High; Peaceful, Easy Feeling and Joy To The World

At one point I tried to use Joy To The World for a sing-a-long, but a lot of people (too young I guess) were unfamiliar with the song and "Three Dog Night"

Since so many of you know the song well, I've recently thought about trying Peaceful Easy Feeling. I'm know I can sing it, but my concern is dead air, singing wise. Is the song true to form for karaoke? Meaning isn't there like a 60 second dwell (music ) in the middle of the song? I'm not big in the stage presence thing and a minute is a long, long time to be standing there quiet looking stupid.

Anybody know / recall

I've done that song probably twice in the last week and can't remember. I'm to busy gabbing with the singer during the music breaks to notice. Isn't that what music breaks in karaoke songs are for? unless we're we're dancing

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The solo runs the length of one verse. I think it's about 45 seconds at the original tempo.

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