Own that song and please the crowd

While the judges on television’s American Idol frown upon singers who closely emulate the original artist, the karaoke audience cheers and applauds this attribute. Capturing the sound, phrasing and emotion of the original vocalist is an art that few can achieve. Singers who sound like famous stars such as Sinatra, Elvis, Janis Joplin Stevie Wonder or the Beatles always receive a roar of approval from the crowd.

But not everyone can sound like one of the most famous singers whose voices are recognizable to everyone. Do you really want to sing all Johnny Cash songs at every show you attend? After a while, people will be looking for a bit more from you.

Many karaoke singers choose to sing the same few songs at every show because they know them well and feel very comfortable singing just these songs. But again, the audience will grow tired of the same few songs regardless of how well they’re done.

Singing the most popular songs is one way to get a great response from the crowd, but only if they are done well. The most popular songs are also the songs people sing too often and this makes them less appealing to the audience as well.

The best way to please everyone at a karaoke show is to capture the essence of every song you sing. Emulate the original artist as close as possible but add a touch of your own. The original singers modify their own songs as time passes. They find ways to improve the songs they recorded and this is seen frequently at their concerts.

Choose songs that are in your vocal range, where you can easily hit even the highest notes. Listen carefully to the emotion and phrasing of the original artist and to the vocal techniques used. Practice the song as much as possible to learn the melody, lyrics and the timing so you won’t have to rely on the video monitor to help you through the song.

Most songs have peaks and valleys which are known as dynamics. Your voice should follow these dynamics accordingly and not just maintain the same volume or force throughout the song. You can warm the hearts of your audience by gently softening your voice during a quiet moment of a song and powerfully belt out the high notes when necessary to bring out a roar of approval.

You can alter the melody or phrasing slightly to add your own touch but not to the point where the song becomes unrecognizable. Many songs have parts or endings where singers can improvise, but every performer must know their limitations and must practice any adlibs they introduce to a song. Holding notes forever or attempting to hit notes above your range will often have disappointing results.

Owning a song is not always easy but it’s the best way to capture the crowd. Add something of your own to every song you sing and it will bring you closer to reaching this goal. Don’t change the song or add too much, just know the song well and bring a little bit of you into it and the crowd will love you.