Singing to Karaoke Track

[aitcheson]

Singing along with a song, easy.

Singing along with my piano, easy.

Singing along with my guitar, easy.

Singing along with a Karaoke track, impossible.

It's pissing me off and I have friends who want to go to a Karaoke bar soon. I don't want to sound my absolute worse when they coerce me to get up and join in. So are there any exercises to help with this, have I not trained my ears well enough or is this all in my head?

[jonpall]

Do it often (at home) and record yourself alongside the backing track. Then listen back to the take and think about what you did well and what you could improve on. The more you do it the better you get.

[KillerKu]

Well, a couple of ideas:

First... Practice to karaoke tracks then? Obvious and stupid, but I mean you should do that and get used to the idea.

Second... Figure out what key you are doing the song in with the guitar/piano/whatever and then make sure the karaoke track is in the same key. As far as I know you can adjust those karaoke tracks up/down relatively in pitch so what might be happening, is a change of key is throwing you off.

Other than that, dunno.

[VideoHere]

Singing along with a song, easy.

Singing along with my piano, easy.

Singing along with my guitar, easy.

Singing along with a Karaoke track, impossible.

It's pissing me off and I have friends who want to go to a Karaoke bar soon. I don't want to sound my absolute worse when they coerce me to get up and join in. So are there any exercises to help with this, have I not trained my ears well enough or is this all in my head?

i don't get that at all....maybe because there's harmony vocals on the track?

how is singing to karaoke any different than singing with a piano?

[aitcheson]

i don't get that at all....maybe because there's harmony vocals on the track?

how is singing to karaoke any different than singing with a piano?

Its so weird when I play piano its so easy but when I try a karaoke track my voice just seems to go all over the place. Tomorrow I'm going to sit down and just start practicing till something works. Maybe its just all in my head.

[Ronron]

What is the problem exactly ?

Timing ?

Pitch ?

Dynamics/tone ?

[aitcheson]

What is the problem exactly ?

Timing ?

Pitch ?

Dynamics/tone ?

Pitch and Tone really.

[Ronron]

I see.

Have you recorded yourself singing along to a song, your guitar, your piano, and a karaoke track ?

(Just to see whether the differences are real or a consequence of the different amount of thought and consciousness you can direct on your voice in those different exercises, and, also, because it might not be as bad as you think)

When you're playing the track yourself, you are in control of the pitch and rythm, and your mind is diverted by the playing.

When you're singing along someone else, you are not hearing yourself properly, and are mostly following a pattern.

When you're singing along a karaoke track, your mind is fully devoted to the singing and listening of your voice.

Apart from that, jonpall's advice is solid :)

[aitcheson]

I see.

Have you recorded yourself singing along to a song, your guitar, your piano, and a karaoke track ?

(Just to see whether the differences are real or a consequence of the different amount of thought and consciousness you can direct on your voice in those different exercises, and, also, because it might not be as bad as you think)

When you're playing the track yourself, you are in control of the pitch and rythm, and your mind is diverted by the playing.

When you're singing along someone else, you are not hearing yourself properly, and are mostly following a pattern.

When you're singing along a karaoke track, your mind is fully devoted to the singing and listening of your voice.

Apart from that, jonpall's advice is solid

I've recorded my self and it doesn't too different but it just feels so much harder to sing along to an instrumental, I guess I just have to relax and go for it. Thanks for all the info.

[ronws]

All the problems here I have been through, as well. When I sing while playing guitar, I control the rhythm and the cues. But, with a karaoke track and it's machine-like timing, it can feel a bit inorganic, at times. Live, one has a feel of rubato. In fact, to hear the differences of two live drummers with differing approaches, consider Steven Adler from Guns and Roses. Very organic an fluid, like a heartbeat. Then, his replacement, Matt Sorum, absolutely perfect in timing. Nothing wrong with him but different in feel. Never more so than with his beat in "You Could Be Mine."

Also, I have found that some of these karaoke tracks often have harmonies mixed in them and I am usually at odds with them. Because it is most definitely not a case of me singing with people I have known, where harmonies could actually mix. And if you vary one iota from their timing, it sounds off, even if you complete the phrase on time. Very disconcerting. Not to mention that karaoke tracks are often in a different key than the original or even a live version. In fact, they are likely to be keyed lower for all the patrons in a local pub that want to sing.

Almost as bad is working with a live band that doesn't know the song well and plays it too low. Happened to me. My wife and I and friends were at a restaurant, celebrating one of our friends' birthday. The two-piece band allowed patrons to sing with them. My wife volunteered me. So, we did "Brandy" by Looking Glass. The missed some chord changes and played it about one step lower than I am used to singing it. But, I made it happen, anyway. Or the other patrons had some Uzzo, which makes everything go better.

:)