First, is that most of us are not trained singers and did not learn how to sing, we just get up there and let it rip. That’s all fun and good and friends will tolerate and even celebrate our maladies. Yet, it would also be great if we could sing on pitch and follow the melody and timing!

Next, to sing karaoke is different than other types of performance and the first note coming out of my mouth and then out the PA is often startling! I sang in a small band (years ago) and often sing open mics and stuff like that and so I’m fairly comfortable singing with a mic. But, something about the karaoke systems are widely different. The first time I sang karaoke, I came in a full step flat on the opening pitch and was straining my throat to stay on pitch. IT WAS AWFUL and straining is NOT good technique!

Anyhow, I figured if I’m going to sing karaoke, I outta get my voice in shape, so I bought a few singing programs. Some are just a bunch of vocal exercises, some teach melody and harmony and others offer a more in depth overall training. Some are cheap (less than $50) and some are kinda expensive (around $200). Fortunately the ones I tried had a money back guarantee and I sent all but two of them back.

SINGING SUCCESS is the one I like most and unfortunately, it cost the most – $200 bucks. On the one hand, it’s a lot of money. On the other hand, I took private lessons awhile back and spent a lot more for less results. You know, I hate that expression “you get what you pay for” cause it’s generally a lie and sometimes you pay a lot and get junk and sometimes you get something really good for a low cost. Well, in this case, the more expensive program is truly the best. I got my voice in good shape within a month (much better shape in about 6 months). Basically, I went through the entire program in a month, spending about 30-60 minutes a day (yeah, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO PRACTICE for it to work). Then, I just picked a few exercises to do for about 20 minutes a day about 4 times a week. The program did not solve all of my vocal problems, but the difference it made was night and day.

Another program, Singorama, is really not up to par compared to Singing Success, but it has several bells and whistles that make it work checking out if you’re on a budget. Even if you already bought Singing Success, you might enjoy some of the exercises and dialog presented and the little software tools may come in handy. I kept Singorama.

Anyhow, maybe you’ll get some good hits on “free singing lessons” or get a private teacher or check out one of these programs. Which every path you go, it makes sense to actually practice and train your voice in some manner. I wish you the best of luck. While you may or may not win a karaoke contest, whatever you do, have fun when you sing karaoke – that’s what it’s all about!

(oh, I think that was the “hokey pokey” – wasn’t it?)