How to Become a Karaoke Star

So you like to sing, and you think you're fairly good. As long as you can carry a tune, you probably are. But here's a hint: even if you can't carry a tune, as long as you look like you're having fun and involve the audience, they'll love you. To really rock at karaoke, follow these simple tips.

Pick A Song and Learn It
Find a song you like and sing it. A lot. Listen to the vocal inflections and note how the performer uses dynamics. Sing along in the shower and in the car. Sing loud--it feels different when you sing with a lot of volume. Don't worry, no one can hear you (yet). Sing it until you can hear it in your head. Pay special attention to the verses. You may think you know a song, only to realize that you only know the chorus.

Learn Popular, Upbeat Songs
You may love slow ballads, but too many of them can bring down a room. Remember, when you're up there singing, you're entertaining a crowd. Listen to other live performances and you'll notice that they mix up fast, upbeat tunes with songs that are good for slow dancing. Take a cue from the pros. It's OK to do a slow song or two, but don't overdo it. And, keep to songs that people can dance to. Love ballads are always good.

You Have to Botch It Once
You're likely to botch it up somewhat the first time you sing a song a karaoke, no matter how well you know it. Don't sweat it--the next time you perform it you will be much better. Trust me. Even the pros don't get it right the first time. They need practice and so do you. Just have fun and no one will care that you bobbled a bit.

Build Your Song List
Once you have a song down, go for another song. Learn a good mix of songs and you can hold your own with the best karaoke singers. Once you're at that stage the most frustrating thing will be that you don't get enough time to sing all of your songs.

Have Fun and Be Entertaining
If you're having fun it will show, and everyone else will have fun with you. Relax. Learn to use a microphone. Make eye contact with the audience; don't just stare at the monitor. Smile and move with the music.

Make New Friends
Find other karaoke singers (even strangers) and ask them to sing with you. Karaoke hosts love people who can entertain a crowd. Often, the host or hostess will ask you to sing with them. Go for it. The more you learn to sing and perform with others, the more natural it becomes and the more fun you have.

Sure, the words flash up on the screen while you singing. But "singing lead" is about much more than knowing the words. The first time you're the lone lead singer (rather than singing along in the car) it's easy to get lost. You'll find that, when you're driving to work, you often sing a combination of lead and backup. And, odds are you're not really sure where the singing happens and where it's instrumental only.

Most popular songs have a structure that consists of verses, a chorus and a bridge. The verses are the part that "tells the story." The chorus is the repeating "theme," and is likely the part you know best. The bridge is a section that breaks the song up and adds more color, both musically and lyrically to the song. And, most songs also have an instrumental "break" that adds variety (sometimes the bridge is the instrumental break).

Song pattern vary, but are typically a derivative of these. A common song pattern is:

Verse=>Chorus=>Verse=>Chorus=>Bridge=>Chorus=>Chorus

There are infinite varieties of this, but these are the basic elements. Different types of music (Country, Folk, Ballads) have similar patterns. So, if you like country music you'll become more and more comfortable as you "learn" the popular patterns.

Listen while you sing and you'll hear these patterns. This will help you pick up new songs a lot quicker. And should you decide to venture into open mic territory, or front a live band, you'll be better prepared.