Karaoke Forums

In lieu of critiquing individually, one common problem area I notice from ocassionally in even the best of singers submitting is....I can't understand the words sometimes!  One needs to remember, not everybody is familiar with the song or the lyrics you are singing so putting a little more attention on enunciating the words clearly and disctinctly goes a long way to selling the song.  Not that one has to sound like an Oxford English professor at all times and you don't want it to distract from the overall performance, but just something to keep in mind when singing.

Then again, maybe because I was raised in a part of the country where people tended to slur all their words together, I'm sensitive to this (for example, "What are you eating?" was "Washaetin?"--you guessed it! New Joisey!)

(gets garbage can lid/shield readied)......

I know zactly whatcha mean Michael, poor diction can turn a brilliant performance into a so-so sing in a heartbeat.

I've always made it a point to watch my pronunciation but every once in awhile my accent comes through.


babe  :)

Well, hell...... what's a redneck to DO?

*just kidding*

I have a nephew, who's VERY talented... on guitar, on bass, on drums, he's an excellent singer.... but I swear to god, that guy can mumble sometimes.

If I ever do that, sorry:) Hey, call me on it too. I don't like to hear that either.



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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

You're tellin' me, I live in Redneck Central pmsl.

Charmin!  Love the meez hun  :yum:

Gosh, out here there is SUCH a blend. We have spanish, russian, chinese... you name it, it's here. My parents are fluent in Redneck, Lol, but I have NO accent whatsoever. I guess I say a few corny phrases, but no accent.





Dang!! I thought with the word "Meez" gone from it, you all would be fooled & think I made it myself.  :(  haha...

Hiya Cat.  :wave:

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Oh, and Michael......

Sensuous up..... grab me a beer.



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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Sensuous in da kitchin enway jeet yet?  Past suppertime yanno!!!

I woul hav ta agee wi you on tha one!

Being raised in Boston ( paaaaak the caaaaaa) and then living in Los Angeles is enough to give anyone a potpourri of accents.. Being raised on 'rock', eloquence was not a priority ( listening to Mick Jagger, etc as a child urged me to grab the monthly Hit Parader magazine for song lyrics to figure out what they were saying) When I began singing standards a few years ago and upon my first subs exactly 2 years ago, I remember posting Over the Rainbow and one of the few useful critiques I received was from an accomplished singer that used to sub here.. He said that it sounded like I was singin 'rover' ( the r from somewhere running intot he o in over)  I am always conscious of that now when I sing that song.. He admitted it was a 'pet peeve' ( play on words) but it made sense to me.. I was just glad to sing the song without going flat or sharp..

Good point there Joyce!  Listening to and singing a lot of rock music would be a bad influence when it comes to diction if you're going to try any other genres.  Whenever I see the actual lyrics for a song written out, I'm often surprised to find just how wrong I was about the lyrics all these years!  LOL

I've been known to trash a whole recording because I messed up on one word.

I know others who will do that particular spot over and edit it into the space but for me it isn't the same, I prefer to do the whole song over again because I get a different feel for it.  Weird I know but it works for me.

Don,  :wave: Joyce!!

Cathi! Love that avatar!
Wow a recording "purist"!  No punch-in edits for Cathi!  :worship:

Reckon I'm a bit nonconformist when it comes to recording and no doubt it comes from singing live for so many years.  One shot and you're done, no going back to redo the spots ya #*^@! up.  

Besides, after I've sung it I don't feel like doing it again the same night.  It's gotta be put back up on the shelf for another time.  I'm most definitely my own worst critic.

Well, anytime you edit you're kind of tampering with the feeling of the first version you did.  And if you're a singer that puts ALOT of feeling in to their vocals, you can't always recapture that feeling on demand.

Those are exactly my thoughts Don.  If you can't "feel" the song and convey that emotion it's a waste of time to even make the effort.  Well, to me it is anyway.  

Reckon I'm a bit of an actor when it comes to singing, I basically play the part.  If it's convincing I've done a decent job.

Hi Cathi & Don.. I am enjoying what I am reading from you both.. May I add in reference to rock because some of it is theatrics, good diction can turn many a non rock listener into one.. When I sing Dio or Grace Slick, what can put the song over is decent diction, as well as LIVING the lyrics..I just recorded for the 17th time, Dio's Rainbow in the Dark, which some may label metal.. The lyrics are very strong and decent, clear diction helps to make it visual.. I feel honored to have several non-rock listeners say they listen to me because the diction is clear... now there is another theory.. where 'proper diction' is questionable: example: I was recording Baby Love, an old Motown song.. Ross sings  'miss kissin ya'.. On my recording I sing, ' miss kissing you'  which I felt was a tad icky but kept it in.. Certain bluesy, r&b as well as Motown songs, though calling for clarity, also need a more casual attitude or it sounds stiff & dare I say, uncool.... for example think of Pat Boone's renditions of Tutti Frutti and Lucille..

I think it depends on what the lyrics are trying to convey.  If you are singing an involved story telling type of song and the lyrics are very important to follow, then you'd really want to have good diction I would think.

Pat Boone should never been allowed to sing those early rock 'n roll songs!  Geez talk about adding too much bleach, starch or white flour! But granted, you could understand every word!  LOL

I agree 150% Don, the "story behind the music" often dictates your enunciation.  As Joyce said, Motown and R&B (and country!) can be wayyyyyyyyy more forgiving in the diction department than Rock and Pop.

As long as Pat Boone has been brought into the topic, how 'bout his foray into Metal?!?  Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze!!!!!

Oh, I agree about bending the laws a bit depending on the material...you certainly don't want to be stiff as an ironing board when doing certain types of songs...I've found what seems to work best in doing really rhythmic, up-tempo deals is to always try to catch the hard consonant ending on the words (again, depending on what the aim is).  You know, I spent an afternoon listening to one of the great singers, Nat King Cole and he was not noted for being on spot in the diction department, but with that wonderful voice and tone, it didn't seem to matter!

Often a singer's diction or lack of it, can give him/her a signature style and then generations after it becomes  an influence to other singers