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Which is worse, to have less than an octave range but a large reporatoire of music you can sing or have a good vocal range but sing very few songs?

I would think a good vocal range would give you a lot of songs. But if the person only wanted to do a few select songs that's cool.

I would rather have someone who sang crowd pleasing songs myself. If someone had a huge selection of songs they could sing, but no one wanted to hear those songs, I wouldn't like it. I'd rather have the guy who only sang the same 5 or 6 songs and everyone liked them.

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I was blessed and most of my life belonged to both. However in these later years I am more of the first. Even one night of singing doesnt clear out or soften these old vocal chords.. The next night I am ready again.

I didnt even know what head voice was but was singing songs like sorry by brenda lee.
because on certain songs like danny boy I had trouble with the high cresendoes Gradually I got to the point and it took several tries I could take crystal gayles cry turn it up 4 keys and nail it like johnnie ray.  

Then one st pattys day sang danny boy the way it should be. But on a good night I can sing the bass for elvira then sing cry..  I sang only you by the platters for many years then one night discovered travis tritts version. I had never heard him sing it but started singing it with my own style. It is nothing like his or the platters and when somebody hears it the first time they go nuts.

Old age is making the choice for me but if I did have to choose I would want the first for I have a lot of songs to sing yet even if not like I used to  be able to:D

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karyoker,

My story is very similar to yours, except that my voice is still pretty much intact. I do notice that I can't go as long (two nights in a row really wear my vocal cords out).

As I kid, I made it to the Cathedral Boys Choir, which was quite pretiguos in the day. Later in my late teens and early twenties I sang with a local opera company. I was able to take free vocal lessons to improve my opera singing, and to my wonder found that I had a range close to 4 octaves. I can do a wide variaty of music and styles, as well as some song that few would attempt. Funny thing was I was working in a rock band at the time as well. I recently sang From This Moment On at a wedding, and maintained the Shania key...although that one probably isn't difficult, but for a guy, most would drop it down an octave.

My choice would be to have the range, because that will give you the opportunity to do the most songs...although personality would be another thing I would choose, but it was not on the list...in fact I would take personality first, because you don't have to be the best singer if you can "wow" them...

Chuck.....there is a certain someone on here that says size doesn't matter......it's how you use it.....could apply to your vocal range too...... .....I like em' huge myself.... ... .....ps.....where the he!! have you been......???

hugs Chuckles...I am proof positive that you dont need range to sing...but I keep fairly much to what I know suits me within that range...the only deviation is requests from the audience and I have to be fairly comfortable that they are well into their cups if I attempt a song that I know doesnt fall into my comfort zone...delta dawn it the obvious example...for some reason it has made a resurgence here and Iget asked quite often...even dropping it two doesnt give me the comfort in the tops I need

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

The person who tweaks what they sing and does the "better sounding" rendition IMO is the "better singer" from *MY* aesthetic perspective. So again from my perspective as a listener, the individual who doesn't sound as good on what they can sing would be "worse" than the better singer.  I need to qualify that otherwise the answer is just nebulous.  Yet as phrased the question is too of course.


According to a recreational singer who loves singing for themselves ?    According to a listening audience ?   According to any living thing that must endure horrid renditions despite range ability ?

This can't really be answered fairly as phrased IMO Chuck.  Reason being there are still too many outstanding variables.  Optimally "best" IMHO (since the answer to this is subjective to begin with) is the person who sings what he or she sings extremely well despite song quantity.  Assuming a person has a vast range, but sings very few songs, however sings the song they sing very well, the person is a "singer" in my opinion.  A person who has less than an octave range might or might not be as good a singer..  All depends on quality of material, not quantity IMHO.  I know some of us have a decent range,  but it's an octave in one register,  an octave in falsetto range, and a note here, and a note there that basically is useless.. but this is just from MY perspective as one individual listening to the singer..  There are VERY different perspectives, and it all depends on how much a person likes singing despite how good, lousy, or limited they are from yet another perspective.  All subjective..

"worse", "better" in what sense  ?

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Yes.

What is worst, in my opinion, is to have a good vocal range but then make the song take a back seat to your over-singing. I find so many decent vocalists who do that; if they would just sing the song without trying to put themselves on display it would be better.

Amen brother.  :dancin:

If I have to sit through ONE more night of Diva's singing love songs with way too much vibrato and arm motion I'm gonna scream:)

(then slap them all)  :D

....just kidding... about the slap anyhow... maybe

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All you have to is record them and play back for fill... PSSST!!!! Turn the FX up to make them sound even sillier.. If that doesnt work I turn the music up and muddy the vocal somewhat.. I have only seen a few of those in this area in 15 years.

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I hate hearing the vocal gymnastics that get added to show off a performer's abilities and not just because I can't do them myself. It wrecks the feeling of the tune.


Let me try to ask the question this way. If you are a regular karaoke singer, 3+ nights a week, would you rather have a good vocal range or have a long list of songs to sing?

This was just something that occured to me a few days ago and wanted to see what other people thought about it. I used to go out singing every night of the week at the same club. I only had about 20 or 30 songs that I knew well enough to sing so people got tired of hearing me sing pretty quickly.

About vocal range, I only added that to make the question more interesting to me.

Oooo, tough question. I worry as I get older that I will lose my range, so I'd have to pick a large range. That way I can sing the songs I want to and not just the ones in a certain range.

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Well, lemme back up my first snotty statement by saying... I have nothing against any of the gals I was referring to, they are ALL my friends. It's just... when you feel like there is a "trained vocal show-off contest" going on, and it's 5 or 6 songs in a row, like "Love can build a bridge" and "Does he love you" and "Independence day" and "I will always love you".... It makes ME want to get up and sing a rap song, just to liven the place up. And they do those songs, sure they sound terrific, but it's because the can hit the high notes and throw lots of vocal runs and vibrato in there. To me, it doesn't make for a good karaoke show. Occasionally, but not when it's.. consistently throughout the night.

Given the choice... I'd stay where I'm at. I do NOT have a grand vocal range, but the crowd (for the most part) appreciates my song choices, cause they're bar crowd songs... Rowdy, cocky, flirty, beer driking music.  Very rarely do I sing anything even SLIGHTLY mushy sounding, and never a song that requires extreme range, cause well, I don't have it:)

I gotta admit though, a BIT more range would be nice. I hate when a song comes around that I love and I can't quite get my voice to go there. That happens to me a lot, and in public, I hate to do key changes on songs, I rarely ever do.

??....... What was the question....... ??

Oh yeah. I'd prefer a bunch of songs in my repertoire. I often find a new song I fall in love with, and tend to sing it too much. And there's lots I know... that I don't sing too often... cause I want to leave room for the ones I'm currently hung up on.

Gosh, today is my day to ramble I think..... sorry if I bored ya to tears.
(and.... if I did.... bite me)  LMAO

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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. ♥

...btw

hi guys.

I'm not one of the guys...... though I've been called one of the boys a few times:)


But.... hiya anyhow Chuckles:)  :hug:

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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. ♥

At one time a bar here had karaoke 7 nights a week For awhile it was a challenge to sing different genres and both male and female (sober) and remain one of the top 3 singers in the place.  Then that challenge went away and I spent months singing one new song after another most I had never heard the original artist or even the song. When I started singing  old regular songs of mine I discovered I had my own style and increased range.

I can still find old songs that I havnt heard for years When I sing them I am on the other side of the world in a different decade For a few minutes the ol body isnt aching and the world is right again. I am totally unaware of the audience and sometimes feel the original artist there with me. If I couldnt sing a lick I still would have a lot of songs to sing. When I dont have a massive data base to search and maybe find a song that might give new emotions or bring back old ones color me gone..

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I've noticed the same thing. Some of the first songs I got that were a bit out of my reach are now piece of cake for me. I guess singing karaoke and venturing into new styles does indeed help your vox, and helps mold your own personal style.



Don't you love songs like that? I have songs that transport me that way...the kind that has personal meaning for ya, and when you sing them you don't give a shyt who is listening or what they think..... cause you get lost in your own musical world and forget they're even there:)



And that, my friend, is what karaoke should be about.....

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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. ♥

The best nights as a host are the ones where the mix is male/female, good singers, not so good singers and even some that can't sing at all. If everyone is having a good time, it makes no difference if you can sing or not...and it makes the job easier.

I think song choice is more important than both options Chuck gave, when doing karaoke. Charm your lucky that you have a feel for the crowd and what they like. Some people just don't get it. I think it is much more gratifying to sing a song you enjoy singing and it also gets the crowd going.  :hi5:

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You know, I often see people visibly cringe when a horrible singer gets up to sing. Now, granted, if they are the "Diva" variety, and really put on a flashy show thinking they can outsing EVERYone... it can get annoying. But your average everyday BAD karaoke singer? To me, that's just part of the crowd, and what makes it karaoke. I love it. It makes me less nervous myself too... for no matter how good, bad, or ugly I may perform a certain song... guaranteed with the blend you get at karaoke, I'll fit in SOMEwhere.  LOL

Babs, I fit in at my current local hangouts. Small town, country crowds... and I've been carousing with them long enough to know what are the best type songs of mine to do. I once went (years ago) to a place where ALL I was hearing was alternative and pop music... and I was thinking "Errr... wonder how they're gonna react if I get up and sing something honkytonk like Loretta Lynn?". Wasn't sure if a crowd like that would accept me or not, Lol.. so I moseyed down the road a ways to a different spot:)

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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. ♥