The Unwritten Karaoke Rules finally written
There are a few rules for karaoke that everyone should know to make your experience on stage better.
Holding the Mic- There are technical terms for all of that but I’m not going to bore you with that. You should hold the microphone like you would hold an ice cream cone. If you cover the top its gonna be a mess for everyone. Your sound will be garbage no matter what the host tries to do to compensate for you doing this. It should be close enough to your mouth so that you could touch it with your tongue (not that you’d want to).
Mic Control- Most Modern places have sound limiters (we do) but if you see people squinting their face when you belt out those high notes, you probably need to back off the mic a bit. LOUD IS NOT THE NEW GOOD. A crowd will appreciate your belt note much more if it doesn’t cause their ears to bleed!
Sound ‘Advice’ for the Host- “Yo man, turn me way up!” “My Highs aren’t high enough” The host knows the room better than you do and probably has more sound experience than you. Also, even if you’re the best singer in the room, the host will set the sound for the room. It’s their job to make you sound your best. Let them do it.
Asking about the Rotation- Depending on the size of the lineup, sometimes your wait may be more than an hour; sometimes even 2! The only time you should ask a host when your turn is up is if you see someone come up twice after you have put your song up. Bribing the host is also a faux pas as they try really hard to make sure the rotation is fair for everyone. Make sure if you leave to let the host know so they can pull you from the rotation.
Jumping up When it’s not your turn- This isn’t cool. You can’t sit on someone else’s lap when they ride the rollercoaster, so don’t jump up and try and sing with someone when it’s their turn. Also, if you sing with your friend when you didn’t put your name up, you might lose your turn.
Be Enthusiastic for everyone and they will be for you!
