Singers - how to choose songs to learn?

thecolourbox · May 2023

Hi all, I'm wondering if there's any good tips or techniques to help me choosing songs to learn for my singing, for fun but also hopefully finding some "keepers" that I can do when I get the odd chance here and there to perform.

I've always struggled finding songs which overlap the bubbles of a) something I like, b) something my voice/range can handle, and c) what people in the two types of audience I tend to get to play for would like to hear. There's are lots of songs in individual bubbles but very few that overlap both.

Once I find a song I can normally arrange it quite nicely (enough) be it with guitar accompaniment or piano. I'm mostly doing piano singing recently because I've not unpacked my guitar stuff much since moving house.

I keep watching and listening to Jacob Collier's piano covers and thinking I could do something like that style but on a much smaller scale, but then he does go very high and very low which I can't necessarily do. But he's very good at choosing what songs to do to suit his thing.

So I'm not necessarily after song recommendations to learn as such, but ideas on how best to find songs myself that I could do. Hopefully that makes sense!

Blueingreen · May 2023

If you haven't already done so, find out your vocal range. It only takes a few minutes and if you Google "find your vocal range" you'll bring up some guidance how to do it. Should give you some insight into what you can reasonably attempt. I see a surprising amount of singers attempting stuff that's not realistic for them because they are trying to copy someone with a completely different range.

flying_pie · May 2023

I try singing along to loads of different genres in the car. I do that for fun and to push myself (same with the covers challenges). I'm actually most comfortable with musical theatre/choral singing, believe it or not as that was how I started out singing.

As far as the band goes, we try do so stuff our way rather than recreate studio covers. It tends to be rock with a bit of punk and I find the guitar playing helps guide my voice if that makes sense. I find that's the easiest way of singing naturally and finding my own way through songs.

thecolourbox · May 2023

Thanks guys.

I know my range already, in notes it's G#2 to C#5 but I think it's more useful to me to consider it as two-octaves-plus-a-4th because the actual pitch is kind of irrelevant really considering given I'll be accompanying myself so can easily transpose to whatever key is needed.

That range is kind of split in two, the more comfortable range from G#2 up to about D4, then above that my voice has more of a very slight breakup to it which I think sounds more interesting than the lower one. I tend to aim for that range more when pitching stuff - my high and dry cover entry for example

I do sing along to a lot things (much to the annoyance of the Mrs when she's watching TV with music in it) but only really half heartedly because i recognise them and I'm bored. It's finding ones I like enough to learn properly and find the key to fit in my range that I'm finding hard.

I've no intention or desire to collaborate as such so I'm kind of on my own choosing stuff as I don't really have any musical friends on a similar page

Blueingreen · May 2023

thecolourbox said:

Thanks guys.

I know my range already, in notes it's G#2 to C#5 but I think it's more useful to me to consider it as two-octaves-plus-a-4th because the actual pitch is kind of irrelevant really considering given I'll be accompanying myself so can easily transpose to whatever key is needed.

That range is kind of split in two, the more comfortable range from G#2 up to about D4, then above that my voice has more of a very slight breakup to it which I think sounds more interesting than the lower one. I tend to aim for that range more when pitching stuff - my high and dry cover entry for example

I do sing along to a lot things (much to the annoyance of the Mrs when she's watching TV with music in it) but only really half heartedly because i recognise them and I'm bored. It's finding ones I like enough to learn properly and find the key to fit in my range that I'm finding hard.

I've no intention or desire to collaborate as such so I'm kind of on my own choosing stuff as I don't really have any musical friends on a similar page

You've obviously thought this through very thoroughly, but a surprising number of singers haven't.

CaseOfAce · May 2023

It's kinda trial and error and knowing your limitations.

For instance I've been learning John Denver's Country Roads for the function band I'm in.
The original key (A) means there's an Fsharp (2nd fret high e string) which I struggle with (the "where I be-LONG..." bit). I can do it if on a good day with a strong wind... but I've taken to doing it in G which means the high note is an e (open high string) - much more comfortable - and the drop down in key doesn't make the song sound "wrong" - as can sometimes happen when you start d*icking around with key changes.

As a tenor I've sort of got to know what I can and can't do - and there's certain songs that are complete no go's since changing the key means losing the open string riffs or chords you have to use for it for it to both sound right and playable. Case in point AC/DC stuff.
Sweet Child O' Mine is obviously a completely none goer.
I find Bryan Adams stuff is a reach - he's just that bit higher (and with power) than I'm comfortable with.

Bottom line is if I can't sing it to my satisfaction I don't go near it.

thecolourbox · May 2023

Blueingreen said:

thecolourbox said:

Thanks guys.

I know my range already, in notes it's G#2 to C#5 but I think it's more useful to me to consider it as two-octaves-plus-a-4th because the actual pitch is kind of irrelevant really considering given I'll be accompanying myself so can easily transpose to whatever key is needed.

That range is kind of split in two, the more comfortable range from G#2 up to about D4, then above that my voice has more of a very slight breakup to it which I think sounds more interesting than the lower one. I tend to aim for that range more when pitching stuff - my high and dry cover entry for example

I do sing along to a lot things (much to the annoyance of the Mrs when she's watching TV with music in it) but only really half heartedly because i recognise them and I'm bored. It's finding ones I like enough to learn properly and find the key to fit in my range that I'm finding hard.

I've no intention or desire to collaborate as such so I'm kind of on my own choosing stuff as I don't really have any musical friends on a similar page

You've obviously thought this through very thoroughly, but a surprising number of singers haven't.

Overthinking things way more than most is probably something I'm quite good at haha

AntonHunter · May 2023

Go on then, what sort of things do you like? And who are the two types of audience you play for? I know you said you're not after song recommendations, but I reckon asking a knowledgeable bunch like us lot on here is a decent bet. Otherwise, I'd suggest going to loads of gigs, see what other people are covering, and either pinch the ones that go down well, or avoid what seems too cliche.

thecolourbox · May 2023

AntonHunter said:

Go on then, what sort of things do you like? And who are the two types of audience you play for? I know you said you're not after song recommendations, but I reckon asking a knowledgeable bunch like us lot on here is a decent bet. Otherwise, I'd suggest going to loads of gigs, see what other people are covering, and either pinch the ones that go down well, or avoid what seems too cliche.

I think I'm better staying away from matters of taste as that's where people think I'm being ungrateful when I say I don't like the songs

I've learnt that my typing style tends to make me look a bit sarcastic and patronising, so that's when I end up annoying people.

The two types of audience I get to ever play for are the largely over 55s at my dad's church (if not older!) or on the rare occasions I get to play at more like thirty-something hipster type scenarios which is where I fit the stereotype. So generally 60s and 70s songs for the old folks, fairly random stuff for the hipster crowd. There's not a vast amount of crossover between the two but some stuff can work. I avoid ironic covers though, that is very much a rule. I did A Boy Named Sue once, literally only once, as a bit of a joke one as it was a previous karaoke party trick of mine at one point. I've been asked about it every single time since.

My listening tastes are generally quite different than my performing ones as I have to accommodate the voice, hence why I find it hard to find things I like enough to want to learn, arrange, and perform

AntonHunter · May 2023

thecolourbox said:

AntonHunter said:

Go on then, what sort of things do you like? And who are the two types of audience you play for? I know you said you're not after song recommendations, but I reckon asking a knowledgeable bunch like us lot on here is a decent bet. Otherwise, I'd suggest going to loads of gigs, see what other people are covering, and either pinch the ones that go down well, or avoid what seems too cliche.

I think I'm better staying away from matters of taste as that's where people think I'm being ungrateful when I say I don't like the songs I've learnt that my typing style tends to make me look a bit sarcastic and patronising, so that's when I end up annoying people.

The two types of audience I get to ever play for are the largely over 55s at my dad's church (if not older!) or on the rare occasions I get to play at more like thirty-something hipster type scenarios which is where I fit the stereotype. So generally 60s and 70s songs for the old folks, fairly random stuff for the hipster crowd. There's not a vast amount of crossover between the two but some stuff can work. I avoid ironic covers though, that is very much a rule. I did A Boy Named Sue once, literally only once, as a bit of a joke one as it was a previous karaoke party trick of mine at one point. I've been asked about it every single time since.

My listening tastes are generally quite different than my performing ones as I have to accommodate the voice, hence why I find it hard to find things I like enough to want to learn, arrange, and perform

Yeah, fair enough then. The only extra bit of advice I'd say then is remember some who's 55 now was born in 1968, so most of their formative listening (ie teenage years) was the 1980s. I've made the mistake of playing things a bit safer when seeing an older audience (jazz gigs mind) only to realise talking to them after that they were into all the far-out 60s free-jazz in their youth.

thecolourbox · May 2023

Thanks, yes that is a valid point, but the skew of the age range is still very much towards the larger numbers, and being a church audience is very much on the easy listening spectrum. Also, being church people they also come across very judgey. My next foray there is in July, upon which I have one eye looking forward with this topic in mind because I've basically ran out of acceptable songs for that group, and not keen to repeat myself again. Luckily this time I'll be solely on piano and not guitar (I've never been convinced they really like my guitar songs to be honest, They're a hard bunch to read). They've got a couple of others likely to do guitar so I'm required to do piano instead which should be interesting for a change

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Singers - how to choose songs to learn?

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