How to Sing Karaoke

There is nothing like getting a group of friends together and singing karaoke songs. It's literally like your own little American Idol. So whether you like to go to bars, sing with friends on a karaoke machine or if you've downloaded programs on your computer and like to croon yourself to sleep, here are a few tips on how to sing karaoke songs.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Ingest a few sips of liquid courage. There's a reason most karaoke takes place in a bar setting. The people singing it have to loosen up with a few drinks, and the people hearing it have to have a few drinks to tolerate it. While you should always practice safe drinking, a couple of cocktails are definitely warranted. Not drinking at a karaoke bar would be like going to a Superbowl party and not having a beer.
2. Know the words to the song you are trying to sing. Don't just get up to the stage and wing it. Have some idea how the song goes. Karaoke bars and people listening to karaoke reject two things, people who are terrible and people who take themselves way too seriously. Select a song that you know before singing it in front of a few hundred people.
3. Watch the screen for the cues. Whether you are at a bar, using a karaoke machine or singing your songs off your computer, the words of the song will become highlighted when it's time to sing them. Simply "follow the bouncing ball" (or highlighted ball) just like you were singing along to Sesame Street.
4. Do your best to perform the song. Don't get up there and scream into the mic. Don't get up there and tell stand-up comic jokes. You are there to sing, so sing. Since you picked the song it should be a favorite of yours, so give it all you got.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are singing at a karaoke bar, put your song selection down when you arrive. Most bars can only accommodate 20 songs per hour. Therefore, the night's dance card can fill up quite quickly.
• Do not sing in big groups. It's funny to you because you are drunk, but everyone else will be annoyed with the fact that you are suddenly trying to be like the Spice Girls or Backstreet Boys. Keep it to a duet at most. (And even that should be reserved for special occasions.)
• Have a karaoke party. It's a great theme to build off and you and your friends will have a ton of fun singing songs.