Are you one of those who desire to pursue fame through singing contests? When American Idol launched, the number of singing contests patterned to it have been increasing all over the world. And as many have succeeding in this endeavor, there are more in number from those in the losing end. Yet even before the actual contests – the audition phases, there are already so many dreams shattered.

Losing in a singing contest or being rejected in the audition can be caused by a variety of reasons. Mostly it’s because of lack of talent. But there are many times that it’s because of the contestant’s wrong choice of song.

In this article, I intend to give five basic tips on choosing your contest piece.

1. Give attention to your voice range. Voice range is simply how high and how low you can sing. Pick a song where in your voice range can sing perfectly without straining either by hitting low notes or high notes. A lot of people have a misconception that they need to sing high notes in order to win. Of course not. High notes are undeniably impressive but judges are looking for far more than just skyrocketing notes. They are looking for a stand out character, appeal, and voice quality. If you are not yet sure of your voice range, find out at HowBeASinger.com today.

2. Be aware of the genre that fits your voice. Vocal style is your character on stage. Pick a song that will fit the style of your voice. It’s not necessarily the songs you like to listen to. Like me, I love RnB music but my vocal style only fits pop or classic songs. The best way to solve this is to get a friend who can honestly critique you. Prepare your song with varied genres and let them listen to you sing. Let them evaluate on which genre you sound best.

3. The best types of singing are those where the emotions expressed are real. With that in mind, pick a song which you can truly relate to. Review the lyrics whether you can be real with it. In line with this, pick a song that is age-appropriate. I really hate hearing pre-adolescent children singing big songs about love and making love. It’s just wrong in every aspect.

4. Pick a song that’s not very popular but not too unheard of. Maintain a balance. If it’s unheard of or rare, you’ll find that the judges will be having a hard time deciphering the lyrics of the song. If the song is new to them, it won’t do well to your scores. It’s generally not advisable to sing your originally composed songs. Though there are exceptions to this rule but I wouldn’t be risking the chance you have in the contest. On the other hand, songs that are very popular will make you too common in the eyes of the judges. You might be singing the same song as 10 others before you in an audition. Remember, you want to be unique and memorable.

5. This last advice is especially applicable to the audition phase but you can still apply this to the contest proper. When you pick a song, look for one that has an awesome climax. The reason for this is that you should begin singing from the climax part and not from the first verse. The climax part may be at the chorus or the bridge. It is wherever the emotions of the song are highest. You want to do this because auditions and some singing contests only allow a very short time for performance. You will want to maximize that short period of time.

These are the essential things you need to keep in the back of your mind when selecting your contest piece. Until then, best of luck on your pursuit of fame!

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