Acting in Plays, Singing/singing at karaoke

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Expert: - 11/11/2009


Question
Hello. I hope you can help me. I have a good karaoke machine at home that I can key up. I am a mezzo soprano. When I am at home, I sound fine, but when I am at karaoke often I am off key. Sometimes I have people lined up to tell me how great a singer I am. Other times, I know I am singing off key. I can't figure out why I can sing perfectly at home and not at karaoke. I don't know what song the key is in when I am practing at home. I only know to key it up if it is way too low (as many pop songs are). I also ask the DJ to key it up the same amount but I never know if we are starting in the same key to begin with. Am I making sense? Any suggestions?

Answer
Hi, Debra –

Thank you for the question.

All my mezzo-sopranos exercise from at least Low F to High A, some go higher and lower. Your job as a singer/musician is to be able to read music and know what keys you are singing in. Without these simple and very fundamental skills you will always be at a disadvantage, especially with karaoke DJs who can’t take the time to figure out what you need.

Start by finding the sheet music of the songs you want to sing. On sheet music websites that have digital downloads, i.e., musicnotes.com, it indicates the key of the song and allows you to listen to the introductory measures. You can then determine whether you need to go higher or lower by clicking on the available alternative keys.

When at home – if you are singing along successfully with an artist who has introduced the song – chances are (if the song has been published) that the sheet music will be in the same key. Repeat the above steps to be sure.

In the meantime, if you want to start improving your basic musicianship, check out:
MUSIC THEORY FOR DUMMIES
http://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-Dummies-Michael-Pilhofer/dp/0764578383/ref=sr...
Just click on or paste the URL into your browser to purchase on-line.

I am a professional singing teacher and vocal coach in San Francisco.  When you want to book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List. This week’s connection is:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/1459202161.html
I am also the Editor and Publisher of SanFranciscoSentinel.com.  All my articles and interviews about the Performing Arts provide a link to my personal e-mail.

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SAMSON & DELILAH – Meet Seán Martinfield
CA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES – A Preview Look with Seán Martinfield

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LOWER 24th STREET IN THE MISSION – Gets The Artistic Touch
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SF BALLET’S NUTCRACKER – Opens Tuesday, December 8th
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Best regards,
Seán Martinfield

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Sean Martinfield

Expertise

I am a professional vocal coach in San Francisco. In addition to answers from a previous web site (Askme.com - where my "tag" was "VocalCoach") I have published over 2000 responses related to vocal training - particularly as it relates to Musical Theatre and Opera. I have 24 years of experience as Personal Trainer to singers and actors in the San Francisco Bay Area. I sang professionally for 20 years and know what it means to live the life of a musician. I can determine your voice category, i.e., Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Alto Belter, etc., and how to broaden and strengthen your range. Need an audition song for a Broadway Musical? I will give you suggestions that are appropriate to your vocal category and to requirements specified in the audition notice. I have also created a vocal methodology, "The Belter`s Method". It will enable those in Musical Theatre to practice more efficiently because it focuses on the demands of professional performers as well as to those auditioning for school and community productions, and as University and Conservatory performing arts majors. If what you want is a better voice and more control over your career moves and choices, contact me. Also, as the Editor of SanFranciscoSentinel.com, it is my privilege to review productions at the San Francisco Opera, Ballet and Symphony, as well as Broadway National Tours booked into San Francisco's Orpheum, Golden Gate and Curran Theatres. I also review works by A.C.T (the American Conservatory Theatre) and Magic Theatre. I cover select films, tributes and retrospects, and various international film festivals – particulary those booked into The City's opulent Castro Theatre – including the LGBT Frameline Festival, International Film Festival, Silent Film Festival, Jewish Film Festival, etc. For private vocal instruction, I can be contacted through SanFranciscoSentinel.com. Look under: Seán Martinfield, Sentinel Editor and Publisher.

Experience

As a vocal coach, I work primarily with singers and actors throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. My students range from absolute beginners to working professionals, from pre-schoolers to senior citizens. The vast majority of my clients come to me through recommendation. I know how to identify any singer's vocal category, i.e., soprano, tenor, alto, baritone, etc. I know how to muscle-up every singer's vocal range and to expand it beyond conventional definitions. I have developed a vocal methodology for those who want to know how to belt, THE BELTER'S METHOD. As a singer who spent half of his career doing Bel Canto, I know that classical or Italian methodologies do not work in Standard American music. Bel Canto cannot be "adapted" to meet the needs of contemporary American music, including the demands of the Musical Theatre. There are a number of major components to my work as a vocal coach. The first is to identify the client's vocal category and to strengthen and maximize the vocal range accordingly. Then it's about teaching a reliable vocal workout that will enable the client to gain better control of their musicianship. That includes scale work to expand the vocal range and to improve placement, breath control, and diction. Then we work on material for the audition portfolio, the immediate job or assignment, a recording session, etc. My task to is to better equip singers and actors who are hoping to or relying upon their performance skills and vocal endurance to maintain a career in the Performing Arts. My clients regularly appear in cabarets and musical productions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Some have worked in New York and gone on National Tours. For more information, Contact me at: Broadwaybelters@yahoo.com

Education/Credentials
San Francisco State University – BA in Theatre Arts; graduate work in Theatre, Philosophy, and Comparative Reiligion. Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley – Graduate work in Ethics

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