I want to say thanks to all who have offered suggestions to me in this thread. Taking your advice, and with a little help from my Chinese friends I have found some easy Chinese songs with which I think I can start building some abilities. I got myself an MP3 player with voice recording, and I've started working on my breathing during singing and trying to expand my range as well.
I think I may start making a few solo trips to the KTV too, where I can sing without being self-conscious if I get a room of my own. Some day I shall wow everyone that hears me, by the fact that their ears shall not bleed. I am determined, and I appreciate all the advice.
Geez, singing Chinese is much more difficult because you much watch the inflection of your words AS well as the pitch of the note. I would stick to english if you are starting out but I guess if you are doing karoke in Chinese it makes snese.
Hmm, since you're singing in Shanghai, I'm guessing you'll be doing Mandarin songs. I'm not too familiar with any mandarin artists with somewhat limited range, but there's a ton of HK artists who are. Because I also suck at singing, I always stick to the easy songs, like from Jordan Chan or Ekin Cheng, guys who aren't even good singers, so their songs are way easier to sing than say a Hacken Lee or a Jay Chou.
Hmm, if you can find any old Beyond songs, they're also relatively easy to sing. Oh, and a really fun song to sing that's relatively easy I find is one called "Peng You". My friend who went to China to study says that's like THE ultimate K song over there. Well, a couple years ago he said it was. Don't know if it still is.
Hmm, if you can find any old Beyond songs, they're also relatively easy to sing. Oh, and a really fun song to sing that's relatively easy I find is one called "Peng You". My friend who went to China to study says that's like THE ultimate K song over there. Well, a couple years ago he said it was. Don't know if it still is.
One of the most fun bands I ever played in was a Beyond tribute band, and two thirds of us are white!
Well, to update, it looks like I'm not only getting a serious incentive to improve my singing ability now, but a chance to show the recent progress I have made from utterly incompetent to almost utterly incompetent.
My boss caught wind of the fact that I was learning to sing in Chinese and booked me to sing at the company party for Chinese New Years this Saturday. And you better believe it's a big company. We're expecting to have over a thousand people there listening to me crooning out 中国人. And I can't really back out because I'm kind of the face of our new center, and the medley has already all been orchestrated for my participation.
Nonetheless, I'm gonna take this like a man, and use it as a chance to get over all of the enormous fears of singing in front of people that I've had since I changed from an innocent and wonderful child into a neurotic, self-conscious teenager and beyond. If I pass through those flames I'll be a bigger man on the other side.
Wish me luck CP, I'm gonna need it!!
__________________
"If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?"
Well, to update, it looks like I'm not only getting a serious incentive to improve my singing ability now, but a chance to show the recent progress I have made from utterly incompetent to almost utterly incompetent.
My boss caught wind of the fact that I was learning to sing in Chinese and booked me to sing at the company party for Chinese New Years this Saturday. And you better believe it's a big company. We're expecting to have over a thousand people there listening to me crooning out 中国人. And I can't really back out because I'm kind of the face of our new center, and the medley has already all been orchestrated for my participation.
Nonetheless, I'm gonna take this like a man, and use it as a chance to get over all of the enormous fears of singing in front of people that I've had since I changed from an innocent and wonderful child into a neurotic, self-conscious teenager and beyond. If I pass through those flames I'll be a bigger man on the other side.
There is. It's about how we're all really Chinese, no matter where we come from or where we're going. But it also talks about how we all have yellow skin and black eyes. I find it extremely weird that I'll be singing it as one of the minority of foreigners around, with brown hair and green eyes, but none of my Chinese coworkers seem to think it's strange.
__________________
"If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?"
There is. It's about how we're all really Chinese, no matter where we come from or where we're going. But it also talks about how we all have yellow skin and black eyes. I find it extremely weird that I'll be singing it as one of the minority of foreigners around, with brown hair and green eyes, but none of my Chinese coworkers seem to think it's strange.
Don't you see?!?! THEY'RE TRYING TO ASSIMILATE YOU!!! Freaking Commies!!!! You should fight them with hamburgers, freedom fries, and pictures of Pam Anderson!!
Incidentally, is it sung to the tune of Pulp's "Common People?"
I wanna live like Chinese people. I wanna do whatever, Chinese People do...
The best first songs to sing are nursery rhymes.
Other than that, see if you can do the standard scale do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do and record it and see how that goes.
Then after hearing yourself do the do-re-mi... I would recommend being able to sing along to this. Do it where you are able to record yourself and compare, so you can mess around with your voice. To be honest, you just have to sound as good as the kids..
Oh man. Awesome clip. This movie was a quintessential part of my childhood. I couldn't help but play the video and sing along. And yes I know the whole tune and all the words by heart
P.S. and yes the "Chinese People" song is a must for all Asians. That and the Wong Fei Hung theme song lol.
Don't you see?!?! THEY'RE TRYING TO ASSIMILATE YOU!!! Freaking Commies!!!! You should fight them with hamburgers, freedom fries, and pictures of Pam Anderson!!
Incidentally, is it sung to the tune of Pulp's "Common People?"
I wanna live like Chinese people. I wanna do whatever, Chinese People do...
The world today seems absolutely crackers,
With nuclear bombs to blow us all sky high.
There's fools and idiots sitting on the trigger.
It's depressing and it's senseless, and that's why...
I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They only come up to your knees,
Yet they're always friendly, and they're ready to please.
I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
There's nine hundred million of them in the world today.
You'd better learn to like them; that's what I say.
I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They come from a long way overseas,
But they're cute and they're cuddly, and they're ready to please.
I like Chinese food.
The waiters never are rude.
Think of the many things they've done to impress.
There's Maoism, Taoism, I Ching, and Chess.
So I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
I like their tiny little trees,
Their Zen, their ping-pong, their yin, and yang-ese.
I like Chinese thought,
The wisdom that Confucious taught.
If Darwin is anything to shout about,
The Chinese will survive us all without any doubt.
So, I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They only come up to your knees,
Yet they're wise and they're witty, and they're ready to please.
All together.
[verse in Chinese]
Wo ai zhongguo ren. (I like Chinese.)
Wo ai zhongguo ren. (I like Chinese.)
Wo ai zhongguo ren. (I like Chinese.)
Ni hao ma; ni hao ma; ni hao ma; zaijien! (How are you; how are you; how are you; goodbye!)
I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
Their food is guaranteed to please,
A fourteen, a seven, a nine, and lychees.
I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
I like their tiny little trees,
Their Zen, their ping-pong, their yin, and yang-ese.
I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They only come up to your knees...
There is, I think I have that song too. If I am thinking about the right song that is.
The title is actually called Chinese people and I have the Andy Lau version of that song.
And JohnnyB, too bad you're not in HK, or else I got a challenging song for u to sing, but if u can tackle it, u keep the crowd very entertained.
Just to add: That Wong Fei Hung Theme song is DEFINITELY a must do! I agree with Teh_Bandwagoner
Andy Lau's version, that's the one I'm doing alright. I figure after I get this one down I'll be able to get on with building a bigger repetoire.
One step at a time.
__________________
"If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?"
Well try practicing by yourself, in the car or in the shower... really let loose...
Try to keep your back straight so you can really push out air... When you go to sing Karaoke though you gotta compensate by holding the microphone further away, other wise your just screaming right into it.
Let me get this straight - the lyrics that H&L posted are the ones the "I Like Chinese" song that JohnnyB is going to have to sing? Or are those lyrics to some Monty Python thing?
PS - "Chicks, cars, and 3rd World Wars" by Colin James has to be the easiest Karaokee song ever.
Let me get this straight - the lyrics that H&L posted are the ones the "I Like Chinese" song that JohnnyB is going to have to sing? Or are those lyrics to some Monty Python thing?
PS - "Chicks, cars, and 3rd World Wars" by Colin James has to be the easiest Karaokee song ever.
No the ones that H&L posted is a completely different song than what JohnnyB is singing.
Well CPers, two hours to countdown on my performance. I feel like a man on death row, just hoping there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
Wish me luck!! I'm gonna need it.....
__________________
"If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?"
