# Karaoke song with smallest vocal range **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 26, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006 "2009-06-26T00:12:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/21 "2009-06-26T17:35:37Z")
> [@johnspartan](#): > > Of course with karaoke it’s really best to either be a really solid singer _or_ just completely suck and have fun with it. It’s the people who are “kinda close to sorta good” that seem lame. This is true. In Japan and everywhere else, it ain’t about the ability, it’s all about the enthusiasm. I’ve got big time stage fright, which is really the problem. My own suggestion is _Mac the Knife_, only because a sort of an alky friend of mine who I’d only see when it happened to be karaoke night, would completely terrorize the crowd with it. I like the suggestion of _Because the Night_ and _Sweet Caroline_. The Ringo idea is good; I quite like _Octopus’s Garden_. Now Johnny Cash and Lou Reed may have had limited vocal range, but they’ve got inimitable style, so I ain’t going there. My secret goal is _Me and Bobby McGee_. Thanks for the suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/22 "2009-06-26T18:27:04Z")
try songs by \*\*Natalie Merchant \*\*or \*\*Tracy Chapman \*\*- both have very narrow ranges and tend to sing songs that don’t stretch their voices at all… ---
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/23 "2009-06-26T19:19:08Z")
I think Morrissey is generally known for keeping it in about a 3-note range. Good luck on _Sweet Caroline_. I don’t know where anyone gets the idea that this is a particularly narrow-range song. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/24 "2009-06-26T19:29:28Z")
\*\*Sweet Caroline \*\*is a very difficult karaoke song. It’s not real fluid, musically. Unless you are Neil Diamond, you’ll end up sortof half singing half talking through it. Don’t do it. **Ring of Fire is good. You might also try I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You**. I don’t have much of a range and I can nail this one. Roger Miller’s \*\*King of the Road \*\*is easy, but only works if you’re a grandpa or don’t mind sounding like one. ---
**Author:** ![johnspartan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@johnspartan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnspartan)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/25 "2009-06-26T19:39:12Z")
_Tequila_ by the Champs? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Homo\_litoralis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homo\_litoralis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homo_litoralis)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/26 "2009-06-26T19:57:32Z")
Hands down, without a doubt, **Tequila** by The Champs. The lyrics are, um, easy to learn, and it always brings the house down, especially if a drunken virgin can be prodded to take the stage. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzTsQAI-9Hk) ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/27 "2009-06-27T02:14:42Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Anything written for the leads in “My Fair Lady” or “Camelot.” Or anything by Tom Waits. Tom Waits, Bob Dylan & Leonard Cohen are some of the “small range” songwriters who come to mind. Not knowing much about karaoke, I’m not sure what’s available. But I remember “Famous Blue Raincoat” as Muzak in a donut shop back in the 80’s… ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/28 "2009-06-28T04:49:18Z")
> [@Earthworm\_Jim](#): > > “The roof…the roof…the roof is on fire” > Bloodhound Gang 😃 How well do you rap? Even if you’re a white guy, you can usually still pull off some “Bad Touch” by Bloodhound Gang or some Vanilla Ice. VI usually gets some laughs because it’s so cheesy and, well, funny. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/29 "2009-06-28T04:57:54Z")
What’s that monotone song that’s been on a commercial lately? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/30 "2009-06-28T05:15:10Z")
The um-poppa-um-poppa-maow-maow part of Elvira. fits my range perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/31 "2009-06-28T05:39:23Z")
Anything sung by Ringo. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/32 "2009-06-28T05:47:45Z")
I’m a male but I’ve found that I have a very similar vocal range to Amy Ray, the lower toned Indigo Girl. 😃 I’ll point out though that it’s important to know which part of the octave your range is. Because you can always sing a whole octave higher or lower within that range, but you can’t really sing outside of the inside of an octave. Besides Amy Ray, I seem to have no trouble at all with Wild World. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/33 "2009-06-28T18:16:57Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > What’s that monotone song that’s been on a commercial lately? The anti-smoking PSA, you mean? Good choice! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/34 "2009-06-28T18:24:25Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > The anti-smoking PSA, you mean? Good choice! Could be. Could be an insurance commercial, too. ISTM I’ve heard it in a couple of commercials. I don’t remember any of the words, but it’s basically a list of phrases timed like this: 1234 1234 1234 1234 Done in monotone, and I think up a note for some ‘verses’. ISTR hearing it as an actual song, too; as opposed to a commercial ‘jingle’. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/35 "2009-06-28T19:16:41Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Tom Waits, Bob Dylan & Leonard Cohen are some of the “small range” songwriters who come to mind. Not knowing much about karaoke, I’m not sure what’s available. > > But I remember “Famous Blue Raincoat” as Muzak in a donut shop back in the 80’s… Yeah, but Wait’s stuff is technically difficult for an entirely different reason, and it’s hard to make his stuff sound right without the growl. ---
**Author:** ![MerryMagdalen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@MerryMagdalen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MerryMagdalen)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/36 "2009-06-28T23:47:49Z")
Blur’s “Boys and Girls” is pretty monotone, poppy, and possibly even familiar depending on the crowd. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/37 "2009-06-29T00:49:57Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > What’s that monotone song that’s been on a commercial lately? Comcast has a set out with monotone singing. ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/38 "2009-06-29T03:52:43Z")
I imagine that [Here Come the Hotstepper](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3uZhh4HpKI) would be a piece of cake. And has the advantage of being pretty darned catchy. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/39 "2009-06-29T03:58:31Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Comcast has a set out with monotone singing. [That’s the one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNhsgscpaMg)! Is it based on an actual song? Or was it composed specifically for the commercial? ---
**Author:** ![samstokes80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@samstokes80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samstokes80)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006/40 "2016-01-31T14:21:56Z")
I’ve compiled a list of songs with small vocal range for use with my younger and/or less experienced vocal students. Some of these are popular songs that might be found on a karaoke list. Beware, however, that even if a song has a small range, those notes might still be in a high register, which may be outside of your vocal range (The Creedence songs usually fit in this category). Sometimes, however, you may be able to sing the song down an octave so it fits comfortably in your vocal range. Here is a link to the list: [http://www.samuelstokesmusic.com/songs\_with\_small\_vocal\_range.html](http://www.samuelstokesmusic.com/songs_with_small_vocal_range.html) Hope this helps! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karaoke-song-with-smallest-vocal-range/501006.md?page=3)