For Singers: Choosing a Song That Will Make You Sparkle

This article comes from musician & writer, Hayley Bauer!

“What song should I sing?”  Answering this question can be like the singer’s version of writer’s block.  There are literally as many options as there are songs in the world — so like, a lot.  How do you narrow it down?  Fortunately, there are a lot of ways that can help you make a good choice in song selection — a great choice, in fact.  A smart, strategic choice that fits your unique voice.  Here are four tips to take into consideration the next time you find yourself asking: “What song should I sing?”

1: Listening

One of the best ways to choose a song that is a good fit for your voice is to simply listen!  I don’t mean just passively listening to music in the background, but truly and actively listening.  Listen for artists who have voices that remind you of yourself, not just in skill level but in the actual sound of their voice.  Listen for the tone of the voice — bright, dark, raspy, smooth and so on.  Identify the range of the notes, and the place that seems to be the artist’s “sweet spot” where their voice sounds its best.  Then, choose an artist that reminds you of yourself.  Many times, an artist’s songs will highlight the best in their voice.  By choosing an artist who has a similar voice to yours (and who uses healthy vocal technique), you can often get a leg up in highlighting your own best vocal qualities.

2: Genre

What genre does your voice best fall into?  Now, this may not always be your favourite genre.  My favourite genre is country music, but most of my experience lies in classical singing, and right now my voice does not lend itself to a country sound.  Do I want to learn to sing country songs?  Yes, and I am actively practicing it.  But at this point in my vocal career, my voice does not “sparkle” when I sing country music.  Given time and practice you can conquer any genre put before you.  But if you want to sound great right here and now, be mindful of genre selection, and choose one that feels and sounds natural.

3: Difficulty Level

When it comes to skill and mastery of technique, everyone is in a different place.  Sometimes — and I speak from experience here — it can be difficult to discern where we actually are skill-wise, as opposed to where we want to be.  Be honest with yourself.  Ask the question: should this particular song be a goal, rather than a current endeavour?  Don’t shy away from new challenges that will help you grow, but look to create a balance between stretching yourself to a healthy capacity, and knowing when a certain song should be set as a goal rather than a “right now” selection.  And, you wanna know a secret?  Some of the greatest songs in history are actually not that difficult from a technical standpoint.  Harder does not mean better.  Choose a song with which you can experience triumph.

4: Your Heart

Being truly and emotionally connected to the song makes a difference, it really does.  Everything about your performance could be technically pitch perfect, but if you’re not emotionally connected to the song, it simply will not “sparkle.”  Emotional connection can come in different ways.  Perhaps the sound of the melody and chord progressions “sweeps you away” and brings goosebumps to your skin.  Maybe the lyrics bring your mind back to a personal experience.  Emotional connection can also come by “playing a role,” so to speak.  In some cases, part of singing is acting, and by putting ourselves in the writer’s (or character’s) shoes, we can give authenticity and feeling to the song of our selection.

Singers are a vessel for a message.  We tell a story.  It’s a true honour to hold a captive audience as we use our own unique instrument to create music and beauty.  But let’s be honest, it can also be terrifying!  Do yourself a favour and take some of the pressure off by choosing the right song for you and your voice.  Choose the song that will make you sparkle — that’s the one that will move your audience at the deepest level.

Hayley Bauer is an avid musician.  She has completed Level 10 Voice, Level 10 Piano, and Level 10 Theory with the Royal Conservatory of Music.  As a freelance writer, she loves to share music not just by performing it, but also by writing about it.

Published on March 29, 2022