YOUR TURN TO SHINE

Good vibes. Great mic habits.

First song or fiftieth, you belong here. A few friendly habits help everyone have a great night.

Hold the handle. Free the grille.

Grip the microphone by its handle, keep the grille clear, and aim it toward your mouth, not into your hand. If something sounds off, ask the host for help.

Handle grip: yes. Cupped grille: no.

A hand grips the microphone handle with the grille clear; a cupped grille is marked as the common mistake. Zubazz appears in an inset.

Share the spotlight.

Respect the singing rotation and be ready when called. Want to join someone’s song? Ask the singer and the host first. You are welcome to invite someone to join your turn, with their agreement. If both names are on the request slip, the song counts as a turn for both singers.

An invited duet? Yes. A surprise takeover? Pass.

Singers respect the rotation and ask before joining a duet. A speech bubble asks, Can I join?

Cheer for every voice.

Big voices, quiet voices, first-timers: give everyone a warm welcome. This is participation, not a singing competition. Keep it positive: no heckling.

Applaud the courage, not just the high notes.

Friends applaud a karaoke singer, with the message Participation, not competition, and a Zubazz inset.

Big finish. Back on the stand.

Respect the equipment. No mic drops. These wireless microphones cost $600 CAD each. Place the microphone carefully back in its stand, gently sliding or snapping it into the clip as appropriate. Keep drinks away from the gear.

Drop the last note, not the microphone.

A microphone is carefully placed into its stand clip beside Zubazz at his equipment. No mic drops; respect the equipment.

Respect the queue.

Respect the rotation. Birthdays, time pressures or claims about singing ability do not move a request ahead. Build other singers up, do not put them down. A CAD $100 bill buys one jump to the front, once. Each further jump costs another CAD $100.

CAD $100 = one queue jump. Another jump = another CAD $100.

A brown Canadian 100-dollar illustration represents one queue jump, one time, with another 100 CAD required for each additional jump.

Mind the speakers.

Keep the microphone pointed toward your mouth, not toward a speaker. Follow the host’s setup to help avoid feedback.

Your voice goes into the mic. Keep the mic away from the speakers.

Sing into the microphone toward your mouth, rather than pointing it directly at a loudspeaker. Follow the host setup to help avoid feedback.

Sing into it. Not over it.

Line up your mouth with the microphone's grille so your voice goes into it. Don't hold it upright at your chest and sing over the top.

Mouth and grille: lined up.

Zubazz demonstrates mouth and microphone grille aligned, compared with the mistake of holding the microphone below his mouth and singing over it.

Listen for your voice.

Listen for your voice in the monitor, just above the music. Sing at a comfortable, audible level, not a point-blank shout or an inaudible whisper. Can't hear yourself? Ask the host to check the mix. Ease the mic back for loud, powerful notes and bring it closer for quieter phrases, keeping it aimed toward your mouth and listening to the monitor. Don't press your face against the grille or shout into it at point-blank range.

Listen, don't compete with the volume.

A singer listens to the stage monitor with her voice just above the music, avoiding point-blank shouting or inaudible whispering and asking the host if she cannot hear herself.

Write it down. We'll line it up.

Please don't shove your phone into the host's face to make a request. Write the song title, artist and your name legibly on a request slip, then give it to the host. Use your own name consistently throughout the show; don't switch names for extra turns. Don't submit another person's name or put them up for a song they haven't asked to sing. For an agreed duet, follow the named-singer turn rule above.

SONG TITLE: your song | ARTIST: the artist | YOUR NAME: your name

A paper request slip has fields for song title, artist and your name beside Zubazz. Write clearly: paper requests, not phones in faces.

Bring your voice.
We’ll cheer you on.

Find your next karaoke night

Microphone-handling reference: Shure’s guide to controlling feedback.