How not to sing the national anthem

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http://en.video.sympatico.ca/index.php/en/video/entertainment/3/viral-videos/108/jokeroo/525/national-anthem-fail/617156045001

Move over, Roseanne Barr, this guy's the new champ.

[frogmarch]

1. I - I - I don't

know what to say, except OMG and :wtf:

[Redstone]

2. People say that song is hard to sing because of the range, but that's bullshit.

I only have a 1.5-octave singing range, and I can deal with the high notes just fine.

Anyone who has trouble with the National Anthem can't sing. It's as simple as that.

Redstone

[BlueJazz]

3. Amen

:)

[TorchTheWitch]

4. the National Anthem shouldn't be reserved for singers only

I can't hit the high notes and I have no idea what my numerical singing range is... probably because I'm not a singer and don't know how anyone would know such a thing without being one. Fact is, most every day average people can't sing it, which is a damn shame because the National Anthem should be a song that most people can sing without their voice cracking and sounding ridiculous.

Simple as that.

[ChoralScholar]

8. The problem is, most people don't start it low enough.

Most people, like Redstone said, have a 1.5 octave range, but they start 'Oh Say can you See' in the middle of their voice, which puts them in the stratosphere at 'land of the free' and 'rockets red glare'. (or at the very least at their voice break).

'Say' is the lowest note in the song. If men would pitch it where the word 'Say' is around an A (bottom space bass clef) or lower, the high notes will be very singable.

Moral of the story, start the thing lower than you think you need to.

[Redstone]

14. Absolutely correct. You seem to know a hell of a lot about music than

I do, and you gave a GREAT explanation.

Redstone

[TorchTheWitch]

18. well, that pretty much made my point

In order to sing the song successfully the average person must have knowledge of music and singing and the average person doesn't. Bottom line is that is IS too difficult for the average person to sing because the average person doesn't have this musical training. The National Anthem should be a song simple enough for the average person to sing without sounding stupid because the whole point of an anthem is for the average person to express their patriotism by singing it.

[ChoralScholar]

20. Well, I was verbose about it,

but the main thrust of it is: If it's too high, start it lower.

[Redstone]

16. Well, it happens that I'm in favor of changing the Anthem to

"America the Beautiful." Not necessarily because it's easier to sing (though that's a factor), but mostly because it's written in a style that most Americans can understand - plain speech, so to speak, rather than the ridiculously archaic, florid style of the language of the current Anthem.

Redstone

[baldguy]

5. He doesn't speak English?

[jobycom]

6. Poor guy! I couldn't tell if he didn't know the words or didn't know English well enough

to understand them. That sounded almost like the woman singing "Ken Lee," just belting out sounds. Or the much more cool English approximation song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZXcRqFmFa8

[Crystal Clarity]

19. I kind of feel bad for him too

Because I can't help but wonder if he might've been so nervous that he had a bit of a brain freeze. He did seem able to carry a tune in parts of the video. Or it also could be that he didn't know english very well as you point out. Maybe a combination of both factors? :shrug:

Whatever the case may be, it was painful to hear. x(

[hfojvt]

7. if only he had somebody to back him up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4880PJnO2E

[MiddleFingerMom]

9. I remember seeing that on highlight reports right after it happened...

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...thinking (and STILL thinking), "What an INCREDIBLY
kind man who knew exactly what to do and didn't hesitate
one moment to do it.
.
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.
We get such negativity and meanspiritedness and ignorance
thrust at us nonstop day after day after day -- but all it
takes is ONE "little" incident like this to remind us of who we
are and, more importantly, what we all can be.
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Thanks for posting this!!!!!
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.

[meow2u3]

10. Congress ought to pass a law changing the national anthem

from "The Star-StrangledSpangled Banner" to "America the Beautiful." At least people will be able to sing it without stumbling on the lyrics. Just my opinion.

[charlie and algernon]

12. I'd be all for that

The National Anthem should be a song that's easily sung by the common person.


And I'm sure Baltimore Orioles' fans would find a new spot to shout "O!" during the middle of the anthem. :rofl:

[Redstone]

17. See #16 above. I'm with you.

Redstone

[cbdo2007]

11. ha hahahaha - that's why many sports places have them record it first and just have them lip sync

during the live version.

[BurtWorm]

13. Whitney Houston set a bad, bad precedent with her pseudosoulful melismatic version.

Since then that is considered the default approach, no matter how soulless and artless the singer may be.

:puke: :patriot:

[MiddleFingerMom]

15. Not really a sports fan, so I'm not quite sure why I was watching...

.
.
.
...but her rendition at Super Bowl XXV (January 1991) just
bowled me the fuck over (and maybe you're talking about a
different event as there's not much melismatic action going
on here).
.
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BUT...
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...when I read the next day that it had been prerecorded and
lip-synched... I almost felt betrayed.
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I have seen her in an exceptionally negative light since then.
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.

[Shell Beau]

21. It would help to know the words. That big dude wanted to tell him to STFU.

And then whoop his ass. He may have whooped his ass. Let's watch that. :evilgrin:

[TrogL]

22. You try singing it

It requires an octave and a fifth range (two octaves if you do the flourish at the end of the 2nd last line) in good voice. It's generally in a key good for band instruments, which makes it bad for voice.