How to Choose the "Right" Songs

So you just signed up for the Feet First Vocal Program and you've been told to pick a couple of songs to work on. Now what? How do you decide when there are so many great songs out there?

Well, I've got good news and bad news.

Bad news: The "right" song doesn't exist.

Good news: The "right" song doesn't exist.

See what I did there? I know, I'm a dork lol.

Seriously though, learning to pick songs that work well for your voice is a skill. This means you're going to be bad at it at first—because that's how learning any new skill works. You may as well enjoy the process!

Finding the Balance

Here's how I think about it: we want balance. You're here to learn how to sing, and if you choose a song that's so difficult you can't get through it, that gets frustrating quickly and makes it easy to want to quit. Nobody wants that.

On the flip side, if you pick a song that feels easy but you don't like it, you won't be inspired to practice.

Remember: if you pick a song and change your mind later, that's totally fine. There are so many songs out there—there will definitely be another one!

Common Pitfalls and How to Handle Them

Songs That Are Too Difficult

The biggest pitfall is picking a song that's way too hard. There's nothing wrong with ambitious choices—it's your voice and you get to use it however you want. But if you want some guidelines, here's what makes a song challenging and how to deal with it:

Problem: Goes too high or too low with a vocal quality you can't make or sustain yet

Solutions:

• Choose a different vocal quality to make it achievable. It might not be your "final product" sound, but if you love the song, go for it.

• Change the key. Use the free Transpose extension in Google Chrome to adjust the pitch on YouTube, or try apps like Moises.ai or vocalremover.org. Artists change keys ALL THE TIME—it's a myth that there's one "correct" key for any song. Once you start singing it, it's yours!

• Choose a different song.

Problem: Song is within your range BUT hangs out in a part of your voice that tires easily

This one is sneaky. We all have transition areas in our voices, and if a song spends too much time there, it can be very fatiguing.

Solutions:

• Change the key—raise it or lower it. Sometimes a higher key actually feels easier, so don't assume you need to lower it.

• Use an easier vocal quality on the difficult parts. If you can't belt those big notes yet, no worries—those will come with time. Be kind to yourself and your voice.

• Choose a different song.

Problem: Lots of big pitch jumps up or down

Another sneaky one. Maybe the entire song is in your range, but the jumps are too big or fast for your voice to handle smoothly.

Solutions:

• Slow the song down (the Transpose extension is great for this too).

• Try singing in a vocal quality that's easier to move quickly with. It may not be your final sound, but it'll help you work through it while building strength.

• Choose a different song.

Problem: Lots of sustained notes

Solutions:

• Cut the notes short. This won't work for every sustained note, but it works for many. As long as you cut it off with confidence ("I meant to do that!"), most people won't even notice.

• Try changing the key—that sustained note might be easier in a different part of your voice.

My Recommendation: The Two-Song Approach

I recommend starting with two songs: one that you feel you can already sing reasonably well, and one that's a bit of a stretch. You can change them anytime—some clients change songs every week, others work on the same song all semester. Both approaches have value!

Collecting Data on Your Voice

Here's how to figure out what works for you:

1. Start singing through different songs you like. Sing whatever you want—if you can't decide, just open a playlist and go for it.

   
   

2. Ask yourself these questions:

   1. Could I get through the whole song?

      1. Yes? Great! This might be a good starting song

      2. No? Continue to the next questions:

   2. How did that feel in my throat?

   3. Was there a part that felt good? What made it feel good?

   4. Was there a part that felt bad? What made it feel bad?

      
      

3. Use this data to decide if a difficult song is too difficult for where you are right now.

What If You Pick "Wrong"?

If you choose a song and later decide it's too difficult, two things happen:

1. You just learned something about your voice—that's a WIN!

2. You pick a different song and keep singing.

This is a skill, and we will make some questionable choices. Then we'll learn from them and try again with new knowledge.

The Bottom Line

Now go make some "bad" calls and do some singing! Try to have fun while you're doing it. Remember, there's no perfect song choice—there's only the song that helps you learn and grow right now.

Happy singing!