If you don’t plan to sing it correctly, then don’t even start!
It’s baseball season again, and I’m talking about singing the National Anthem. For crying out loud, don’t stray from the melody and sing the words correctly, and if you can’t follow those two simple rules, then say “No” to the person who asked you. You’ll be doing yourself and the audience no favors by accepting!
If you decide to sing the Anthem in public, however, check these sites:
Tips for Singing The Star-Spangled Banner
"Over the past few decades, it seems like more often than not, soloists - from police officers to professional singers - who attempt to sing our national anthem get more publicity for their failures than for their excellence. The most blatant and memorable example, so far, is Rosanne Barr's dismal 1990 performance at a San Diego Padres baseball game. The problem has become so bad, Time.com put together their own Top 10 Worst National-Anthem Renditions. Time's compilation was published before Steven Tyler's ear-wrenching rendition at the January 22, 2011 AFC Championship game, so the competition is not yet over.Time To Get Rid Of The Star Spangled Banner?
While the media comically entertains the rest of the world with these national disasters, no one has made it clear what needs to be done to stop it. Part of the problem is that those responsible for booking these talents (or lack of) don't seem to have a clue what it takes to successfully pull off such a seemingly simple, yet focal performance. As a result, they extend invitations to the unqualified.
The other half of the problem, of course, rests on the shoulders of the so-called singers. The truth is most singers don't know how to sing. There are college degrees for singing; it is a true art. Many people refuse to recognize the fact that they can't sing. That's what makes TV's American Idol such a huge success. Carrying a tune does not qualify anyone as a singer any more than running across a Kentucky bluegrass pasture makes someone a Derby-winning race horse. Even professionals Michael Bolton and Christina Aguilera, both with incredible potential, made the most basic and unforgivable of mistakes - they forgot the words. No excuse. If you do nothing else as a singer, you should, at the very least, know the lyrics of the song you agree, and often are paid, to lead the entire country in singing. Amazingly, anthem amnesia seems to be one of the most common failures.
So here are my own top ten tips for singing The Star-Spangled Banner. Following these tip won't guarantee you'll do well, but it will guarantee that whatever it is you do manage to screw up will be original. ..."
“... The better argument against The Star Spangled Banner is, quite simply not a very good song and its rarely performed very well. More often than not, the song and its odd octave changes lead popular singers who can barely carry a tune to engage in vocal acrobatics that they aren’t capable of. Furthermore, ever since Whitney Houston’ gave the definitive large stadium performance of the song at Super Bowl XXV these same popular singers have tried to turn the National Anthem in to a showcase for their limited vocal talents rather than a patriotic anthem. If we could put an end to that, I’d be all for it. ...”Indiana Republican Wants To Outlaw “Unacceptable” Renditions Of The National Anthem
The good, the bad, and the even worse in national anthem history
“... With the current popularity of melisma (singing several notes on one syllable) to inject the illusion of sensuality into singing, more often than not, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ ends up being transformed into ‘The Pomp-Inflected Train Wreck.’ So many singers just don’t know how to leave well enough alone, and let the tune’s melody speak for itself. ...”...................................................................................................................................................................
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