The Star-Spangled Banner, sung by every superstar since its creation, is one of the most difficult songs to sing. But just because you’re not Whitney Houston or Luther Vandross does not mean you can’t show your support of our country by singing our national anthem.
In fact, singers of all levels of talent can actually sing this song, which spans over an octave and a half in range.
But where to start if you’re not confident in your voice?
You Don’t Have to Sound Like a Super Star
As most of us attempting to sing the National Anthem aren’t Grammy Award Winning performers, don’t expect to sound like one. No one in the audience is expecting you to sound like Christina Aguilera so relax and just be you.
Know the Words
Nothing is more of a confidence killer than messing up the words to a song everyone knows. When you take the mic, you should feel confident that you can sing the song, so prepare or have the lyrics available for you to view as you sing.
Find Your Key and Start Low
As the range of the song is over an octave and a half, you could run into some trouble with the high notes. Use your starting note lower and make sure it allows you more flexibility during the higher notes. If the note is a little low for you but necessary, you can sing the note softer (see video), or bring the note up to your next key (see video).
Don’t Get Fancy if You’re Not Up To It Vocally
Most audiences prefer the traditional notes and stanzas of the anthem. But many performers make take liberties on some of the notes to show off their range and style. If you feel you cannot do the extras don’t. It’s better to execute the song short and sweet than to get yourself into some trouble singing notes that don’t even belong in the song.
If You Want to Show Off, Show Off Wisely
You might want to add a little flare to make your performance more memorable but not know how to do it. In the video I discuss how you can end a note with a little run, add some extra notes, or end the song with a small extension that will fortunately fall when the crowd is already clapping so give you some extra mojo (...and the home of the Brave…America…My Home…..).
No matter what you do, however, you are a winner. Standing up and singing one of the most difficult songs to sing in honor of your country is something to be marveled at, despite some off key notes. You got this!!
Dr. Daliah 
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