SingStar for PlayStation 3: Five Best Ways to Get the Most Out of Your SingStar Experience

If you're not too hot about becoming a rock star but you'd really love to exercise those vocals, consider getting SingStar for PlayStation 3. The SingStar pack comes with two USB microphones and a DVD with pop, indie and rock songs to get you started. Between add-on song packs, music videos and two-person singing sessions, SingStar is a great game for a party, sleepover, get together or just for hanging around with friends and family. Here's some great ways to amplify your SingStar experience.

1. Adjust the Volume Levels

Once you get proficient at SingStar, you might want to hear more of your own vocals coming through than the singer's. Use the game settings menu to turn down the original singer's volume and turn up your mics. That way, you'll be relying more on the music you hear than the melody the vocalist sings.

2. Adjust the Difficulty

You can't stay in easy mode forever. Once you begin getting thousands of points on each song, it's time to step up your game. You'll still be given the SingStar sing-along bubble prompts on the screen to help you out, but you'll be expected to be more on pitch and perfectly on time. Don't skip out on the "oooh's" or the "aaaah's" either, as this will count against you in the final point count.

3. Expand Your Repertoire

One SingStar song pack doesn't get you very far, especially sing not all players can sing or rap in the voice range of the musicians on the video. Check into other SingStar packs that have songs you enjoy and you can sing along with. The ABBA pack is great for guys and gals alike who can sing in a middle range, while those who want to flex their vocals a little more should look into the SingStar Legends pack. There are also Spanish, Italian and German song packs, as well as those that include Swedish tunes, for foreigners or those looking to be more fluent in a foreign language.

4. Use SingStar to Practice

If you can't afford (or don't want) vocal coaching, using SingStar to practice is a great way to tell if you're on-pitch. Instead of playing for points, practice for quality. Pick one song at a time that you want to get good at and practice it every day. Don't think about having fun as much as improving your voice and technique. Although SingStar can't really teach you anything necessarily, you'll at least get some halfway-decent practice out of it.

5. Be Kind to Other Players

The worst part about playing SingStar is that everyone you play with now knows how good (or horrible) you are at singing. So be kind to other players and don't judge their singing abilities while you play, or you might find them cutting you down and refusing to play with you. Remember, SingStar is pretty much purely for entertainment. So pick songs that show off everyone's voice range, and be willing to try out new ones even if you don't sound so great at them yourself.