pitch,

[outerspacepop]

Anyone have any advice on being on pitch?

 

I seem to have so much trouble being on pitch.

 

I practice every day on a piano going up and down notes and I've gotten some what better but i'll still mess up so much

 

And then when I start singing a song my pitch will be horrible off all over again.

[Dthraco]

Keep practicing, every day, for at least 20 minutes a day. It takes time, but in a couple months, you'll notice a dramatic improvement.

[ChrisAlgoo]

When you practice, really listen to the note on the piano that you're playing. Then sing your note, and really listen to the note you're making. Pay constant attention to what you're doing - practice requires lots of mental effort.

 

I also recommend you get a teacher of some sort. Group classes are nice.

[rhat]

So much of pitch is vocal technique and singing from the gut. sing out your mouth and your pitch will go south. Its seems to be somthing that all weak singers have in common.

[outerspacepop]

thanks for the advice I'll keep practicing and try using my ears more.

[Jersey Jack]

Do you have trouble hitting pitch or maintaining pitch? The latter--drift or quavering--is a different problem from the former, and the best way to deal with it is to learn proper breathing techniques and to work on jaw/tongue relaxation.

 

If the former, this is often an attack problem--i.e., we miss the pitch and then slide into it. For this problem you should "visualize" the note before you sing it. Play a piano note, listen carefully to the pitch, and then try and hit it after the sound dies away. Be conscious of hitting the pitch spot on--no sliding. Start with one note at a time, then move to two-note sequences, etc.

 

If you don't even slide into the correct pitch, there's no alternative to working slowly on well-known melodies. Start with Happy Birthday and Mary Had a Little Lamb; when you've mastered these melodies/pitches, move on to more complicated stuff.

[outerspacepop]

So I started learning how to sing happy birthday and I've noticed than when i sing a long with the piano it's really easy for me to stay on pitch. But alone I start out good but then I waver off. I guess my problem is the "attack"

[Jersey Jack]

Okay, here is a problem that a lot of singers encounter: When you have a guide note (on the piano, or singing along with a record) people find it easier to stay on pitch. But this gives you something concrete to practice. Do the first line of Happy Birthday with the piano; then repeat it without the piano, etc., etc., etc.

 

Sailors refer to something called "sea legs"--the ability to stand firm and balanced even as a ship is tossed by the sea. Singers have to develop something similar, the ability to work without the guide tone. Practice with this goal in mind.

 

By the way, I believe that many singers use guide tones in the recording studio, just to sharpen the pitch control. The producer/engineer then mutes/deletes the guides tone once the vocal is recorded.

[grace_slick]

As far as my totally uneducated mind goes, pitch for me is a lot about auditory memory. How well you hear something and can retain it in your mind. And then obviously replicate it. But it’s a lot easier in my opinion to sing in pitch if you’ve got the correct note still clearly in your head.

 

I’ve never had issues singing on pitch. That was always something that came easily to me, even though other things don’t. But I do also agree that having a guide note to at least start you off on various notes does make it a lot easier to get that spot on pitch when you sing whatever note it is.

[Chérie]

 

Anyone have any advice on being on pitch? I seem to have so much trouble being on pitch. I practice every day on a piano going up and down notes and I've gotten some what better but i'll still mess up so much And then when I start singing a song my pitch will be horrible off all over again.

 

 

A little tid-bit on hitting and keeping the right note:

 

When you practice your scales, try to match your sound to the piano's sound. The more on target your are, the more your voice will sorta blend or "disappear" into the sound. If your not on target, you can hear your voice stand out way more than the piano's sound. Practice scales a couple times and keep this in mind while doing it.

[grace_slick]

I noticed that when singing along with songs as a teenager. My voice would disappear and I'd know I was perfectly on the note and also blending with the original singer.

 

That's also how I noticed for the first time when I was about 14 that I wasn't able to sing with vibrato (that changed soon after). I "disappeared" when singing the beginning of a long end note of a song and then suddenly my voice re-appeared, singing straight, while the original singer was doing this "mysterious wavering thing" with her voice. Hehehe.

[normthesamurai]

I started getting singing lessons last year so maybe I can help as pitch was a big problem for me for a long time.

 

When you're just starting out and learning a song or doing an exercise play the vocal melody on the piano slowly and match your voice to the notes. You may at first find yourself having to slide your pitch around until your voice "mixes" with the keyboard, you will know when it does this cause it feels "different" like your vibrations are in sync with the piano or something (Quick sidenote on learning efficiency: The brain learns better with "When its right it feels like..." input rather then simply "this is right, that is wrong" input so with singing; when you do get a pitch try to visualize what it feels like, but that's another post for another time)

 

Once you feel that you can sing it in pitch with the piano also playing the melody, try with just a chordal accompaniment (instead of the piano playing exactly what notes you should be singing).

 

The next step is to remove your pitch dependancy. For songs, play the first note of each measure and then sing rest of the measure accappella (no piano or accompaniment).

 

Once you get the hang of this, play even less notes until you can sing the entire verse without accompaniment, or with the occasional piano note to make sure you haven't drifted.

 

Hope this helps. Just remember: learn to laugh at yourself when you {censored} up, If I couldn't do this (and if I didn't have an empty house for a couple of hours every other day to practice in solitude) I never would have continued singing. it's meant to be fun, but, it's also going to take time to get good, if you're as bad as I am then it will be a while before you can get confident at singing in pitch.

[grace_slick]

A lot of successful singers slide up or down to the main note...not just learner singers. I think sliding sounds nice to an extent, and it DOES make it easier. Singing a note dead on, and especially a LOT of quickly sung notes exactly on pitch for every single one of them is the most challenging. I also don't have issues with doing this, even though for pop songs I tend to use the sliding to notes as well cause I like how it sounds...

 

Anyway, yes, things do take time. Your brain has muscle memory when it comes to singing and sending signals to your ears and vocal cords...you will get much better at it the more you do it...certain things will become easier first...

[outerspacepop]

Thanks everyone for all the information I've read everything and have been applying it all. I have been practicing every day and have been seeing more improvement. It's still really hard for me to sing on pitch without the keyboard but it's getting better. I'll try to hum or sing happy birthday in La's soon and post it to see if I'm on pitch.

 

Again thank you all very much!

[outerspacepop]

I have Another question. I can hit all the low notes fine up to the middle notes in my voice. I have to scream to hit the higher notes but I can hit them.

 

I'm having a lot of trouble hitting the middle high notes. When im going up and down scales theres about 4 notes that i always mess up because of this. I know i can hit them because I hit several notes higher then them but I can only seem to hit them if I go from singing Higher notes Down to them rather than Lower to Higher notes.

[Dthraco]

You found one of your bridges. To get them smooth you have to mix the voice above and the voice below. It takes time to get this skill mastered.