Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
“I have a hard time hitting my notes. Can I use the piano to learn singing?” That depends. For some things, the piano will be a real asset for learning to sing. However, for others, the piano creates more problems than it solves. Read more to answer the question, “Can I learn singing on the piano?”
This article uses musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
Can I Learn Singing on the Piano? The Piano’s Impact on Melodies.
“Can I learn singing on the piano?” If you plan to just bang out some melodies, yes, the piano works fine as a singing aid. After all, that’s one of the reasons you’ll find pianos in colleges practice rooms around the world.
The piano acts as a touchstone instrument:
- In other words, the piano provides the melodic tuning enculturation for Western civilization.
- Similarly, you can find instruments in non-Western cultures that fill the touchstone instrument roll in those societies. Click here for more information.
- So, you can practice your melodies on the piano while being confident that it’ll help you develop good melodic intonation.
In addition, the following posts will also help you develop your melodic pitch template:
Can I Learn Singing on the Piano? The Piano’s Impact on Harmonies.
“Can I learn singing on the piano?” This is one that most chorus directors already know.
- Piano chords aren’t as precisely tuned as an a cappella group’s harmonies.
- Therefore, good chorus directors always make sure that their choruses practice without the piano, at least some of the time.
- If you want a cappella levels of intonation, you must get away from the piano.
Gerald Eskelin states:
Having worked with professional singers, I have to say that most (yes, most) formally trained singers… have never really experienced pure acoustic pitch relationships. Their ears are corrupted by years of practicing scales and chords with a tempered-tuned piano… (Lies My Music Teacher Told Me 32)
Equal temperament limits the number of unique keyboard notes to twelve. However, it does so by compromising the purity of the harmonies. Eskelin elaborates:
It wasn’t until I was teaching the Pierce College Jazz Choir that I realized how detrimental the piano was to developing accurate pitch concepts. I had known… about tempered tuning but had been unconcerned… about its effect on accurate tuning.
Now it was bugging me that these kids couldn’t make the hot jazz chords ‘pop.’ The music sounded dumpy and ‘square.’ …I knew these chords could be much more exciting. (Lies My Music Teacher Told Me 35-36)
It’s hard to foster a cappella level intonation while singing with harmonic intervals and chords on the piano. Therefore, if you want to work on your harmonic intonation, you need to sing in an a cappella group of some kind. Or you can try one of the other options mentioned in the next section.
Final Thoughts on “Can I Learn Singing on the Piano?”
“Can I learn singing on the piano?” It depends on whether you’ll be working on singing melodies or harmonies:
- The piano will give you a decent melodic sound model, making it a good choice for helping you learn melodies.
- However, the piano won’t be a good choice for working on harmonizing.
- This explains why Eskelin suggests that you sing harmonically against single notes, rather than full chords, on the piano.
Alternately, you can use the sing-along soundtracks in the Intonation Flight Simulator posts. They’ll help you learn how to sing in tune using full (and fully in tune) harmonies:
Have fun singing!
© 2023 Geoffrey Keith
Join me for in-person or online lessons today!
Glossary
Singing Chromatic Solfege Using Shape Notes: Moveable vs Fixed Do
Do you get confused about the different types of solfege? Which is better for sight singing music? Fixed or moveable Do solfege? Read “Singing Chromatic Solfege Using Shapes Notes” for practical suggestions on how to sing music with lots of sharp and flats. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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Music Therapy vs Music Lessons
Do you have a special needs child who loves music? Are you confused about the difference between music therapy and music lessons? The goals for music therapy won’t be the same as for music lessons. Keep reading “Music Therapy vs Music Lessons” to help you decide which is best for your child. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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Changing Keys in Your Songwriting
Tired of using the same old chords in your songs all the time? Want to create excitement in your songwriting? Adding a key change to your song can make your listeners sit up and take notice. Read more to learn about changing keys in your songwriting. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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How to Change Keys in Supplemented Equal Temperament
Have you tried retuning your synth, but gotten frustrated by the limited number of keys? Do you want your keyboard’s chords to sound stronger when playing brass, string, and organ sounds? Supplemented Equal Temperament (SET) is a new and powerful tuning system that allows your chords to sound stronger and more in tune. Kurzweil’s PC3K synth also makes it a breeze to switch keys while using SET. Read more to learn how to change keys in Supplemented Equal Temperament. Estimated reading time 7 minutes.
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