Estimated reading time 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why Use the Guitar to Learn How to Sing in Tune Like an A Cappella Singer?
Do you want to know a good way to train your ear to harmonize in tune? All you need is a guitar. Read more to learn how to sing in tune like an a cappella singer.
- When open D tuning is fine-tuned using harmonics, it makes playing the guitar a lot of fun. However, it also fashions a powerful ear training tool to help vocalists sing in tune.
- The guitar tuning creates a model of what a well-tuned chord should sound like. It helps singers who struggle with intonation to experience good harmony for themselves.
- Singing to the piano teaches vocalists to sing vague harmonies, because piano technicians tune the piano to equal temperament. Equal temperament compromises some of the harmonic intervals in order to limit the piano to just twelve notes. The piano makes a poor harmonic sound model.
- The fine-tuned guitar fills the gap, providing a much-needed harmonic sound model.
Alternately, you can use sing-along soundtracks to learn how to sing in tune:
This article uses technical musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
A Cappella Group Video
How to Tune the Guitar
To tune the guitar, please refer to the blog article:
The post also shows how to play the chords in open D. After tuning the guitar to open D, you can use it as an effective sound model for singers.
Exercises for Mastering Singing in Tune Like an A Cappella Vocalist
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The above vocal exercise starts with the notes of the top four strings of the fine-tuned open D guitar tuning.
- The sopranos match their note to the first string, the altos to the second string, the tenors to the third string, and the basses to the fourth string.
- The exercise fits the vocal range of each voice type fairly well. Nevertheless, the basses will probably need to drop out on the last three bars.
- Once the singers have the exercise down, switch to the popular vocal warm-ups. For example, one warm-up has singers changing the vowels (Mee, Meh, Mah, Moh, Moo) while singing the same notes.
- The guitarist can play a selected string to bring out one part if the vocal section in question needs help with their part.
Alternately, singers working by themselves can work on singing different parts of the chord by switching which string they are singing with. Also, it is good ear training for flexible pitch instrumentalists as well.
Tips for Mastering Singing in Tune Like an A Cappella Singer
Take time tuning up the vocal harmonies.
- Notice how the chords are all whole notes and the tempo is a slow 55 beats per minute (bpm). This allows the singers enough time to get the chords in tune. Feel free to hold it for longer if necessary. For best results, sing without vibrato.
- The guitarist shifts the chord up one fret each time the chorus sings the next higher harmony. The guitar can also accompany songs. If the guitarist gets drowned out by the chorus, he can play with light to moderate distortion.
- Solfege (Do, Re, Mi) can be an effective method for working on sight singing and melodic tuning. However, it will not train the singer’s sense of harmonic intonation.
- Harmonic sound models, provided by retuned synths and guitars can teach you how to sing in tune like an a cappella singer.
For those people who are not comfortable retuning instruments:
© 2020 Geoffrey Keith
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Glossary
The G Major Scale (Including the G Major Chord Scale)
Do you want to know what notes and chords are in the G major scale? Do you find the theory behind the G major chord scale confusing? To truly understand music, you must know how to construct scales and how to build chords from the scale tones. Read “The G Major Scale (Including the G Major Chord Scale)” to learn how they work. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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How Can I Learn the Basics of Music Theory?
Do you want to understand how music works? Studying music theory is a worthwhile experience that’ll deepen your understanding of music and enhance your creativity. Where should you begin? In this post, you’ll learn what the basics of music theory are and be given the resources to learn them. Keep reading “How Can I Learn the Basics of Music Theory” to start your musical journey today. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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Tonic vs. Root in Music Theory: Are They the Same Thing? (Part 2)
Are you confused about the difference between the root and the tonic in music theory? Some musicians treat the terms root and tonic as if they were interchangeable. However, they have different, but equally important roles in music theory. Click to learn the difference between the tonic vs. root in music theory. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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Memory and Songwriting
Do you want your song to be catchy? If people can't remember your song, you’ve got a problem. Therefore, you need know how humans remember things. Read more to understand the connection between memory and songwriting. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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