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
Why Do Minor Keys Sound Sad to Me?
Have you ever wondered, “Why do minor keys sound sad and major keys sound happy?” Has this phenomenon been hardwired into us, or does culture impact how we perceive scales? In fact, it’s a little bit of both. Read more to learn how this works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Read More
What Exactly Does I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V Mean? (Part 3)
Do the Roman numerals used to analyze music make your eyes cross? Do you want someone to explain how it works? Roman numeral analysis might seem a bit cryptic. However, it can be really useful once you understand it. Read more answer the question, “What exactly does I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V mean?” Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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Why Do Just Intonation Keys Have Different Aural Characteristics?
Have you ever wondered why just intonation sounds different in different keys? This happens because the structure of just intonation diverges from equal temperament (the modern tuning standard), resulting in a different sound. Click to learn the answer to the question, “Why do just intonation keys have different aural characteristics?” Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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Perfect Pitch: Discover the Truth [Plus Absolute Pitch Test]
Do you have perfect pitch or wish you did? Why do certain musicians have this astonishing talent, and others don’t? And is perfect pitch singing really a musical superpower? Keep reading “Perfect Pitch: Discover the Truth [Plus Absolute Pitch Test]” to learn the secret that nobody talks about. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.
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