Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Do you ever ask yourself, “How can I tell when I’m singing in key?” or “How do I know if I’m singing in tune?” If you happen to be one of those people who has an innate sense of pitch, count yourself lucky. For everybody else, take heart! Performing in tune is a skill that you can learn, and the sing-along soundtracks below will help. Read more to learn what you need to listen for to be able to sing in key.
This website uses technical musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
How Can I Tell When I’m Singing in Key? By Learning How Your Ear Works!
Melodic Sound Model:
How you can tell when you’re singing in key (i.e., in tune) depends on if you tune melodically or harmonically.
- Our ears hear melody and harmony in profoundly different ways.
- When you tune up a melody, you need to listen to the distance between the notes.
What determines if the pitch will be in tune or out of tune?
- The melodies in your culture shape you perception of which pitches will be okay, and which won’t.
- Sing along with the specially tuned song track above while listening to the distances between the notes.
- Can you hear when the notes get farther apart, and when they get closer together?
When tuning harmonically, you need to listen for the buzz between the notes.
- Sing along with the song track below while listening to the buzz between your voice and the organ’s chords.
- The synth vocal line will help you keep on key.
- In addition to listening for the buzz in the harmonies, you also have beats and fusion that you can use as harmonic tuning cues.
For more info on buzz, beats, and fusion see, Harmony Is Tone Color.
Harmonic Sound Model:
How Can I Tell When I’m Singing in Key? By Training with The Intonation Flight Simulator!
You ask, “How can I tell when I’m singing in key?” You learn how to by taking advantage of the rest of the vocal tuning resources on this website:
The Intonation Flight Simulator:
- This link has all the posts with sing-along song tracks.
- The soundtracks’ special tuning system helps you learn how to hear and sing in key.
- Best of all, it costs nothing to use them.
Sing in Tune Like a Rock Star:
- This post helps you learn how to mimic vocal tone and nuance.
10 Elements that Impact Vocal Tuning:
- This link examines the key elements that shape vocal intonation.
Concluding Thoughts to “How Can I Tell When I’m Singing in Key?”
Singing melodic distances in tune often takes longer to master than harmonizing in tune. Therefore, I suggest you focus on harmonic vocal exercises at the start of your training.
The more you practice with the sing-along song tracks, the quicker you’ll be able to tell when you’re singing in key. Also, The Intonation Flight Simulator posts have a lot of good vocal performance tips. Have fun!
© 2022 Geoffrey Keith
Join me for in-person or online lessons today!
Glossary
What Makes a Barbershop Quartet a Special A Cappella Group?
“What makes a barbershop quartet a special a cappella group?” There are a number of stylistic elements that contribute to this music’s special, distinctive sound. Keep reading to learn more. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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Positives to Dyslexia – Everything is Connected to Everything Else (Part 2)
Do you want to know some of the positives to having dyslexia? Does all information seem connected to you? Global thinking is the capacity to see cohesive relationships between different domains of knowledge. It’s also one of the four strengths resulting from dyslexic brain structure. Keep reading to learn the details of how everything being connected to everything else can be a positive aspect of having dyslexia. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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How to Tune the Classic Rock Open G Sound Using Harmonics
Frustrated that the guitar sounds out of tune? Learn to tune the classic rock open G tuning using harmonics to be able to play chords in tune. You will also learn the song "Honky Tonk Women." Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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Color Coded Hand Icons for Music Learning with Special Needs & LD Students
Does your student have a problem telling the right hand from the left? Many LD and special needs students have problems with left hand/right hand confusion. On piano this can be a real issue. Read more to learn how to color code hand icons in music scores. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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