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
Color Coded Quarter Note Clapping
Do you have a hard time reading rhythm notation? (Or are you a teacher who has students that struggle with rhythm?) This remains a common issue with many musicians, but especially with LD, ADD, and special needs students. Read more to learn color coded quarter note clapping. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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What are the advantages of dyslexia? Episodic Memory
Do you want to know what the advantages of dyslexia are? How can people with dyslexia seem to have terrible memories sometimes, but not others? “He could remember events perfectly, even those that happened when he was an infant” (The Gift of Dyslexia 96). Episodic memory has a central role in the thinking process of many dyslexics which helps explain this puzzling fact. Also, it’s one of the four benefits to dyslexia. Keep reading to learn what the advantages of dyslexia are and how episodic memory plays a part in that. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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How to Explain an Octave to an Absolute Beginner Musician
Are you confused about what an octave is? Or are you a music teacher with a student that doesn’t understand how they work? Octaves are one of the most fundamental music theory concepts. When teaching music students, it helps to demonstrate them on a keyboard instrument, so I’ve created a keyboard diagram you can reference. Keep reading “How to Explain an Octave to an Absolute Beginner Musician?” to dive into the theory. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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Noun Definition & Meaning (Video Noun Examples & Types of Nouns)
Are you foggy on how the parts of speech work? Do you need a noun definition with examples? To communicate clearly, writers, poets, songwriters, and well just about anybody will need to understand how they work. Keep reading “Noun Definition & Meaning (Video Noun Examples & Types of Nouns)” to learn more. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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