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.