The archive contains posts about tuning instruments and vocals.
Are you frustrated that your guitar or synth chords sound out of tune? Do you want to sing in tune? Many of the following posts deal with how to retune guitars and synths so they sound better. Other posts deal with singing or playing in tune.
However, the tuning posts do not stop at the simple question of how to tune a guitar or a synth. They also look at the deeper questions of what does it mean to be in tune and how to tune better.
When musicians tune instruments, they bring the instruments’ notes into agreement with a cultural standard. The standard remains different for fixed pitch instruments, such as the piano, than for flexible pitch instruments, such as the voice.
In Western culture, equal temperament remains the standard for fixed pitch instruments. It allows the instrument to have a manageable number of notes. Also, all twelve scales remain usable.
However, the chords sound barely in tune. Therefore, many of the posts in the archive talk about how to tune instruments using Supplemented Equal Temperament (SET). SET is an enhanced version of equal temperament. Thus, chords sound better in SET than in equal temperament.
Flexible pitch instruments, such as the voice, violin, brass, and woodwind families, have the ability to adjust their pitch as they play. Consequently, many of the archive posts deal with vocal intonation. (Though any flexible pitch instrumentalist will benefit from the ear training.)
To help them achieve this, the singing posts have specially tuned sing-along songs that train vocalists to sing melodies and harmonies accurately.
© 2021 Geoffrey Keith
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Want to sing in tune? Knowledge is power. The following post talks about how singers group pitches as they perform. Read more to find out how the fact that a note contains many pitches can impact singing in tune.
Estimated reading time 7 minutes.
A Note Contains Many Pitches: Singing in Tune Read More »
Are you confused about how to chant the Kodaly rhythm syllables in cut time? Do you wonder if it’s like chanting 2/4 or 4/4 syllables? Don’t worry, this post has you covered! Read more to learn about singing rhythm syllables in cut time.
Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Singing Rhythm Syllables in Cut Time Read More »
Want to get the authentic sound of country blues guitar? Frustrated that your guitar sounds different from your favorite blues artist? The guitar’s tuning impacts the sound. Read more to learn how to tune country blues guitar to achieve an authentic blues sound.
Estimated reading time 7 minutes.
How to Tune Country Blues Guitar Read More »
![How to Sing Key Changes in Tune - Choir - Sight Singing with Solfege - Can Singers Sing in Tune Even if They Do Not Hear Their Voice - Requiem Meaning: Music, Memorial, and Mourning [Video]](https://successmusicstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/How-to-Sing-Key-Changes-in-Tune-Choir-1024x681.jpg)
Do you find key changes tricky to sing in tune? The sing-along song tracks will help! Read more to learn about how to sing key changes in tune.
Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
How to Sing Key Changes in Tune Read More »
Do you have a hard time sight singing rhythm in time signatures other than 4-4? 2-4 gets used a lot in marches, so you often find it used in patriotic songs, making it worth learning. Read more to learn about singing rhythm syllables in 2-4 time.
Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Singing Rhythm Syllables in 2-4 Time Read More »
Do you want to know how Alex Lifeson tunes his guitar in the sci-fi rock opera 2112? How does experience with playing the violin or viola impact how guitarists tunes? This space opera may be the only example of a guitarist’s tuning being included as part of the finished product. At the beginning of the section entitled Discovery the hero finds a guitar, then tunes and plays it. Read more to learn about 2112’s guitar tuning.
Estimated reading time 7 minutes.
2112’s Guitar Tuning Read More »
Have you gotten the hang of reading rhythm in 4-4 time and want to get a handle on 3-4 time too? 3-4 has a much different feel than 4-4 and expands the types of music you can perform. Read more to learn about singing rhythm syllables in 3-4 time.
Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Singing Rhythm Syllables in 3-4 Time Read More »
Do you want to sound like your favorite vocal artist? What exactly is harmony, and how does it affect singing in tune? Harmony is tone color, read more to learn how this fact impacts singing (or playing) in tune.
Estimated reading time 7 minutes.
Harmony is Tone Color Read More »
Frustrated with your out of tune synth chords? Do you want your brass, woodwind, and string programs to sound better? It’s not only the program you select which controls how your synth sounds, the tuning has an impact as well. I created Supplemented Equal Temperament (SET) to produce chords that sound better in tune than equal temperament (the piano’s tuning). Read more to learn how SET minor keys work.
Estimated reading time 5 minutes.
How Supplemented Equal Temperament Minor Keys Work Read More »
Do you get confused about the different types of solfege? Which is better for sight singing music? Fixed or moveable Do solfege? Read “Singing Chromatic Solfege Using Shapes Notes” for practical suggestions on how to sing music with lots of sharp and flats.
Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Singing Chromatic Solfege Using Shape Notes: Moveable vs Fixed Do Read More »