Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Exercises: Sing 'On Key

By Razile Dalap

One of many earliest lessons you'll get after proper breathing and posture is how to "sing on key". Originally, all but the most musically gifted singers won't have the natural "ear" for music that lets them to hear when they are on or off key.

Before You Start

Before you do anything, you must ensure your body has been carefully taught how to prepare for singing. It's like basics in sport. Without the ability to mindlessly dribble the basketball, a player will never learn how to crossover or pass.

Matching Pitch

For most people, it's just a matter of practice. With enough time singing and listening to your notes, you should manage to develop a strong, regular singing voice on key.

To start with, you'll need an instrument. This will provide the reference you need to recognize notes and sing along with them. Whether you know how to read music or not, you should learn how to play a few basic scales on a piano or guitar to help with this.

Now, hold a note for a couple of seconds and attempt to match your voice to the note. At first, you may not easily recognize or match them together. To help, get a recorder and begin recording each of these sessions. For each note, you should record for at least 1 minute.

Good Practice

Sadly, there are no secrets to obtaining great pitch. It's all about training. However, there are certain orders in which to practice. I recommend starting with a simple note, such as C or E and working your way up and down the scale from there.

If your voice cannot hit the note you begin with, reduce the octave by at least one so you are comfortable. Later, you can work on extending your range, but for now concentrate only on getting the notes you are comfortable with correct.

At some point, with enough practice and steady use of that voice recorder, you should be capable to pinpoint the right note almost immediately, remaining on key during irrespective of who is playing the music or what octave it is in.

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