Student Q & A
Answer: Singing a certain pitch consistently requires the vocal folds to vibrate at a specific speed. Other factors that come into play are tone, volume, tempo and the vowels and consonants on the designated pitches. Range and intonation based exercises will help you to control any pitch throughout your vocal range.
How do I know if I’m singing accurate pitches?
Answer: To confirm whether or not you’re matching the intended pitches you can either have a trusted musician friend help you with pitch recognition, download a chromatic tuner app that will give you visual feedback, or send a voice recording of yourself to a voice teacher that can give you feedback and tips to further build your vocal skills.
How can I get better at singing harmonies?
Answer: Intonation exercises with complex patterns will strengthen your general skills. But more specifically speaking, you can also harmonize a complimentary note to a simple scale. Then listen to the chorus of your favorite song and learn the harmonies by following the background singer. You can also invent your own harmonies to simple and well known songs.
How will intonation exercises help if I can’t hear myself on stage?
Answer: It’s a common scenario for singers to not hear themselves well when performing. Intonation exercises will develop your automated skills for matching pitches and give you a sense of trust in your voice. Furthermore, deliberately practicing in noisy environments and recording yourself for feedback will assist in relaxing your muscles and deepening the trust in yourself to sing accurately.
How can I get better at singing vocal riffs and runs?
Answer: Intonation based exercises are designed to increase your ability to match pitches. And since riffs are a fast paced series of notes, you can replace the words being sung with a “he” on every note to help define the intended pitches. Start singing the riff at a much slower tempo and once you’re familiar with every pitch speed up the pattern. Finally: try singing it with the word originally intended.
