Have you ever been told that you can’t sing – “don’t call us, we’ll call you?”
Were you ever pulled out of line at school and told to “just mime,” as you can’t sing?
Has someone ever told you that you’re tone deaf – that’s why you can’t sing?
I’ve heard all of these, and whilst there are certain medical conditions that can affect your vocal cords, making it virtually impossible to sing or hold a note, I don’t believe that people simply can’t sing. Anyone, with a bit of help and vocal training can learn to control their voice, and so sing!
When I was in junior school, about 10 years old, we had a singing teacher called Mrs Wragg…and she did lose her rag often, so her name was apt!
She used to get our whole class singing, and I remember her telling some of the boys in the class to stop singing as they growled!
One day, we were told that some people were coming to school to find children to sing in the musical chorus of Oliver. I put my hand up to audition, even though I didn’t understand musicals. My younger sister, who was 8, was also picked for audition.
On the audition day, with Mr Spray at the piano, all the children auditioning were put in lines and told which tune to sing.
Two adults walked around listening to each of us and if they didn’t like what they heard, they just said ‘Stop!’ and asked that child to walk away from the line.
My sister and I were lucky enough to get through the audition and went on to perform in the chorus of Oliver. But for those children who were embarrassed and humiliated, it must have been awful.
I hate this kind of thing as I genuinely believe that anyone can sing, and all those children could have been taught to sing. I often wonder what impact that experience had on their lives and whether they ever sung again.
Singing is fun! People have found joy in music and singing since the year dot – and it makes you feel good!
Research has proved that singing can help lower stress, boost immunity and lung function, enhance memory, improve mental health, and help you cope with physical and emotional pain.
Just as exercise boosts endorphins, singing also releases this ‘feel good’ chemical.
You’ve only got to look at the audience at a music festival – they join in with the singing, whether they think they can sing or not; there is a buzz; they jump up and down to the beat; it’s FUN!
I’m sure that most of you will have heard of the term, ‘pitch perfect.’ If nothing else, you may have heard of it from the popular Pitch Perfect films, which follows an all-girl a capella group, who compete against other schools to win a competition.
But what does perfect pitch mean?
This is the technical bit!
In music, a note’s pitch simply means how high or low the note is. When you play a note on a piano for example, that note produces a sound wave. A sound wave is just vibrations of air that go back and forth, creating a wave of pressure that travels from the piano to your ears.
The main property of a sound wave is frequency – which just means how fast that wave of pressure is.
Pitch is how your ears hear and understand that frequency. The higher the note, the higher the frequency…the lower the note, the lower the frequency. This is how we hear higher or lower notes.
You may have heard a musician, or a singer be described as pitch perfect. This just means that they know what note is being played without having to compare it to another note.
Now, whether people are described as having perfect pitch or not, research shows that actually, only one in 10,000 people have this ability to correctly identify a note by just hearing it.
Relative pitch is being able to tell the difference in pitch between two notes. This helps musicians and singers know when they are out of tune, in relation to other musicians or the song they are singing. For example, if someone played the note, C, on a piano, followed by an E, two notes higher up the scale, you would be able to distinguish between the two notes.
Can a vocal coach help?
The simple answer is ‘yes.’ You can train your ears to hear your voice and use your voice to train your ears! Singing is the best way to help improve your ear for pitch. It’s about learning to control your voice.
Part of the training to control your voice is learning how to breathe properly. You might think this is a bit weird – after all, we all breathe don’t we?
There is a link between breath and speech. In humans, the vocal folds are what produce the sound, but there is also a valve that opens and closes over our trachea (windpipe) and lungs. You speak on exhalation – when you breathe out. The more air you have taken in, the longer you can speak for.
And it’s not just about the way you breathe that helps you to sing – it’s also about the right posture and position of neck and head that helps what you sing to be much clearer.
Top tips to learn to sing in tune are to:
So, let’s look at the last two on this list.
The obvious answer to ‘How can I learn to sing in tune?’ is to work with a vocal coach, sometimes known as a voice coach.
Your voice is an instrument, and a vocal coach will help you improve your technique and your ability. You will learn ways to warm-up your voice, how to breathe and stand to help you get the best out of your voice, and so help your self-confidence.
As a vocal coach, the most important aspect of singing for me and my students is to discover the joy of singing and to have fun! Singing is wonderful and makes you feel so good with the release of all those endorphins, so my main aim is always focused on the pleasure and enjoyment that singing can bring into your life.
The other way to learn to sing in tune is to buy a pitching app. There are loads on the market to choose from. With the help of an app, you can teach yourself to sing.
An app will help teach you sensitivity to pitch, so you can hear yourself. And it will teach you how to control your voice. Most apps will need you to have access to a microphone so the app can analyse your singing and give you feedback. It will include exercises and examples for you to listen to. And it will track your progress, so that you can see how your voice is improving. Some apps also give you the option of sharing what you’ve achieved on social media.
As I said earlier, you’ve only got to look at the audience at a music festival to see the joy that music and singing gives.
Have you ever watched a gospel choir? The one thing you can’t fail to notice is that every single singer smiles. Their singing brings joy, not just to themselves, but to others too.
I’ve worked with lots of singers, and they will tell you about the laughter, the feeling that their cares are melting away, and how singing leaves them on a high. One thing is for sure – once you start, you won’t want to stop. You’ll be hooked, but my question is, ‘Why wouldn’t you want to be hooked on such a creative activity, which brings you immense pleasure that lasts for hours, if not days afterwards?’
So, take no notice of those who have told you in the past that you can’t sing, or that you are tone deaf. Just open your mouth and sing!
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