Singing In Tune Part 2

In part 1 of of this series I discussed how to help students determine if they are singing in tune or out of tune. Once students know what good intonation sounds like, and are actually listening for it, the approach to fixing intonation problems shifts to vocal technique.

Start with the basics. Is the tone supported by a good breath? One trick here is to have the students buzz their lips. If the air pressure is strong enough for the lips to buzz, then it should be good enough to support an in tune pitch. Once they get the buzz down, have them open to an "ah" ("bbbb-ah"). Additionally, check if the breathing supported by good posture.

Are students singing in their correct voice for a particular musical passage? A common problem is for singers to take their chest voice too high. This is critical for altos who may find it too easy to use their low voice for mid-register notes, resulting in slightly flat pitches. It can also be a problem for tenors who haven't fully learned how to use their high voice. If forced to choose, I always prefer the tenors to use a soft yet in tune falsetto rather then a loud out of tune chest voice.

One way to attack this "correct voice" issue is to transpose the problem passage to a significantly higher pitch, thus forcing the singers to sing in a head voice. Then, sequentially move the passage down by half steps until you arrive at the original pitch, all the while reminding the singers not to slip into a chest voice. Another technique, that is especially helpful when singers must leap from a low note into the problematic pitch, is to sing the whole passage in head voice. It's a bit of a cheat, but as a quick fix it can eliminate issues students have with changing into head voice.

Helping beginning singers discover their head voice requires a bit of luck, magic, and prayer. I've never hit on a sure fire fix, but in another posting I will share a few of the techniques that have given me a little success.

At times the "correct voice" problem results from students trying too hard to use their chest voice. Young basses will sometimes strive to sound manly by doing this on low notes. The result is usually an overly covered, out of tune pitch. Good basses learn to sing low notes with the feeling of a head voice in a way that not only helps the pitch, but also gives a nice resonance to the sound.

Occasionally some consonants will disrupt the vocal mechanism and result in flatness. This is especially true for beginning singers (often sopranos) when singing high pitches. To discover if consonants are causing the problem, have the students sing on an "ah." If this fixes the intonation, you've identified the difficulty. Create an exercise in a comfortable register that uses the problematic consonant/vowel combination ("b–eh_," "th_–ah_”). Sustainable consonants like "m" and "l" can be held longer to help students adjust. Gradually move the exercise into the range where the pitch issue is.

Additional technique problems that can result in poor pitch are tightening the throat muscles, especially when students raise their heads slightly in an attempt to sing higher notes, tension in the jaw, and tongue position.

There are other, not strictly technical factors, which can cause intonation problems as well. When students are nervous or excited about a performance their adrenaline can make them go sharp. Lack of sleep can lead to singing flat. Distractions or a general lack of focus can also lead to out of tune singing.

In part 3 I will address musical issues that can lead to poor intonation. I will also take a look at matters related to listening.