Singing in tune: why some people do it naturally and others struggle
Hitting the correct pitch is essential for every singer. But why is it that some people seem to be born doing this automatically, while others go through life feeling like “bad singers” because they can’t pitch?
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first — most people who sing out of tune are not tone deaf. Tone deafness, or amusia, is actually a pretty rare neurological condition that affects a few percent of the population (estimates vary).
The opposite of tone deafness is called perfect pitch. Read more about perfect pitch here.
Reason #1 for not singing in tune is … drum roll ..
This might surprise you, but the most common reason people can’t pitch is a lack of practice. Singing is an acquired skill that is much more complicated than we might realise. The brain not only needs to recognise different sound frequencies, but also learn how to match them by using the very complex combination of muscles that make up what we call the voice.
When we learn to pitch, we create a kind of internal map. And it’s hard to create a map of a place you’ve never been to before.
While natural talent plays a small part in this, our early childhood seems to have a lot to do with our ability to pitch. If you have been brought up in a household where you listened to a lot of music, your parents sang for and with you, and you maybe even learned to play a musical instrument, chances are high that you pitch pretty well.
On the other hand, if music never really was a big part of your life, it could very well be that you’re not untalented, you just haven’t unlocked your skills yet.
Other reasons for pitch problems
Sometimes, hearing the difference between different notes is the main problem. But what if you can hear well enough, but still don’t manage to hit the right notes? It’s not the completely wrong notes, but it just sounds sour. If this is the case, chances are high that it’s an issue with your singing technique. If the muscles aren’t functioning optimally so that you have a balanced voice that is easy to control, you might not be able to pitch perfectly.
It’s like driving a shopping cart that is drifting to the side. No matter how much you push and try, you’re not walking in a straight line. A good vocal coach with knowledge about vocal anatomy will help you to balance out your voice, and singing in tune will happen more easily.
Another reason that we’ve noticed is that people have been told as children that they can’t sing, which has put them off singing for many years. Using the voice and taking up space might feel daunting and they’re just not used to it. In this case, it’s extra important to emphasise something we want all our singing students to know: as vocal coaches, we don’t judge. We’re not a jury in some reality TV show waiting to tell you everything that’s wrong. We want you to succeed, and we know that the voice is a complicated system and that you’re doing the best you can at the moment. Our job is to lift you up and give you the tools you need to succeed!
No, it’s not a matter of breath support
If you asked the famous vocal pedagogue Lamperti in the 1800’s why you’re not singing in tune, he would say that it was because you’re not using enough “breath support”. Unfortunately, even though more than 130 years have passed since he wrote his book The Art of Singing, many vocal coaches today would tell you exactly the same thing. Well, we’re here to bust that myth.
Pitch is created at the level of the vocal folds. When they are long, thin and stretched out, you sing high notes. And when they are shorter and chubbier, you sing low notes. The term breath support is actually quite controversial nowadays, because there are a thousand definitions for this concept without science that backs up any of the claims voice teachers have made for over 100 years about it.
So how do you learn to pitch?
Getting help from a good vocal coach is a good first step when you want to learn to sing in tune. When we work with beginners who want to work on pitch, we first try out how well they can match pitch. We’ll sing a note and ask you to replicate it, and we might also play it on the piano. If you’re having a hard time singing the right note, we will do the opposite and let you decide what note we’re starting at. You sing a note you’re comfortable with, and we will find it on the piano and use it as our home base. Then we will use it to explore how it feels to sing one note higher, two notes, and so on. Seeing it visually on the piano helps some people, and it can also help to use different hand gestures or assign numbers to the different notes.
This process will usually take a few lessons before you can start singing “real” songs, but it’s so worth it.
Want to get better at singing?
If this article has inspired you to work on your singing, we have a few tips to share. Listen to our podcast for free information, and read more posts on this blog. A few times per year, we open up our membership for new people to join, which contains lots of video material and includes video feedback on your singing twice per month.
If you feel like you’re starting from scratch and could use some direction, feel free to book a singing lesson with one of our vocal coaches. We know many beginners feel like it’s a big step and a bit scary to have someone listen to your voice, but we promise, we’re very friendly and want your lessons to be fun and helpful. We’re used to analysing voices from a scientific point of view, and we never judge. We love helping singers gain confidence and knowledge about their voice. 🤗
