Anyone else have this problem?-singing flat

Subject: RE: Anyone else have this problem?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 10:45 AM

Grishka's suggestions are all good.

Do you read music, Morwen? Have you seen the music for 'Twilight in Barakeesh' as well as heard it? Because I have encouraging news for you - that MIDI that you linked is way too high. A gifted coloratura might be able to hit those high notes, but they are not doable by ordinary mortals.

The highest note is a G# above the staff. In my church hymnals, the highest note ever asked for is the Eb below that.

I think what you have there is music written for an orchestra. Instruments have bigger ranges than people. Yes, somebody may have set words to it and given it to a trained singer, but it's still not really a vocal piece by nature. So don't be discouraged that it's hard.

I have MIDI software would you like me to change that MIDI so it's lower? I can make it play within the normal range for a soprano. And if it doesn't work, we can do it again. But you have to let me know, so I can send it to Joe for posting.

Another thing about the song - was it a duet? Maybe one person took the low lines and another took the high lines. That would make it quite hard for a single person to sing.

By the way, the song is a riot. I love it! Thanks for finding it and posting the link.

Subject: RE: Anyone else have this problem?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 09:05 AM

Easier to demonstrate face-to-face than to describe; but my old choir director used to tell anyone a little flat to "put a smile in your throat."

Most people tend to slightly raise the pitch when they smile over what they get with a "flacid face." It isn't exactly the smile that does it, but a reflex that raises the soft palate (the flabby part of the roof of your mouth) and changes the resonance of the vocal tract slightly upward.

Once you get the feel of it, you can "raise the roof" without the outward smile.

There is a tendency to pitch your voice by "muscle memory" in which you adjust the vocal chords by the memory of how much muscle it takes to get a given note, instead of by listening to what you're singing, and the tendency is to drift slightly flat when you rely too much on that method. If you can learn to keep the soft palate "up" the tendency to go flat is reduced.

It doesn't avoid the need to listen to what you're singing, but adds a little lift. It's most effective if you can learn to sing with a "full throat" that lets the sound echo clear down into your belly; but for "pop songs" that can tend to make one "go operatic" which may not be the tonality you want. For operetta music there's probably little danger of overdoing it though.

Some people find it easier to sing in tune if they have an accomplice accompanist sounding the harmony part for the song. It seems easier to "resonate" (harmonize) in tune with another part of the chord than to match an identical pitch of someone singing (or playing) the same notes as what you're singing - if you listen for the resonance.

People seriously trying to learn vocal arts spend a lot of time singing scales and "open chord" exercises, often with a piano or other instrument to check their pitch, but the practice does little good unless you're very conscious of being accurately pitched on all the notes, by comparison to an accurate instrument.

John

Subject: RE: Anyone else have this problem?
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 08:49 AM

Or use a metronome..,

Subject: RE: Anyone else have this problem?
From: GUEST,Stan
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 08:49 AM

If you can afford it buy, or maybe borrow, an automatic, chromatic guitar tuner and practice singing into that. A good practice routine is to play a note on an instrument, see where the tuner goes, sing the same note and see if the tuner agrees.

Subject: RE: Anyone else have this problem?
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 08:34 AM

@Grishka: Thanks!

Subject: RE: Anyone else have this problem?
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 08:31 AM

Has anyone else had the problem of going flat when trying to learn a song on their own?

Has anyone not had this problem? - is a better question.

You can try to learn from books on vocal technique, and/or, as our friend L. suggests, join a choir. Do not force very high or very low notes, start with songs of limited range.

Good luck!

Subject: RE: Anyone else have this problem?
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 08:08 AM

On another note: I can now sing in tune to "Ah! Sweet Mystery Of Life" (by singing at a lower pitch than Jeanette MacDonald).

Subject: Anyone else have this problem?
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 08:04 AM

I recently found this site: which has MIDIS for old songs from operettas. The above link is for one for "Twilight In Barakeesh" in The Rose Of Algeria. I just recorded myself singing the song on Audacity (figured it out from looking at the score for the operetta) and I noticed that I get really flat on some of the notes. My high notes on the song are awful. Since my parents can't afford voice lessons right now, I'm trying to teach myself a few songs. Has anyone else had the problem of going flat when trying to learn a song on their own? (Anyone tried to teach themselves songs?)