What Can I Reference To?

[baloo]

hey, i joined Honor Choir this year and i can sing and match pitches and all....i just dont know what to refer to to help me tone my voice and know which note is actually which! i sing tenor (and play tenor sax. ha this connection made me laugh) but the two are completely different when it comes to pitches. the director said the best thing i can use my guitar since i dont have a piano. anythin else i can use?

thanks!

[Mahesh]

Pitch memory has always haunted me. Though I seem to recognize better than before,I still dont find myself good enough. A good idea would be to buy a pitch pipe (when u blow thru it,gives the appropriate pitch). They usually are used to tune guitars and would have the notes EADGBE,but I've seen ones which have all the notes,dunno if you get it there. Have it around in your pocket. Whenever you hum a tune,try to remember and realize the pitch and check it with the pipe. Its a good habit for those who are always on the go(like if you have college or school or a heavy job and dont get much time to practice)

[baloo]

hmmmm....i shall look into that the real problem is im ao used to the tenor sax and bass guitar pitches so i get thrown off horribly sometimes x( oh well. ill see about that

[BlackhawkFan]

Tenor sax is concert pitch Bb, which is a full step down from C. Could explain some confusion.

As for pitch memory, I'm not real good at it, but when I write, I cross sences in an attempt to "describe" the overall feel of a key in order to choose appropriately for what I want to convey to the listener. For instance, a piece written in Cmaj would be described as "<fat> blue (the actual color, not the emotion/mood)." A piece written in Dmaj would be described as "royal, triumphant." Bb is "dark, sad."

These are some of my associations given as possible help.

One thing I would warn against is, as you continue in your singing career, DO NOT use memory of muscle tension or lip/mouth formation as pitch association, as you can be sharp or flat depending on mood, time of day, etc. True pitch association/recall for me, at least, is an actual form in my memory. Can't describe it, but it's real nonetheless.

My buddy Mahesh is giving good advice as well. Most guitar tuners have built in microphones. You could tune your sax (remember to compensate for concert pitch) as well as use it for voice.

Otherwise, practice, and if you can afford it, some good professional instruction will go far.

Cho

[Cheryl]

Hi, Baloo,

There are two ways to hear your voice - and only one when you are singing WITH a group. You have to cup

your hand over your ear and sing into the middle of your lower half of your arm (like an early days radio deejay).

At home sing into a corner, and your voice will come back directly at you.

To work on your intonation, use an audio recording device. Hit notes on the piano, match them with your voice;

then listen back to the recording... do the pitches match? Finally, please visit my article:

"CAN PITCH BE LEARNED AND/OR CORRECTED?"

Good luck, Cheryl