Pitch Matching for Beginning Singers
March 10, 2023
Get 30 Day Singer Full Access - 2 weeks FREE: https://bit.ly/3P1yaAq
Pitch Matching for Beginning Singers
Matching pitch is when we can hear a reference pitch and accurately recreate it. When two voices or instruments are producing the same pitch simultaneously, we say they’re in unison with one another.
Matching pitch is the first step in learning to sing, because we learn singing by rote, or by listening and repeating what we hear. While most people can match pitch, some struggle more than others. And especially if you don’t have much musical experience, you may not know whether you’re matching pitch accurately.
That’s where a chromatic tuner comes in handy! You can download any chromatic tuner app - ideally one for singers, like Nail the Pitch or Vocal Pitch Monitor - or you can use a web-based tuner like tuner.ninja. Give it access to your device’s microphone, and start making some noise! A chromatic tuner analyzes your pitch and shows you both the pitch letter name and octave number of the pitch you’re singing.
If the musical alphabet is new to you, here’s all you need to know: the musical alphabet goes from A to G and then starts over at A. Your tuner may use sharps, flats, or both! And those are legitimate pitches. I know that’s a little confusing, since we also use the terms sharp and flat to describe “out of tune” singing or playing. I can sing a C# in tune, sharp, or flat.
Begin training your ability to match pitch by getting a reference pitch from a piano app or site like virtualpiano.net, and then attempt to sing that same pitch. The chromatic tuner will show you how close you are to that pitch! Keep in mind: you’ll get a more accurate read by using headphones so that the tuner doesn’t analyze the piano’s pitch, too.
If you find you’re close to the pitch, try sliding up or down until you match it. Then, see if you can rearticulate the pitch without sliding or scooping. It’s also helpful to take your time: listen to the pitch, sing it in your head, then hum the pitch. Finally, sing aloud and see how close you are. If you’ve chosen a pitch that’s uncomfortably high or low, or even outside of your singable range, try again somewhere else on the keyboard. If this is a new skill for you and you find it challenging, spend 5-10 minutes each day working on your pitch matching, and consider downloading an ear training app to track your progress.
0:00 - Intro
0:31 - What Is Pitch Matching?
1:45 - Tuner
2:23 - Musical Alphabet
4:53 - How to work on Pitch Matching
5:38 - Outro
