If you have ever found yourself struggling to sing on pitch, then this post is for you! Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone. Many people struggle to sing on pitch and may even have given up hope of ever carrying a tune. But you don’t have to be one of them! Before you declare yourself a lifetime member of the Donkey Bass section, know this; tone deafness CAN be cured! In fact, by following a few simple tips, you’ll be on your way to singing your best.

1. Listen up!

Grab your mp3, favorite CDs, and yes, even those cassettes and devote some time to listening to music you enjoy. The music could either be vocal or instrumental because we will not be focusing on the voice but the actual pitches in the music. But in order for this to work, you must be actively listening. Active listening is not turning on the radio while you are cutting your toe nails. Active listening is turning everything else off and tuning in to the piece of music you are listening to. Can you hear the pitches go up and down? Or do you notice when the pitch stays the same? When you actively listen to music, you are training your musical ear to hear variations in pitch. Hearing these variations will help you as you try to sing on pitch. Try to devote at least 10 minutes every day.

2. Play it!

If you are having problems singing a particular pitch, your best method of attack is to play that pitch on the keyboard. As you hear the pitch try humming along and see if the note you hum is the same one you hear. If not, here’s a little trick that’s sure to work. Sing any pitch you want to on a “La.” As you are singing, try to find the same pitch on the keyboard. This time, you are not trying to match the keyboard. The keyboard is trying to match you. After you’ve found the same pitch on the keyboard, then slowly play the next note in the direction of the pitch you were having problem with. Each time you hit a new note on the keyboard, try matching it with your voice.  Now try singing this pitch. Keep going until you reach the original note you had problems reaching. Trust me! This method works! Try doing this five minutes every day for a couple of days.

3. Keep your focus!

If you notice that you continually go off pitch when you sing with others, then this signals that you are losing focus. Often, when we are singing with others or with an instrument, we can sometimes get carried away listening to some other vocal line and forget about our melody. To remedy this, constantly shift your focus back to the melody you are singing. Mentally preparing for when the pitches should go up and down will help you to keep your focus and stay on pitch. Additionally, before you sing as a group, make sure you practice your part thoroughly by yourself. When you sing together, you will be more confident!