Why is it so hard to sing the right note/pitch acapella?!
Question: When I sing acapella, its always hard for me to sing the exact note I want. I may sometimes get the starting note right but most often I start a half-tone flat or a half-tone sharp or start with the right note but the rest of the notes are flat or sharp. And its so frustrating because with the guitar my pitch is pretty straight on. Is this a relative pitch problem or what? Am I not listening to the melody intently enough to sing it without music? Do I just not know the melody? What's going on and how do I fix this? I sing with diaphragmic support, expanded waist and back so this isn't the problem. But it seems like I don't have great control over my voice acapella and I wish I did.
Answers: When I sing acapella, its always hard for me to sing the exact note I want. I may sometimes get the starting note right but most often I start a half-tone flat or a half-tone sharp or start with the right note but the rest of the notes are flat or sharp. And its so frustrating because with the guitar my pitch is pretty straight on. Is this a relative pitch problem or what? Am I not listening to the melody intently enough to sing it without music? Do I just not know the melody? What's going on and how do I fix this? I sing with diaphragmic support, expanded waist and back so this isn't the problem. But it seems like I don't have great control over my voice acapella and I wish I did.
Your problem isn't unusual. Most people don't have perfect pitch. Usually when singers perform acapella, they don't end in the exact key. It is either a half step too low or too high. Sometimes worse! So don't beat yourself up about it. You either have perfect pitch or you don't. Most people just don't.
Always give yourself the key of the song before you begin to sing. Don't try to guess. You don't have to do that. You can train your ear of course by studying ear training, but again. It isn't going to give you perfect pitch. Its ok. That is normal. Perhaps if you sing the song over and over, you eventually memorize the pitch. But, it is not always the case.
Practice more with the instrument first. Then strip yourself of the instrument after practicing with the guitar for a while. You will begin memorizing the tune in your head, and you will not have to crutch on the guitar so much.
Don't try to beat yourself up about this. I have played piano for people who constantly change the key to the songs without me starting the key first (playing for down home churches is notorious for that). I don't look at them funny. It is normal for people without relative or perfect pitch. Just try memorizing and see how that effects your goal.
This is more of a listening problem, rather than a technique problem. Try having someone sing it phrase by phrase to you, and you echo it back. Then sing it with your guitar. I highly encourage singers to sing it silently in their head several times before singing it out loud.
You might just have a few common pitch problems. It's most likely no big deal.
Find someone who is train to teach Voice, and talk to them about Ear Training. It's a hard process, but it will do you so much good in the end. There ARE places online that you can get Ear Training programs and do it on your own, but with the help of someone who is trained you could grow so much more.
I would also look into learning Solfege and/or number singing. I hate it, but it works. Works well, too.
If you do this much, it should help you to get to at least a Relative Pitch.
Also, as a side note, take very very good care of your ears. Try not to listen to head phones too loud, or cause any extra damage. Your ears are one of the first things on your body to wear out. If you take care of them, though, they will last much longer.
Well acpella is just you and your voice
no one else to accomany you.
so a piano or what ever your using
it gives you a back up and tells you
were to be so its a lil tricky to find it on your own
but with practice it should come to you soon