I can’t sing in tune so how can I sing with my child?
I hear this often from parents when I mention singing with their kids.Remember days at primary school when we all sang together at the tops of our voices? Too often schools want the kids to sing LOUD and don’t really bother with teaching kids to sing in tune, just volume. I still hear it in the 21st century..school singing, no actually, school yelling. RRGGHH..it puts chills down my spine. As a result, many people are unable to hold a tune well. But, think about the times you are driving with the radio up full bore and you are singing your heart out. Or think of the times you are beside someone else in the peak hour traffic or at the traffic lights and they are singing their hearts out…. it looks hilarious but I reckon that everybody can sing in tune at some stage of their life.
Although, when I listen to my partner I do sometimes wonder. In all honesty he can’t sing in pitch with the melody of the song but he is singing in tune.
What? I hear you say? How can you not sing in pitch but sing in tune?
For example the melody might have the following notes. To pitch these notes correctly we think, we listen and we attempt to imitate the sound we hear.
__________________
________D D _______
____B B _____ B____
G G_______________
__________________
In my partners case (and many other people too) he hears the same melody but he pitches it lower.
________________
________________
_________B B ____
_____G G _____G__
E E_____________
What he has done is followed the same pattern as the melody but his pitching of the notes is underneath those notes of the actual melody.
In essence he is singing in tune but at a different pitch.
So now I want you to put some music on that you like to sing along with. Listen to the melody, the tune that the singer or lead instrument is singing or playing. Now, put the same track on again and try singing along with it. What do you hear when you sing? Are you hearing the same pitch coming out of your mouth as the tune or do you think you are hearing something lower, or higher than that?
If you aren’t sure, ask your partner or friend to listen to you singalong with the melody. What can they hear? Do they hear you singing exactly the same pitch as the melody or can they hear you singing below or above it?
It helps to know if you are singing the same pitch. If you are not, then you may be able to train yourself to do so. And the best way to do that is by listening and imitating and then listening over and over again. See if you have improved your pitch.
But when it comes to singing with or to your child it really doesn’t matter if you sing at the correct pitch or not. Keep practicing and keep singing to and with your child. The more you sing, the better you will get at it and the more your child will LOVE hearing you sing. Your child will quickly catch on to the song you are singing and imitate you and/or the music track you are playing at the time.
A child will begin to imitate you as young as a few months old. They will watch your mouth and listen to your voice. If it is rock ‘n roll or classics, nursery rhymes or Adele songs, they will listen, watch and attempt to imitate you. Congratulations! You are now a singing parent and you are encouraging your child to explore their voice and develop some musicianship skills that will increase as they grow older and last as lifetime.
What? I hear you say? How can you not sing in pitch but sing in tune?
For example the melody might have the following notes. To pitch these notes correctly we think, we listen and we attempt to imitate the sound we hear.
__________________
________D D _______
____B B _____ B____
G G_______________
__________________
In my partners case (and many other people too) he hears the same melody but he pitches it lower.
________________
________________
_________B B ____
_____G G _____G__
E E_____________
What he has done is followed the same pattern as the melody but his pitching of the notes is underneath those notes of the actual melody.
In essence he is singing in tune but at a different pitch.
So now I want you to put some music on that you like to sing along with. Listen to the melody, the tune that the singer or lead instrument is singing or playing. Now, put the same track on again and try singing along with it. What do you hear when you sing? Are you hearing the same pitch coming out of your mouth as the tune or do you think you are hearing something lower, or higher than that?
If you aren’t sure, ask your partner or friend to listen to you singalong with the melody. What can they hear? Do they hear you singing exactly the same pitch as the melody or can they hear you singing below or above it?
It helps to know if you are singing the same pitch. If you are not, then you may be able to train yourself to do so. And the best way to do that is by listening and imitating and then listening over and over again. See if you have improved your pitch.
But when it comes to singing with or to your child it really doesn’t matter if you sing at the correct pitch or not. Keep practicing and keep singing to and with your child. The more you sing, the better you will get at it and the more your child will LOVE hearing you sing. Your child will quickly catch on to the song you are singing and imitate you and/or the music track you are playing at the time.
A child will begin to imitate you as young as a few months old. They will watch your mouth and listen to your voice. If it is rock ‘n roll or classics, nursery rhymes or Adele songs, they will listen, watch and attempt to imitate you. Congratulations! You are now a singing parent and you are encouraging your child to explore their voice and develop some musicianship skills that will increase as they grow older and last as lifetime.