Pro Tips for Staying on Pitch

Pitch is one of the fundamental, foundational core elements in singing – so much so that it is one of the most important – perhaps the most important – quality of a great voice. By Cari Cole “Pitch-ey” has now become a household word thanks to American Idol judges. At least now we vocal coaches don’t have to explain it! Pitch is one of the fundamental, foundational core elements in singing – so much so that it is one of the most important – perhaps the most important – quality of a great voice. Imagine pitch as a circle – about the size of a dime. Right in the center of that dime is the bulls-eye. This is the center of pitch. Flat pitch falls below the bulls-eye and sharp pitch falls above the bulls-eye. In general, rock singers tend to compress their notes and fall flat – while R & B or jazz singers tend to sing lighter and “overblow” their notes, singing sharp. Most singers scoop into their notes. Although it can be cool as a styling thing, scooping without knowing what you are doing tends to miss the center of the note. The first step is to identify flat and sharp. And to do so, don’t let yourself scoop – hit the note head-on. Sing a note in the center of the pitch (head-on – at the bulls-eye) and then fall slightly flat (slide slowly like a siren) and quickly return to the center again. The best way to do this is to hit a note on a piano (around a middle C) and sing the note matching the pitch exactly. Now do it again, but this time go slightly sharp in the middle of the note and slide back to the center. You have just identified flat and sharp. Now cup your ears (or use Hearfones – hearfones.com) and aim for the bulls-eye. If you are uncertain where the bulls-eye is – sing slightly flat and then sharp to find the middle. This is super important because a singer – like a violin player – has to fix pitch as they go. How else can you improve your pitch?

1. Here is my Number One Pitch exercise:

  1. Play and LISTEN to a Chromatic Scale. Just play each note on your keyboard up and down starting at C and go to C at the next octave. Do this slowly, listening first. The chromatic scale is every single note, black and white, as they occur in order on the keyboard, without leaving any notes out. The formal name for these notes is “half steps.”
  2. To sing the chromatic scale on pitch, you have to become familiar with how the steps sound. By listening, you get the sounds of the steps in your ear. After awhile this scale is memorized in your ear as “steps” and different “notes”.
  3. Now you’re ready to sing the Chromatic scale. Play each note on the keyboard first and sing it immediately after you play it. This allows you to hear the note first and then sing it – improving your ear – which is the first step to improving pitch.
The key is – don’t rush through the scale. Sing this scale up and down every single day. If you want to – add the actual solfeggio vowels. Here they are: Ascending (moving up the scale) DO DI RE RI MI FA FI SO SI LA LI TI DO (top of the scale) Returning down the scale (descending) TI LI LA SI SO FI FA MI RI RE DI DO (bottom) (DI or MI etc. is pronounced “dee” or “me” and RE is pronounced “ray”)

2. Use Hearfones with Vocal Technique Scales.

I have all my singers use Hearfones for part of their technique scales. It allows them to “self-correct” pitch and tone and gets them singing with better pitch right away. It’s like having a vocal coach in your ear while you practice!

3. Record your Voice frequently.

Singing Chromatic and Major Scales and record yourself. Listen back and see if you are singing the pitch accurately. (Use Garage band or recording software). Learn to recognize sharp and flat and correct them instantaneously as you sing.

4. Melodyne or Pitch Correct your Vocal.

Try having your voice pitch-corrected and then sing to that recording (sometimes singers don’t realize they are slightly off). I use this process to correct pitch in a singer. It helps them to hear the center of pitch and make corrections. Insider Tip #1: People who have a pitch problem also tend to have a habit of not listening to the notes and are generally not musicians (they don’t play an instrument). I highly recommend to every singer out there to play an instrument — but even so – the trick is LISTENING and learning the Chromatic – and Major, Minor, and Pentatonic scales (more about those in later posts). Insider Tip #2: Believe it or not, there are famous singers who sing on the sharp or flat side and that is part of their sound. Some producers say perfect pitch is “too perfect” and they will not correct every note on a record (yet pitch correction is now a standard in the industry and to not pitch correct is doing yourself a disservice – especially if you are trying to get signed. That’s a whole ‘nother article in itself). Try these tips out and let us know what you notice below!

Share this post

Categories

Hi, I’m Cari Cole.

You’ve got talent, but you want to become great at it. You’re in the right place! My mission is to help you refine your unique artist vision to bring to the world.

About Cari Cole

Cari Cole is the CEO / Founder of caricole.com and CCVM: Label Without Walls. She is a Holistic Vocal Coach, Artist Development Expert, A&R Director, and Songwriter based in New York City helping artists for the past 38 years. She is a mentor for Women in Music and The Association of Independent Music Publishers.

Her latest venture, CCVM a label services company, provides artists with a seamless path from creation to completion. After 30+ years of observing the overwhelm and challenges that artists face, Cari pulled together the best top creative professionals and designed a new approach to supporting our artists.

Disclaimer:
The information provided on Cari Cole's website is informational only and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on Cari Cole's website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.

Worried About Losing Your
Voice During a Performance?

In a few minutes you'll learn:

  • Where your voice rates on the vocal health scale
  • How to realign your voice and regain vocal health
  • How to stay healthy and vocally fit throughout your career

Get Your Free Vocal Health Quiz

A Gift from Holistic Vocal Coach, Cari Cole.

Assess your vocal health + get my proven techniques and holistic remedies to support your vocal health.

INSTANT ACCESS

FREE DAY TRIAL

FREE DAY TRIAL

... I’ll show you how to manifest your music and get on track to the career of your dreams.

Kickstart your craft + career with FREE access to my Step Up to the Spotlight Artist Development Program

30 Videos      30+ Worksheets      52 Week Artist Plan

INSTANT ACCESS

FREE DAY TRIAL

FREE DAY TRIAL

... I’ll show you how to manifest your music and get on track to the career of your dreams.

Kickstart your craft + career with FREE access to my Step Up to the Spotlight Artist Development Program

30 Videos      30+ Worksheets      52 Week Artist Plan

Announcing a brand new experience...

Cari Signature_White

Presents:

VOCAL PERFORMANCE CIRCLE

8 weeks to your best performance, ever.

Ease. Execution. Excellence.

Cari Cole Vocal Coach Signature

free vocal workshop

The Power of the
Singing Voice

Thursday, May 4th at 2:30pm ET
*Limited seats available

Held LIVE on

Untitled design (3)

WORLD VOICE DAY

SAVe up to

50% OFF

ENDS APRIL 17!

Love yourself with a special gift...

VALENTINE’S DAY

SAVE UP TO

30% Off

ENDS FEBRUARY 15!

CCVM
Monthly Musician

MEMBERSHIP

CCVM

VOCAL
EXERCISES

CCVM

PROGRAMS

with Cari Cole

CCVM

PRIVATE
SESSIONS

with Cari Cole

Cari Cole Vocal Coach Signature
Cari Signature_White

Black Friday

SAVE UP TO

50% OFF

ENDS NOVEMBER 28!

CCVM
Monthly Musician

MEMBERSHIP

CCVM

VOCAL
EXERCISES

CCVM

PROGRAMS

with Cari Cole

CCVM

PRIVATE
SESSIONS

with Cari Cole

Back by popular demand!

Cari Cole Presents:

VOCAL FREEDOM CIRCLE

20 minutes a day.
3 months.
Your best voice ever.

*Program starts February 7 - April 10, 2024

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions