Singing For Dummies
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One way of discovering how to match pitch is to record yourself singing along with another recording. This exercise gives you a chance to compare the notes you sing with the notes that the singer on the recording sings.

Listening to yourself singing on a recording is different from listening to yourself singing live. You can be more objective and hear the difference between what you sang and what was on the original recording.

  1. Choose your favorite song and select a recording device.

    Recording with a digital recorder offers a better quality than a tape recorder.

  2. Start playing the song at the same time you begin recording.

  3. Hold the recorder near your mouth and sing along with the song.

    Sing at least half the song.

  4. Stop the song and the recording.

  5. Be brave and play the recording.

    Were you close to matching the pitches? Did you hit most of the notes? Missing only the high notes is fine for now.

    If you missed most of the notes, go back and work on your exercises on pitch and muscle memory some more.

Not liking what you hear on the recording is normal. Don’t give up yet! You’ll get used to hearing your voice recorded. Comparing your sound to the artist’s recording isn’t fair, because the artist probably spent thousands of dollars for a sound engineer to make her sound incredible.

About This Article

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Pamelia S. Phillips is a professional singer with over 35 years of teaching experience. She has designed curriculum for high school students, college BFA programs, and professional training programs, helping thousands of singers refine their singing technique.

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