VocalTools · Practice guide
Pitch: singing the note you hear
Sing the reference note within ±10 cents in your comfortable zone, and know by ear whether you landed above or below.
Session routine
14 min total- 1Calm breathing and soft long notes on 'oo', without trying to tune yet: just waking up your voice.2 min
- 2Reference, imagine, sing: five notes from your comfortable zone. You play each one on the piano, imagine it for two seconds and sing it in straight tone.4 min
- 3Correcting with the tuner: repeat the notes that landed outside ±10 cents. Write down whether you tend to sag or to climb, because that tells you what to check tomorrow.4 min
- 4Record two long notes on your phone. When you listen back, pay attention to the start, the middle and the end, which is where pitch shows.3 min
- 5Cool-down: a gentle slide down into your low range on 'oo' and a minute of silence so your voice can rest.1 min
Exercises
Mirror note (tuner)
Play a comfortable note on the piano, so the reference is fresh, and sing it in straight tone for five seconds while watching the tuner. If it reads negative, go up just a bit; if it reads positive, come down just a bit. Repeat until the reading stays still near the center. If it moves a lot, try singing softer: it usually settles.
Imagine and sing
Play the note and wait for it to fade, so what's left is the note in your head. Hear it inside for two seconds before singing it; then the tuner confirms whether you got there. When it comes out in tune three times in a row, stretch the wait to four seconds. If the note fades away, play it again: that's part of the training.
Pairs with the piano
Play two nearby notes, like C4-D4 or C4-E4, and sing over them so your ear registers the distance. Then play only the first and find the second without help. You confirm it by playing it on the piano or watching the tuner. If it slips away, sing both with the piano a few more times.
Weekly progression
- Days 1-2: only long notes in straight tone with the tuner, five notes per session. No rush.
- Days 3-4: add recording on your phone, to hear the start, the middle and the end of each note.
- Days 5-7: five notes in a row (C, D, E, G and A in your comfortable octave), imagining each one before singing it. The 'Reference notes with rests' MIDI plays them for you in the C4 octave, with just the right silence to sing them.
Checklist
- I imagine the note for two seconds before singing it.
- When the tuner shows a negative or positive number, I know which way to correct.
- I reach the note without squeezing my neck or pushing.
- My long notes don't sag at the end when I hear them recorded.