Would you consider making audio workouts for the Better Pitch exercises?

FretlessTheBard

Hi @Ken Tamplin! I've been enrolled in your program for about 4 months, and I'm thrilled with your instruction and the progress I've made so far. One of the things I want to work on more is pitch. Although you included Better Pitch lessons, some of them don't include the whole scale, and they are frequently interrupted when you provide instruction. While the instruction is valuable, it makes the videos suboptimal for actually practicing the exercises.

Would you consider producing some audio workouts for these exercises for those of us who aren't instrumentalists?

Keep up the great work, and thanks for creating such an awesome program.

DannyOc3an

Hi @FretlessTheBard , I'm deep into Vols 3, 4 & 5 now, with nearly a 2 hour daily practice. I'm nailing the pitch spot on almost everytime. But I couldn't when I began.

From my experience, what I can tell you is that in my case, good pitch came over time. It's different for every person, of course, but in my case it was not something I achieved in the initial stages. As someone pointed out, every scale in the program is a pitch scale too. But then, how are you going to focus on it while trying to master the many other moving targets?, It's not easy. Almost impossible at first for many. It's too much info to focus on.

So, my suggestion is the same as Ken's in this regard and is that you should prioritize the moving targets first (support, rib cage expansion, relaxation in chest, neck and throat, bright ping, tongue placement, open throat, etc) and leave pitch to grow over time, in the background by its own. These basic moving targets I mentioned are the things to keep in the mind every day until they become "second nature" and are embedded in your system so you don't think about them anymore, they just happen automatically. This takes months usually. "Muscle memory " Ken calls it. Only then your mind will be free to focus on hitting every note perfectly on scales or songs later. If you worry much about pitch initially, you risk hitting the notes with a defficient placement/technique coming from not building the basic blocks first. That's no good. Even in Vol 3 excersises, Ken interrupts some scales saying something like "I dont care about perfect pitch right now as much as this "X" or "Y" thing about support/yawning/open throat etc" things he points out in that moment. So, pitch is developed over time when doing the scales, it's like it's been worked out "in the background" without you being fully aware since you're busy with the moving targets. Just try to hit the notes as close as you can in the scales but don't make it your focus. I've found out that even if your mind is busy with the basic targets, your subconcious is working on the pitch little by little. I say this because I never did the "Better Pitch" lessons, I focused only on the main scales and didn't care much about perfect pitch, but then I noticed that every week, every month, pitch was more and more accurate on its own, and now it has come to a point where I can hit it spot on everytime but with a good technique. That's the goal. Only now, I'm able to sing some songs line by line foscusing on hitting the various notes, now that the basic things are second nature and automatic my mind is free to focus on hitting every note of the song and think about what tone I should use in each verse that suits best the message or style of that song (emotional, powerful, melancholic, if shall I use head, chest or mix etc). Pitch and song tones have come to my attention at last, after embedding the basics. Hope this helps

RandyB

The way I think about it, every scale, every exercise IS a pitch exercise. Remember Ken’s analogy of the twin-prop plane. When the engines start they are sputtering and out of sync. After a while though, they mesh and you hear this resonant, harmonic “hum”. When I’m practicing every scale I’m looking for that “hum” that will only occur when I’m matching Ken’s pitch or the pitch of the piano or guitar accurately. Having said that, there are pitch training websites available. One that Is mentioned here often and I’ve dabbled with some is Toned Ear. It might help as well. Regardless, you’ve got to listen for the reverberation, the “hum”. Hope this helps.

Happy singing,
Randy

FretlessTheBard

Thanks @RandyB. I do try to match pitch with the regular exercises, but it can be hard to focus on it when there are so many other moving targets. I was thinking it would help to do the better pitch exercises once or twice per week as part of my workout, so that I can focus on pitch rather than range or agility, for instance.

RandyB

I gotcha! I can understand that frustration. I believe I’ve read that some students have successfully slowed down scales with software to make learning and following them easier initially. That may be a route you wish to explore. Also, what about using a virtual piano keyboard on a smart device? Play a note; try to match the pitch. Perhaps the guys who have been around here much longer than I can weigh-in. @Wigs @doc_ramadani @highmtn, what say you gentlemen about FretlessTheBard’s conundrum?

FretlessTheBard

Yeah, I suppose I could try to find an app that would easily play the chords I need. I just thought that since Ken provided the Better Pitch exercises in the course that perhaps he'd be willing to make them a little more accessible for regular practice.

I'm open to other ideas that the other moderators and/or students have if Ken isn't active in Ken Tamplin's Corner

RandyB

🤣🤣🤣I didn’t even realize that’s where you posted this!🤣🤣🤣 Oops. 😬

FretlessTheBard

No problem! I do appreciate your input.

sjonrokz4u

There’s lots of karaoke tracks available on you tube try finding a couple songs that are east and fit your voice. Work on them line by line. Record a line while singing it, listen to it. Make adjustments then repeat until you feel like your really getting it then gonto the next line and do the same. After your good with both then try recording both lines while singing them and continue working like that. Some peyhave better relative pitch than others but pitch can be developed over time. Or are you saying even when you play it back you can’t tell if the pitch is good or not?

FretlessTheBard

@sjonrokz4u that's a good suggestion. I can definitely tell when I play back a recording if I'm out of pitch. I've been working on an original song, and there was one phrase I just couldn't sing on pitch for a good 20 takes or more. It was frustrating because it would sound right as I sung it, but flat when I'd play it back. I think @RandyB was right on the money with the daily exercises being too fast for working on pitch. I'm not criticizing; pitch is not the goal of the daily exercises. I assume that's why Ken considered the Better Pitch exercises important enough to include the course. They slow everything down and focus on toggling between different note intervals that aren't practiced in the triad, major, or inverted scales.

sjonrokz4u

Another thing I don’t know if you’ve tried or not is pitch identification. If you don’t play an instrument you can get a cheap key board or guitar. Play a random note and try and copy it. Try doing a bunch of those. It will help also although I’m not sure that’s any different than tone dear

FretlessTheBard

@DannyOc3an that makes complete sense and makes me feel better. Thanks for sharing your experience.

@sjonrokz4u thanks for the ideas. It also makes sense that practicing the same song over and over would help. And come to think about it, I've noticed my pitch getting better with some of the songs that I sing along to a lot. Go figure

jonny

i found when i am supported and have my pallet raised / open throat I hit on pitch, the second i let go of support or lower pallet it can drift off going up or down scales...also has alot to do with vowel mod ups and down scales