As one approaches the notion of singing, various questions may arise. Many of these are frequently asked by beginning singers. Here are eight of such ponderings:
IS IT TRUE THAT SOME PEOPLE CAN'T SING?
Yes, but such numbers are extremely low, compared to what you might think. If you can speak, you CAN sing, at least at a basic level. Among the origins of this "can't sing" myth are frequently reported conditions such as these two: 1) inaccurate information received in childhood from one's parents, etc., about their lack of singing capabilities, and perhaps delivered in some form similar to this: "Johnny, stop that noise! YOU can't sing"; and/or 2) suffering from "stage fright" to such a degree that singing is perceived as impossible from the get-go.
In the first case, singing proficiency can be traced to certain hereditary factors in some, but a total lack of singing ability is not an existent heredity misfortune! In the second case, mortal fear of singing must rate somewhere high above the infamous, severely-feared fate, public speaking! But this condition is indeed curable!
In reality, barring extraordinary physiological problems, singing is a perfectly natural ability for the human body.
IS IT TRUE THAT SOME PEOPLE CAN'T SING ON PITCH?
Yes, but, in most cases, such a condition is fixable. Someone might exhibit what is called "tone deafness" - the inability to distinguish between musical pitches (or frequencies), thus being unable to vocally match, or harmonize with, the sounds from other people or instruments. This lack of sensitivity to the differences between notes may be due, in part, to not having been constructively exposed to much music, particularly when young, which would help to train the ear to hear different pitches adequately enough to match one's own singing with those external pitches from others.
The word, "deafness", in "tone deafness", is not so much describing a matter of being unable to hear the incoming notes as a sound. A "tone deaf" person usually hears fine, in general -- easily hearing, for example, the speaking of others, sirens, traffic, train whistles, etc. "Tone deafness" -- the inability to distinguish between musical pitches, in particular -- can be strengthened with specific training, appropriately referred to as "ear training". Besides increasing musical skills, ear training can help increase health (by stimulating the nervous system) and fill in gaps left in former stages of personal development. The term, "ear training", also refers to more advanced work given to musicians -- training for more precise tuning, as well as singing intricate harmonies with others, etc.
IS IT TRUE THAT SOME SINGERS AND OTHER MUSICIANS CAN "HEAR MUSIC IN THEIR HEADS"?
Yes, this phrase usually refers to the ability to hear music mentally, as if music were being heard, but when no external music is playing at the time. Mozart and other composers were reported to be able to compose entire symphonies and operas in their heads, writing them down while sitting at a desk, with only pen and paper (much like writing a letter) and without the use of musical instruments to confirm the notes for them at that point. This skill is based on auditory memory - a parallel ability to remembering images, tastes, or smells. Such an auditory memory is essential to both reading music and writing it, Mozart-style, as there is the need to associate the notes written on a page with the corresponding musical pitches.
WHAT IS "PERFECT PITCH"?
"Perfect pitch" (or "absolute pitch") refers to a person's ability to recognize, when hearing a musical pitch, the specific note in music to which that pitch corresponds. A person with so-called perfect pitch may hear a "B-flat" played on a piano, and, without seeing which key was depressed, know "perfectly" that it was a "B-flat" being played. Such a person can easily name notes in this fashion repeatedly, without erring. You can imagine how useful this ability would be for an active musician!
Rather closely associated to those having "perfect pitch" abilities, is a wider group of individuals - musicians, largely - who exhibit having "relative pitch". This includes the ability to hear a given reference note and, from there, to hear and sing other notes, as they relate to that reference note. Those who are able to "play music by ear" exhibit a good sense of relative pitch. A measure of relative pitch is required to sing music from the printed page, called "sheet music" or "charts".
HOW CLOSELY LINKED ARE SINGING AND HEARING?
In a word, quite... Singing and hearing are so closely linked that Dr. Alfred Tomatis, the famed French, revolutionary audiologist, established, as a scientific principle, that "the voice of any specific person cannot produce a sound that the ear of that person cannot hear." This is borne out in those common instances, where certain, usually more senior people, find that their voices may become thinner, quieter (or louder), and more reedy, over time, as they experience corresponding hearing loss. In reference back to "tone deafness" -- in order to sing on pitch, one must be able to hear on pitch! Singing off-key is more a matter of "hearing off-key", or lacking the ability to hear the difference between various musical pitches.
HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE THE ANATOMICAL NAME OF THE "VOICE BOX"?
The voice box - containing the vocal cords -- is called the "larynx", a word that is often misread and therefore mispronounced. The first syllable is pronounced like the word, "lair", which rhymes with "bear". The second syllable is pronounced in a way that rhymes with the word, "Sphinx", and NOT sounding like the word "nicks", which rhymes with "sticks".
WHAT MAKES A PERSON'S VOICE DISTINCT FROM THAT OF OTHERS?
Many think that it is the larynx that causes each person to have a unique vocal sound - in singing or speaking. Not so. The vocal cords, inside the larynx, are much like a stringed instrument, such as a violin or guitar. When you sing, the vocal cords vibrate, and emit an oscillation. This rather quiet, "buzzy" oscillation is then amplified by the other parts of each person's head, each of which is designed to unique specifications for each person! Those parts are known as "the resonators" (oral and nasal cavities, sinuses, and the throat, or pharynx (which rhymes with "larynx"!), and "the articulators" (the soft palate, tongue, and lips). It is these very similar but unique specifications in the physical design of each person that makes that person's voice distinct from that of others.
At a wider level of discussion, as regards the nature of sound itself, it could be asked, not only what makes voices distinct from one another, but -- in the entire soundscape around us -- what makes any sound different from another? Why, for example, does a flute sound different from a trumpet?
Every instrument, including the human voice, emits a sonic vibration, or oscillation. These oscillations set the air between a performer and listener into a structured wave motion, which is then received and interpreted by the listener's hearing mechanisms. And each oscillation is made up of several components - the "fundamental" (or main) pitch, plus a number of higher-pitched, much more discreet "overtones". The fundamental pitch is heard as a particular note in any given musical melody or harmony, while the overtones determine the "timbre", or the "flavor of sound" associated with each given note. The timbre is different for different voices or instruments, depending on the unique combination of intensities sounded by the overtones of each note.
We can hear the different timbres of sound provided by the various instruments in an orchestra, for example, even when all the instruments are sounding the same fundamental pitch. And each voice has a similar, but unique, timbre -- thus the listener can distinguish it from other voices.
DOES AGE AFFECT ONE'S SINGING VOICE?
This is a multi-faceted question. For the very young, basic singing ability, as in carrying a tune, will take a while to develop, mainly because the child, like everyone, must develop the ability to hear different pitches. Until they do, what they sing will tend to be monotone in sound (everything sung on more-less the same note). Not to worry, this monotone condition is part of normal development, at least to a certain age, and will pass.
Children can and should certainly be given basic music training (such as piano, violin, or guitar lessons) and rhythm exercises, as such elements are a crucial part of early child development. (There is so much in the realm of children's "play" that can be enjoyed, using musical elements.) However, specific formal vocal training can and should not begin until later teens, at the earliest, with the first training being moderate, so as to avoid possible strain on the fragile, still-developing vocal cords.
In general, nature deems it fitting for anyone of any age to be able to sing! Some operatic voices don't fully "mature" until into the 40' and 50's. Theoretically, one can never be too old to sing, except as dictated, perhaps, by one's general health condition and one's ability to support the voice with adequate breath.
Singing - once labeled "making a joyful noise" -- has proven to aid in health, happiness, and longevity!
Thank you to PenDell Pittman
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