The key to singing in tune is learning to recognize the feeling of matching a note; just starting with one single note.

Think about this: There are an infinite number of notes that you could be hitting when you try to match a note, so if you can do it even once, then you’re not actually tone deaf, right? You are probably able to recognize when someone else is singing out of tune because it sounds wrong somehow, or because what you’re hearing doesn’t match up with what you were expecting to hear, but you may not yet be able to pinpoint why.

When learning to sing in tune, a whole song can be a lot to tackle at once because there are so many elements involved – the melody, the rhythm, and the words. Learning to match pitch while singing a song can also be hard because everything is happening so fast. So, we’ll begin by simply experiencing what it feels like to sing along with another voice. You can try to match the note I’m singing or just play with your voice and notice what is happening — how our voices sound together. The key here is to be mindful, playful and curious — take your time!

Watch the video below, and let’s sing together right now!

We’ll start with a drone note.

A drone just means that one note is being held for a long time. Because this note doesn’t change, the drone gives you the opportunity to sing with it and notice what you are doing in comparison to it. This is the most fundamental compare-and-contrast exercise you can do. It’s good for beginners and it’s also wonderful for experienced musicians, because it allows you to explore deeply all that happens when two notes occur in relation to each other: how they sound, how they vibrate in the air, and how they feel in your body.

This article and the video above are excerpted from the “The Fear of Singing: Learn to Sing Even if You Think You Can’t Carry a Tune!” Look for it at your local bookstore or check it out now on Amazon!