How to Develop Pitch Memory

If you want to be a good singer, learn how to sing with sheet music, sing harmony, and sing in tune, it is imperative that you memorize the relationship between pitches, especially regarding the major scale. This is not an article about perfect pitch, which is the ability to always know which pitch is which just by hearing it, almost as if each pitch has a different color. Most research believes this is a rare ability one is born with, not taught. For the rest of us, we have to learn pitch memory, also known as relative pitch.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Something to give yourself pitch such as a pitchpipe, in tune piano, or in tune guitar.

1. Play any note on your chosen instrument. Then match with an "ooo" sound. Play different pitches (not just next to each other, but bounce around, covering a wide range), and keep matching. If you're not sure if you're matching, ask someone whom you think can match pitch to listen to you.

2. Play a pitch. Wait five seconds, then sing that pitch. Do this many times. Challenge yourself to add in noise during the wait time. Perhaps play a bunch of other pitches during your wait time. Also try increasing the wait time.

3. Listen to a favorite CD, one you know really well. See if you can sing the singer's first pitch during the introduction, when there's just instruments playing. See if between songs, during the couple seconds of silence, if you can sing the first pitch of the next song. Do this with a lot of CD's.

4. Learn how to play at least one major scale on your chosen pitch giving instrument (pitch pipe, guitar, or piano). C Major is probably the easiest. The notes are C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. Sing along with an "ooo" sound. Make sure to go up and down the scale without stopping.

5. Play the scale again, not singing, but listening. Then sing it by yourself, without any pitches played. Check the high C on the way up, and the low C on the way down to see if you sang it correctly.

6. Start mixing up pitches. For example, play C, E, and G, then sing it. Play a particular interval (space between the notes), such as C to F, then sing it. Work your way through all the intervals: C to D (2nd), C to E (3rd), C to F (4th), C to G (5th), C to A (6th), C to B (7th), C to High C (octave).

7. See if you can sing the above intervals by just playing C. For example, play C, then sing C and F. Check to see if you were correct. If you can do this, you have developed pitch memory!