Learning Perfect Pitch

Tone is controlled by emotions or the mood that's created when singing while pitch is basically a measurement of how high or low you're singing a song. Technically a person isn't "tone deaf" but just unable to attain the pitch they want in the desired key. Therefore, they simply go off key on certain high or low notes. They might be able to "hear" the tone of their voice just fine but not be able to hear the key to reach the right pitch.

Learning perfect pitch takes a lot of practice but it is possible. Some seem to catch on more quickly than others, and there are always those with seemingly a "natural born" talent! Basically, attaining the perfect pitch with your voice means you'll be able to sing notes correctly (such as Middle C) without ever hearing the note played on an instrument or sung by someone else. Instead of having to introduce the note on a piano, guitar, etc., someone will be able to ask you to start singing in Middle C...and you will be able to accommodate immediately. You'll even be able to sing from sheet music without playing it on an instrument first! This is the ultimate goal for many chorus members and concert performers.

What does having perfect pitch mean?

When you have perfect pitch, you'll be able to name the key of a music piece simply by listening; sing in a certain pitch without an external prompt; identify each pitch or note by name when played on a variety of instruments; and name or identify various tones of any given chord. This does not mean that you will always sing on key; this depends on how skilled you are at identifying the pitch and keeping it accurate throughout an entire song. 

Is learning perfect pitch necessary to be a great singer?

Absolutely not! There are actually very few great singers that have this ability. Most singers need to 'hear" the pitch and be prompted by an instrument before they can start singing. It's nothing to be ashamed of...even if performing in front of large audiences. Many singers develop relative pitch rather than perfect pitch. With relative pitch, a singer can hear one key on the piano or guitar and then guess at the notes that are higher and lower than that particular pitch. It's not "perfect" but close enough to make a song sound great to the listening ear!

You can also practice "matching pitch" by hearing a note externally and then matching it perfectly with your voice. If your voice doesn't match the first time, then slide your voice up and down until it does match. Do this over an over with each note and notice how the sounds blend when your voice does match the pitch.

There are many exercises and singing courses to help with learning perfect pitch or even relative or matching pitch. While mastering this skill doesn't guarantee you'll sing on key every time, it will certainly help you identify the key of songs and start off every song correctly. Then you can work on tone, vocal warm ups, breathing, body posture and various singing techniques to improve your skills.

Consider taking an online singing course for learning perfect pitch so you can complete lessons and exercises on your own schedule and at low cost.