Technical improvement - pitch, etc.

WMusic said:

Sure thing, feel free to post it whenever! Or we can correspond through the message system, I think.

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Took a little figuring to see what work work since we can't pm yet. Hopefully this will post here? (The link you posted said it won't work with my browser.) oops that won't work either because it's too large. Let me keep trying.

Maybe this ...

I can do it louder if need be. I was trying to keep it low.

WMusic said:

Great, thanks - I'll upload something for you on Tuesday. Prayers for you in the mean time!

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Thanks!!!

WMusic said:

All right, I hope this helps! I probably should've warmed up before hand but oh well. Keep me posted or let me know if you have questions!

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Thanks VERY much!

I think it's going to be very helpful. I understand more bit by bit and I see what my problem is.

And I can match your pitch easily when it's in my range. I think so far I'm doing a terrible job of singing with you when you are in a different octave, but yes, that's exactly what I need to learn. I'll work on it and use some pitch apps too to see if I can improve, then I'll try to find someone to sing with.

Last week I was put in touch with a couple of ladies who have been kind enough to send me recordings of a couple of hymns we do frequently. I can sing with them.

I thought my pitch was awful, even though I do pretty well trying to sing with pitch apps. But we have two cantors, (both frequently in Greece ... I haven't tried to sing with the man since January I think). And I think he is lower than a typical bass (plus he chants is classic style and only in Greek) ... so that's essentially impossible for me. And the woman goes higher even than some sopranos.

Meanwhile I have little technical knowledge but I think my natural range is limited but is alto. Though I've been singing soprano parts for years but I have artificially manipulate my pitch and I think it's bad for my vocal cords.

But. I'm coming along. I'm having to use mostly books and apps, which are certainly limiting for a skill that should be learned in person. But I'm determined at least.

And yes, you've really hit on a deficiency in my abilities, and certainly something I need to work on. And thank you for giving me some tools to begin to try to do that.

WMusic said:

Hey, you're welcome! I hope they continue to be helpful.

That's great that they sent those recordings! I'm sure that'll help a lot. Listening and singing along as much as you can sounds like just about the best approach you have available, which isn't a bad thing!

Your speaking voice is placed like a soprano or mezzo soprano, but you may still be an alto. It's impossible to accurately say just from those spoken words: speaking voices aren't always indicative of voice type. Often, though, people assume they're a lower voice type than they are because they haven't yet learned the techniques to access their upper range. I definitely did!

With the apps, are they for pitch matching? If so, it might be helpful to have them play a pitch an octave lower than you're going to sing it so you can practice making that octave transposition on the fly. It could also be helpful to practice singing scales and arpeggios on different syllables like "la" "li" "lo" lu/loo" and that kind of thing. After singing a scale or arpeggio up and down try practicing that octave jump. You can transfer that training to when you hear someone else singing and you need to make that octave transposition in your head.

Keep us posted!

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Thanks!

I do think my speaking voice sounds rather mousy and high. Maybe I'm wrong about the alto thing - I tried to figure it out from apps that ask for singing notes to establish range. But I can hear my voice is richer and less thin when I sing a little lower.

I visited a couple yesterday where the man used to be a professional singer, he was a chanter, and choir director over even larger regional choirs. The only thing is that he's almost 90 and has trouble hearing, etc. But he actually listened and played for me the same note you did. He didn't offer any advice for singing with the others - he just said they are far from my range and not always accurate so I should try first to learn to chant on my own, but I will need to learn make my voice work with theirs at some point.

The apps I use do practice scales, etc with different syllables. They usually go up one note at a time (starting note).

I have nothing to teach me to jump an octave, but I can use something like a pitch tuning app to measure my singing and let me know where I am.

I also have a Byzantine isson app which might be good to practice from. I guess I can measure its pitch, then aim for an octave up or down and see what my attempts register. Ideally I'd like to be able to do that fluidly.

The apps I use just play a note and you're supposed to match it.

What I can say is that practicing with them, I've gotten better at singing the correct pitch. Quite a bit better because I was awful at first lol. And now I can usually match it instantly and sustain it. So practice is helping.


Btw, do you know that the scales in Byzantine music aren't fixed on a pitch? They can actually change depending on who is singing. But I can't expand my thoughts that much - I have to learn first on a basic level, then we'll see lol.

I'm told it's considered traditionally that it takes 35 years to learn to master it all. I'll settle for adequate - if I can help facilitate worship, myself be worshipping at the same time, and not make mistakes that will jar anyone, I will be pleased.

Thanks again!!!