Musicians, help! I am FLAT!

[Bertha Venation]

I am singing in a chorus for the first time in nearly ten years. I'm singing first alto for the first time in my life. Apparently I impressed the director in my audition with my command (?) of the upper range. I sure don't feel any command; in fact, in rehearsal, I feel no confidence whatsoever up there (C and up). I'm intimidated by the singers around me. Wait - no, that's not entirely true. At the risk of sounding arrogant, I have a much better ear than the women who flank me, neither of whom can find the pitch with both hands and a flashlight. This rude pronouncement is unbecoming but I swear it's true. But in last week's rehearsal the woman on my left was absent so I was next to The Loud Voice From Hell, always on pitch but I could not hear myself!

Okay, it's good to get all of that out but that's not why I'm posting.

My call for help is for tips on how not to be flat. It's only when I'm coming in on the higher notes. I know one trick: to attack the note from above. But it's not working right now. Am I really this rusty after ten years? I feel almost defeated.

Help?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I have also returned to a chorus after many years' absence

and I feel your pain! Since I am a first soprano it's easier to hear my part, but here's something that might work, if you can get your choir director to do it: Have everybody mix up; nobody stands next to someone singing the same part. My very excellent college choir did this, and to my delight my new chorus does the same thing. It does wonders for intonation because nobody can drag you off-key by making it too hard to hear yourself. It also makes the overall sound smoother.

[LynzM]

2. Smile a little...

That's the only easy tip I remember, and I'm not sure how well it'll work in the upper range, but it works for normal alto range...

:hug:

[Capn Sunshine]

3. I used to do this in a rock band

when I knew I was flat consistently in upper registers, I would aim fro the sharp note , and it seemed to even out.

Not sure how that would work in chorus though.

[libnnc]

4. I had a choir director once tell us to

squeeze our butt cheeks to get our pitch up there

it worked!

[Jamastiene]

5. Find the note you are having trouble with in a song you know well.

Practice it with that song until you have it drilled into your head and your voice is trained to hit it every time.

[Swamp Rat]

6. Join the tenor section?

Don't strain your voice.... this should be a fun activity, not painful.

[MilesColtrane]

7. More breath support could help fix your pitch.

Your abdomen should tighten to increase the air speed, but your rib cage shouldn't contract.

Also, don't tighten up your throat and jaw when you go for high notes.

One exercise is to make yourself almost yawn by opening up your throat and loosening your jaw so that it's totally relaxed. Then sing a slow "siren" sound from low to the very top of your range and back down. The whole time you should keep your throat and jaw loose and you diaphragm tight so you'll have plenty of air.

You may also try feeling your high notes as coming out of the top of your head instead of forward out of your mouth.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. +1 n/t

[MrsBrady]

13. +1 from a member of a university women's chorus n/t

[Bertha Venation]

16. Breath support & rehearsal last night.

You were right! I have to do some exercises, but I remembered what you said and it helped.

THANK YOU. Will you be my voice coach?

[MilesColtrane]

19. You don't want me as a teacher. Trust me!

I can't sing worth a damn. (even though I have to on some gigs)

I'm glad you're having fun.

[BlueJazz]

9. My friends use a tuner. Tuners are only about 20 bucks but can visually..

... reinforce your pitch control.

I was cursed with perfect pitch but still like to play with them. :)

http://www.wwbw.com/Korg-CA-40-Electronic-Chromatic-Tuner-210132-i1125500.wwbw

[AwakeAtLast]

10. Make sure your posture is good

Even if your are rehearsing while sitting.

A common mistake for some singer is to let off of the intensity of your sound as you get to a higher note. The opposite should be true. Sing right into the higher notes and make sure you have enough air to do so. With a lot of other singers around you it should be easy to stagger your breathing to get the air you need.

Spinto here - I've sung it all!

[Skittles]

11. I will kick your ass and make you sing higher, Kim

I will kick your flat ass; yes INDEED

[TrogL]

12. Smile more - brighten the vowels

Also, lots of support from the belly.

[LeftHander]

14. sing through your nose, constrict your airway, use heavy tremelo and vibrato...

so you sound like a toothless oboe player with bags of cats tied around his neck. People will not notice any flatness you might have.

[unpossibles]

15. great advice

maybe also try to sound like you have something in your mouth. Or actually have something in your mouth like potato chips, to earn the respect of those around you.

[MissMillie]

17. stick a finger in your ear

seriously.

If you block one ear, you'll hear yourself better.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

18. Everyone goes flat at some time or another

My choir includes professional singers (some as section leaders, some just for the fun of it), and still our director has to say things like, "That interval could have been a bit brighter." Fatigue, the weather, and breathing problems can all influence pitch.

Breathe so that your abdomen moves and your ribs don't. As a choral singers since age 8, I've seen lots of people who go flat simply because they run out of breath.

If you're learning a new piece, take the music home, find a piano or electric keyboard, hit your starting note, and start singing your part. Every so often, hit the note you're supposed to be singing.

Practice singing intervals. When I took piano as a child, my teacher made me memorize a song that begins with each interval:

Major Third: "From the halls of Montezuma..."
Fourth: "Here comes the bride..."
Tritone: "Maria..."
Fifth: "Twinkle twinkle little star..."
Sixth: "My Bonnie lies over the ocean..."
Seventh: That weird interval in Moon River: "I'm crossing you in style some day..."