Singing as a composing tool.

I've always heard music in my head, and try to replicate what I heard on an instrument. But in the last year, I've read a couple of books which where recommending that you should train yourself to sing whatever you hear in your head and it will improve you transposing skills, help you be able to write down what you hear and eventually remove the constant need of an instrument for the process of composition.

Since then I've trained myself to achieve that, and I found that singing actually is helpful for writing melodies and such.

Recently a friend of mine that is a pianist and has perfect pitch told me that I constantly sing tones a half-step down that he plays on the piano. Now this isn't so bad for the process of composing as the stuff I sing remains the same (interval-wise) and I can transpose the whole thing wherever I need it to be later.

But I've found myself working in a band that has a need for backing vocals, and I would be happy if I could sing accurate pitches (thirds, fifths).

So what I want to ask is; what are some good exercises and methods for improving your singing (except the good ol' sit at the piano and play intervals then try to sing them)?

Improving singing ?

Listen to yourself ....(even record your voice and playback)

Vocalisation (

For you trimbre .....

-Open you mouth

-Breath (do you play some woodwind-brass ? )

-bend you tongue .... and move you muscles for expression

watch singers carefully .......

...So what I want to ask is; what are some good exercises and methods for improving your singing ...?

Learn some tunes - learn to improvise - jazz standards, bebop heads.

Get an Aebersold or two...

Hey I struggle with the same thing but as SYS and robin imply the only way to get better at singing at pitch is to - SING.

Ideally I would work with someone who would sing a tone and ask you to match it. Be sure to record the first few lessons. Your teacher will tell you what you sang. Also, practice remembering the 12 chromatic pitches - start with la, and before playing la, sing it. Play la and determine what YOU sang. Try again figuring out how low or high you need to adjust, see what you sing. Do this with si, do etc ....

I'd add sight singing scores is another great exercise. Pull out your Bach Chorales and sight sing the alto line, using the piano to only CHECK your notes (well, you can give yourself the starting pitch at the piano). Play the note with your left hand while conducting with your right. Stop immediately if you make a mistake and correct it, then move on. Don't spend too much time correcting notes - once you get it move on. Then sing the alto part while playing the bass.

Also, sing a variety of musics - jazz standards, Gregorian chant, pop songs.

Transcribe the melodies and then try the bass and later the inner voices as you get better. The latter is not necessarily important to singing on pitch biut rather improves your ear and helps you hear yourself.

I'd also say improvise but I think it has to be done methodically = otherwise you risk noodling around. One thing that will help your ear and is a good entree into improv is learning figured bass - singing the root, soprano as if you were doing the chorale exercises.

Realize this is a lot of ideas and I rarely do all of them -- but just doing SOME of them has helped me. I will say unless you are a singer or a chorister, sight singing is something you have to practice very often (daily is ideal).

JUST to add more: Sing a hymn you don't know everyday.

Try learning solfege and singing VERY difficult literature on it.

Actually... for CO stuff... DON'T PLAY YOUR STARTING NOTE!!! Just make it up. It's better for you because you HAVE to create your own key.

this is some great insight guys, thanks very much!