The Tuning Point….

more than just the right note!

Tune It….. or Die….

HOW TO

TUNE THOSE

CHORDS!

Susan Lamb

a cappella Gold, BASS

2001 International Quartet Champion

Sweet Adelines, International

July 2006

Objectives
Identify elements of in-tune singing and how improving vocal production can result in finer tuning
Learn an easy way to apply the “P-theory”
Learn chord tuning
Learn rehearsal techniques to help clean up synchronization problems

The Tuning Point… page 2

Elements of In-Tune Singing

Correct Breathing,

Notes & Words & Intervals

Matched, Open Vocal Qualities

Correct/ Matched Vowels

Synchronized Delivery

Proper Balance & Tuning

Matched Dynamics & Textures

Consistent Energized Tone Flow and Energy

The Tuning Point… page 3

Elements Of “In-Tune”
/ THINGS YOUCAN DO
Correct Breathing / Develop better vocal production and knowledge.
Individual vocal improvement
Correct Notes and Words / Get learning tapes- learn to self correct- Tape YOURSELF and listen!
Duet with other parts listening
Accurate Intervals
Each note maintains proper relationship to “DO” / Duet tapes.
Tuning exercises to strengthen your ability to hold the right pitch [1/2 steps & church tuning exercise]
Know your relationship to the melody and between the other parts and to “Do”
Pythagorean tuning
Chord tuning: Learn chords and chord voicings
CHORD walks
Matched, Open Vocal Qualities
Sufficient resonance is used
Vocal textures are matched / Duetting
“Unison to four”
Vocal exercises that increase resonance
Correct and Matched Vowels
diphthongs and “finishments” / VOWEL MATCHING EXERCISES [know your best vowel and use it]
Agree on how to turn vowels and finish words
Synchronized/ Unit Delivery
Starts and releases, inner word & phrase
synchronizations and breathing are together / Listen to and learn the plan.
“Doot-doot-doot” singing exercise
Rehearse breathing, starts and releases
inner word & phrase synchronizations for unit
Proper Balance and Tuning
Chords are “tuned” correctly
Appropriate register mix from all voices [coning]
Proper chord balance- the barbershop “cone” sound / Dueting
Proper chord tuning
Proper Pythagorean tuning
Unit Delivery of Dynamics/ Textures
All voices able to support dynamic extremes and
planned textures / Plan interpretation and dynamics that are “doable” for your group’s level. Remember to do them!
Strengthen vocal production to expand dynamic flexibilities
Develop character and texture in your voices
Consistent Energized Tone Flow and Energy
Matched energy and tone flow from each singer results in unit and a sense of forward motion and vitality. / Find the energy and put it into the music
“Feeling” the music the same way; applying the same amount of body language and energy will help you deliver the music as a unit
Same mental mood/ mental energy
The Ultimate Goal?
A mesmerizing performance….
The performance elicits pure emotional response from the listener!
The longer you keep the judges in their right brains, the higher your score! / Add the right amount of spice and interest
Rehearse until you do not do it wrong…..
Share and Show your joy and passion to the audience…

The Tuning Point… page 4

A scale tone tuning method that helps you to stay in the key.
The basic concept is to sing the 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th tones and any sharps in the key signature slightly raised…

1. find the key of the song

2. mark beside the notes the “cent” value of the note

Scale Position "cents" / DO
0 / DI +14 / RA -10 / RE’ +4 / RI’ +18 / ME’ -6 / MI +8 / FA
-2 / FI +12 / SE’ -12 / SOL +2 / SI +16 / LE’
-8 / LA +6 / LI +20 / TE’ -4 / TI +10
(1) / (#) / (b) / (2) / (#) / (b) / (3) / (4) / (#) / (b) / (5) / (#) / (b) / (6) / (#) / (b) / (7)
Key of / C / C# / Db / D / D# / Eb / E / F / F# / Gb / G / G# / Ab / A / A# / Bb / B
G / G# / Ab / A / A# / Bb / B / C / C# / Db / D / D# / Eb / E / E# / F / F#
/ D / D# / Eb / E / E# / F / F# / G / G# / Ab / A / A# / Bb / B / B# / C / C#
A / A# / Bb / B / B# / C / C# / D / D# / Eb / E / E# / F / F# / F## / G / G#
E / E# / F / F# / F## / G / G# / A / A# / Bb / B / B# / C / C# / C## / D / D#
B / B# / C / C# / C## / D / D# / E / E# / F / F# / F## / G / G# / G## / A / A#
Cb / C / Dbb / Db / D / Ebb / Eb / Fb / F / Gbb / Gb / G / Abb / Ab / A / Bbb / Bb
F# / F## / G / G# / G## / A / A# / B / B# / C / C# / C## / D / D# / D## / E / E#
/ Gb / G / Abb / Ab / A / Bbb / Bb / Cb / C / Dbb / Db / D / Ebb / Eb / E / Fb / F
C# / C## / D / D# / D## / E / E# / F# / F## / G / G# / G## / A / A# / A## / B / B#
Db / D / Ebb / Eb / E / Fb / F / Gb / G / Abb / Ab / A / Bbb / Bb / B / Cb / C
Ab / A / Bbb / Bb / B / Cb / C / Db / D / Ebb / Eb / E / Fb / F / F# / Gb / G
Eb / E / Fb / F / F# / Gb / G / Ab / A / Bbb / Bb / B / Cb / C / C# / Db / D
Bb / B / Cb / C / C# / Db / D / Eb / E / Fb / F / F# / Gb / G / G# / Ab / A
F / F# / Gb / G / G# / Ab / A / Bb / B / Cb / C / C# / Db / D / D# / Eb / E

The Tuning Point…. Page 5

Basic Rules for CHORD TUNING
[don’t confuse scale intervals with chord spellings]
ROOTS / MIDDLE OF NOTE AND STRONG
OCTAVES / CONED, OPEN, LIGHTER, general rule is 50% volume on the upper note
3RDS / HIGHER AND LIGHTER AND CONED
Minor 3rds / Just a little lighter and do not raise it,
Sing on the low side of it.
It is the “flavor” of the chord
5THS / STRONG AND OPEN, ESSENTIALLY THE MIDDLE OF THE TONE
FLATTED 7TH / FLATTED, HAS A STRONG FEEL TO IT especially when in CHOPSTIX position
Major 7th / These are challenging, and easier said than done. The root and the seventh are better tolerated if the octave apart voicing. Requires accuracy and stamina.
SIXTHS / “SOUND-ALIKE” VOICES [esp. when close to the fifth]
The 6th tone needs to be a bit on the high side, and gives the “flavor”
NINTHS
[sometimes a chopstick
but different feel] / IMPORTANT TO MATCH VOCAL QUALITIES, try more “blending” quality. Usually a tender feel, use your ear! In the inverted position, the ninth [actually the second] will need to be strong and usually will be moving to the root to resolve the tension.
Augmented / Most of these are used in passing; they need to be sung on the high side as their name implies- augmented [increased in pitch] the other parts must hold steady
Diminished
[Demented] / Usually sung lower as the name implies…
The eleven chords used in BBS harmony / Major triadbarbershop 7thmajor sixth
Major seventhmajor ninthninth
Minor triadminor sixthminor seventh diminished triadaugmented triad

The Tuning Point…. Page 6

PYTHAGOREAN TUNING
A scale tone tuning method that helps you to stay in the key. The basic concept is to sing the 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th tones and any sharps in the key signature slightly raised…….
Compared to Equal Temperament Tuning, there is more or less
“space” between some note intervals than others…..

COMPARISON OF SELECTED FREQUENCIES

EQUAL-TEMPERAMENT SCALE / PYTHAGOREAN SCALE
Scale tone / Interval from Root / LOG CENTS / Freq Hz / LOG CENTS / Freq. HZ
A / Unison / 0 / 220.000 / 0 / 220.000
A#/Bb / Min. 2 / 100 / 233.082 / 90 / 231.7695
B / Maj. 2 / 200 / 246.942 / 204 / 247.500
C / Min. 3 / 300 / 261.626 / 294 / 260.7407
C#/Db / Maj. 3 / 400 / 277.183 / 408 / 278.4375
D / Perf. 4 / 500 / 293.665 / 498 / 293.333
D#/Eb / Aug 4/ Dim. 5 / 600 / 311.127/311.127 / 612/588 / 313.242/309.026
E / Perf. 5 / 700 / 329.628 / 702 / 330.000
F / Min. 6 / 800 / 349.228 / 792 / 347.6543
F#/Gb / Maj. 6 / 900 / 369.994 / 906 / 371.250
G / Min. 7 / 1000 / 391.995 / 996 / 391.111
G#/Ab / Maj. 7 / 1100 / 415.305 / 1110 / 417.6562
A / octave / 1200 / 440.000 / 1200 / 440.000

IF you want to delve deeper into the Pythagorean tuning concept, read on…

The frequency value tells you how many vibrations per second to create any given pitch.
Equal temperament tuning spaces 12 tones of the octave and EQUAL distance apart- the space from any tone to the next [half] step is always the same = 100 log cents.
Pianos, keyboards and pitchpipes are tuned this way. This allows the instrument to be played in any key with relative accuracy but does not allow creation of the harmonic structure that locks and rings a barbershop chord.
Pythagorean tuning requires that certain steps in the scale be raise or lowered to establish the harmonic structure which creates the overtones and ring of the barbershop chords we so love.
Let’s look at some of the tones on the chart.
“do” [A] remains constant.
Now look at E [fifth or ‘so’] Notice the difference in frequency between Equal Temperament and Pythagorean. [700 and 702] Not very much.
Take a moment to find the notes that are higher; maj 2= B; maj 3=C#; maj 6=F#; maj 7=G#; Aug 4=D#.
So that is why we sing the 2, the 3, the 6 and the 7th and the raised 4th higher
Okay- now find the notes that are lower; min 2=A#/Bb; min 3=Cnat; perf 4=D; min 6=Fnat; min 7=Gnat.
So as a rule, anything lowered from the key signature is tuned lower. But as you know, we generally have a tendency to sing on the low side so we don’t have to put much effort in here!! There will be times, though, that you will experience the ‘feel’ of this.
So now you can understand why checking notes on a pitchpipe or keyboard won’t give you the correct Pythagorean tuned notes, except for “do”. Try to use them only for beginning note learning and checking. Once you are past that stage, drop your dependence on them and begin to rely on your ears.

Important Note- do not worry if you do not understand all of this jargon! Just remember the basic concept of

raising the 2 and 3 and 6 and 7 tones AND sharped notes of the scale.

The Tuning Point page 7