Electronic ears: Using Performous to learn how to sing

Posted: - Modified: | kaizen, life, linux

SCHEDULED: 2010-07-28 Wed 08:00

I've been singing in the wrong key(s) all my life. Thanks to Brendon Robinson's recommendation of Performous (a free, open source music application), I can finally work on fixing that.

Part of learning how to sing is getting used to what the notes feel like. I find it difficult to listen to piano notes and figure out if I'm singing at the right pitch. Sometimes I'm sharp, sometimes I'm flat, sometimes I'm way off. Recording is a hassle, and it takes too long between trying something and getting feedback. (I'm amazed by how my dad taught himself all sorts of photography techniques with a film camera…)

Performous provides instant feedback on the musical note and frequency it hears. I can watch the note and slide up and down the scale until I find the right pitch, and I can make up my own exercises for getting the notes right.

https://sachachua.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Performous_20100727T1826564.png

When I can sing scales and vocalizations without a hitch, then I can find a singing teacher to help me with volume and technique. First things first: gotta do it right before I do it loud. =)

I only wish I thought of looking for something like this a long time ago!

*Performous (http://performous.org)*: Free and open source – Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux

You can comment with Disqus or you can e-mail me at sacha@sachachua.com.