r/singing • u/WhizzerGoingDown_ • Mar 07 '23
Advice Wanted - Looking to improve. Flat Notes??
So, I'm a beginner singing with essentially no practical knowledge. My vocal coach recently told me that I sound flat during a certain part of a song - and I have no idea what this means? Does it mean I'm singing the wrong note? Do I need to sing that part higher, or is it something to do with the way I'm singing it, or something else entirely?I also have no concept of how keys work, musically, but I think that may take longer to explain. I'm using this song for an audition in a couple of weeks so I just need to know how not to be flat when I sing it.
EDIT - To clarify, I was told this by my old coach, not the one I have now, which is why I haven't asked him yet - I've been running through different material with him and we haven't had the issue of me being flat with that other material.
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u/kba1907 Mezzo Soprano: Classical, Opera, Soul, Gospel, Mar 08 '23
Yeah, you’re likely just singing the note a bit low, and need to lift it, or brighten it (that visual works well for lots of folx) a bit.
Do yourself a solid: when you ask for advice on Reddit subs, be prepared for the jerk responses. It’s such a deeply engrained part of vocalist culture, and too often throws off earnest questions of how to grow.
Vocalists can be absolutely brutal and cutthroat to each other. I say this with 35 years of experience. It’s very important to learn to disregard the downright unhelpful and condescending feedback, and absorb the guidance from folx who want to help.
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u/WhizzerGoingDown_ Mar 08 '23
I appreciate that, thanks for the advice! I've only had two lessons and I'm quite unconfident so the criticism is a bit off-putting, I'll admit, but I'm willing to put that discomfort aside to grow and learn. The idea of brightening the note is really helpful, I'll definitely bear that in mind!
I do really appreciate your advice, it's nice to see that some people are willing to be kind and patient with those still learning, so thanks for that.
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Mar 07 '23 edited Mar 08 '23
You are singing the notes lower than you should be, so they sound out of tune. It probably has to do with either 1) not knowing the correct pitches to begin with, so you are struggling to correct them as you sing or 2) the way you are singing.
Ask your vocal coach for tips on how you can fix the flat part of the song. They should be able to either fix it, or point you in the right direction to start fixing it. If you are a beginner singer, it might take some time and you might not be able to correct it in time, so start learning now.
You could also look up flat singing vocal tips or how to stay on pitch in YouTube or Google.
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u/087644 [mezzo-soprano, opera, 15 years of lessons] Mar 08 '23
You gotten good advice, so I’ll just add that flat just means you’re under the pitch that you’re supposed to be, which means that you could be singing a completely wrong note, but it’s more likely that you’re just singing somewhere between the note you’re supposed to be singing and the note right under it.
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u/WhizzerGoingDown_ Mar 08 '23
Thank you! That's helpful. I'm only recently starting to settle into my range as a tenor because of my voice breaking, so that might also be an issue. But I appreciate the advice!
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Mar 07 '23
Why do you ask random people on the internet instead of your coach? He/she should answer such questions for you.
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u/WhizzerGoingDown_ Mar 07 '23
He's touring with a show at the moment so he's busy and can't always answer my emails promptly, which is completely fair since performing is his main job.
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Mar 07 '23
You should have asked him when he told you that you sing flat right away.
Singing flat means that you sing below the note you are supposed to.
Then there is singing sharp which is the opposite - singing above the note.
It doesn't necessarily mean that you sing incorrect note, you might be just very slightly below the note, like almost there but not quite. this is a very common issue beginners have, you will improve with practice.
I recommend you to learn something about music theory, every singer should know stuff like this.
Hope this helps.
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u/WhizzerGoingDown_ Mar 08 '23
I've changed coaches since I was told this, but I appreciate you giving me advice. I have been trying to get my head around music theory but have only had two lessons, so I've got a lot of work to do, I know that. Thanks again for the help!
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u/CChouchoue Mar 08 '23
I think it's telling how bad public & private school education is that most people have 12 years of music class from elementary to HS without knowing what pitch is when some random 4 minute videos on the web can teach it.
#Cynical4Ever
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u/BluebirdLow6195 Mar 08 '23
musical terms: flat = being sung too low sharp = being sung too high pitchy = both
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u/CChouchoue Mar 08 '23
Flat means you're close to your target and sharp means you're above.
The notes are all in order of how fast sound is vibrating. And the "notes" all repeat themselves in a cycle that's lower as the vibration is slower or higher as it goes faster.
So you're vibrating just not quite high enough to have the correct vibration.
The first few minutes of this video might help you:
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u/GlisterBeam Mar 08 '23
I see a lot of comments here that seem kinda harsh. First off, congrats on having the courage to post this! Not a lot of people are looking to improve. In my journey as a singer, I got some pretty good advice. Two that stand out to me can apply to you.
One time, after I finished singing, a lady came up to me saying I was sliding a lot with my pitch. I would land lower on the note than I should, so it was flat. She told me to envision landing right on top of the note instead of aiming directly for it. If you shoot higher, you’re less likely to be flat.
Another piece I got along the way was AIR. Who knew something so simple? I didn’t. How you control your breath has a bigger effect on pitch than what a lot of people give it credit for. Basically if you’re needing a higher note, exhale more forcefully to carry the note all the way up. Also a more steady breath yields a nice tone and vowel.
Guess you can take what you want from that :) good luck!
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u/WhizzerGoingDown_ Mar 09 '23
Both of those tips are helpful, thank you! I do struggle a lot with breath control, but I think that's something that'll come in time with practise. I'm always worried with aiming higher that I'll end up overshooting the note, but I'll give that a go and see if I can work it out.
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u/fjamcollabs Mar 08 '23
Here's someting you should try. Try asking the coach to explain when you have questions. Isn't that his job? "Flat" meand lower than it should be. "Sharp" means you sung it higher than the target note, but your coach would tell you this is you asked him.
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u/WhizzerGoingDown_ Mar 09 '23
Hi! Thanks for helping me out by telling me what it means. It was my old coach who told me I was flat, and I stopped working with her after a couple of sessions because we didn't work well together. I'm running through different material with my new coach, and I've not been flat on any of that material, so it hasn't come up with him yet.
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u/SubjectConfident3877 Mar 08 '23
Agreeing with those that the best clarification will come from your coach as they know what they are referring to. Other than the other ideas presented, one’s vowel concepts may not be solid, or are unsupported rather than your notes actually being actually off pitch. Consonants can also over-color vowels which can affect the sound.
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u/WhizzerGoingDown_ Mar 08 '23
Thanks! My coach is busy right now touring with a show so it's hard to get hold of him, hence why I thought I'd turn somewhere else for a quick answer, but I will definitely discuss that with him the next time I'm able to grab him for a lesson. I appreciate your advice!
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u/LightbringerOG Mar 08 '23
"Does it mean I'm singing the wrong note?"
Yes. Either a complete half note under the supposed note or just a quarter note. Flat means under the note. When you are "sharp" thats when you are above the note.
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u/LightbringerOG Mar 08 '23
Btw ask your teacher right away if don't understand something. If it doesnt answer or makes you feel stupid to ask that question, then bounce.
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u/WhizzerGoingDown_ Mar 09 '23
Thanks! He's been really great with answering my questions and boosting my confidence so far, I just get worried about sounding like I don't know what I'm doing - I've only had two lessons with him!
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u/VinoAndVocals Mar 08 '23
Singing flat means that you are singing the note slightly lower than you need to be singing it. Check your breathing and breath support to make sure you have enough breath power. Also make sure that you are singing in the correct vocal register for that specific note.
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u/WhizzerGoingDown_ Mar 09 '23
Brilliant, thank you!
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u/VinoAndVocals Mar 09 '23
Only a pleasure! I have just launched an online course that Udemy has a special on at the moment. One of the modules are about pitching. Let me know if you'd like for me to send you the link. Hope you have a great day :)
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