Improve your pitch in only 10 minutes

Lisa Witt  /  UPDATED Mar 24, 2023

Are you having issues with your pitch? Developing great pitch has as much to do with muscle coordination as it does with our ears.

With this vocal routine, I will help you improve your pitch in just 10 minutes.

I’ve also included some free scales in this article so you can practice. Let’s dive in!

Staccatto: the ugly ‘AH’

For the first exercise, you’ll begin by sticking out your tongue and singing a concise and almost abrupt, ‘AH.’ As you sing the ugly ‘AH, go up and down the scale.” You’ll find singing along with me very helpful. We’ve included a high and low voice scale here.

Ugly “Ah” – Descending 5 Tone Repeat (High Voices)

Ugly “Ah” – Descending 5 Tone Repeat (Low Voices)

Don’t let your voice get tense. Keep your posture and mouth relaxed. Using your hands to visualize the sound may also be helpful.

Once you’re done, we’ll move on to the next exercise.

Creaky door

We’ll go up and down the scales in the same short, strong way as before. But this time, you’ll keep your mouth closed, leaving you with a humming sound. If you’re doing it right, it will almost sound like you’re making creaky door noises.

You’ll want to make sure you’re not tense. An easy way to test this is to place both thumbs right under your chin, almost holding it up. Now swallow and notice how something pushes against your thumbs. Those are the muscles you want to keep relaxed during this exercise. Try to turn them to jelly as you sing through. Give it a try.

“Creaky Door” – 5 Tone Scale (High Voices)

“Creaky Door” – 5 Tone Scale (Low Voices)

It doesn’t have to be loud, but it does need to be connected. You don’t want the sound to stop at your nose. It’s almost like target practice. Closing your eyes may help you focus on the sounds you’re aiming for.

Remember, it’s not supposed to sound pretty. These exercises are meant to help you improve your accuracy.

Once you’ve run up and down the scale a couple of times, let the humming combine as you go up and down. You are no longer leaving a sharp stop in between.

If you have difficulties with this, you can return to the individual sounds until you feel comfortable making the switch.

Give it a shot.

“Creaky Door” – 5 Tone Scale (High Voices)

“Creaky Door” – 5 Tone Scale (Low Voices)

Freedom Excercise

When working on pitch, many students tell me:

“I’m fine on the bottom notes, but when I try to sing high, I kind of lose my voice, or I can’t find the notes.”

This often happens when we get a little too tense. So I like to do a ‘freedom exercise.’

Pretending you’re cheering on your favorite sports team, do a big “woo!”. Try paying attention to the positioning of your vocal cords and the feeling in your throat.

In the next exercise, you will sing “GOO” as you go up and down the scale. Make sure you sound similar to the “woo” form before.

“Goo”-“Koo” – Descending Arpeggio (High Voices)

“Goo”-“Koo” – Descending Arpeggio (Low Voices)

We don’t want a nasal or strained sound. We’re looking for short, accurate notes that feel easy. And you get brownie points if you add some vibrato to the end note!

Now that you’re the “GOO” master, we’ll move on to a “KOO” sound. The same idea. Give it a try.

GUG

If you’ve seen our previous videos or read our other articles, you know that we’ve GUGGED before. It’s a super helpful exercise because it combines everything we’ve done until now. 

As we move down the scale, each “GUG” will help you avoid getting tense while offering your body a different experience from what we’ve done until now. 

When you “GUG,” make sure the “G” never comes out too aggressive. We want soft yet precise sounds. You may find singing along with me helpful.

If you ever have difficulties maintaining or finding the notes, go back to the “AH,” and use them to find your way back.

Ok. Let’s work through this one.

“Goo”-“Koo” – Descending Arpeggio (High Voices)

“Goo”-“Koo” – Descending Arpeggio (Low Voices)

Make sure you don’t get shouty on the first note. Again, we’re looking for relaxed, precise sounds.

Try going back to the previous sounds as you move through the scale. It may offer your voice a little rest and help you practice moving through sounds while maintaining your notes. 

If you repeat this routine daily, you’ll have a perfect pitch in no time!

Take your singing to the next level.

If you enjoyed working on your voice with me, you’re in luck! 

As a Singeo Member, you have access to practice guides in different keys, the ability to transpose or repeat certain sections, get personalized reviews of your progress, and much more.

And if you ever need help finding the sound and style you want, I can also personally help you. As a Singeo member, you can get feedback from me and our roster of coaches whenever you need it.

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