Bitchin’ Pitchin’: Teaching the ‘tone-deaf’ singer
Thursday 29th August 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
This course will dig deep into why some singers struggle to match pitch and how voice teachers can help them develop this skill.
Many beginner singers identify as ‘tone-deaf’ but Amusia only affects around 3% of the population (significantly less than the percentage who struggle to sing in tune). For most poor-pitch singers there are underlying neurological reasons for their struggles. In this course, the neurological processes that must co-ordinate in order for someone to match pitch successfully will be reviewed. These include accurate pitch interpretation, pitch production, internal feedback evaluation and, crucially, pitch translation and the involvement of memory within this sensorimotor loop.
A variety of strategies that can be used to enhance a singer’s pitch accuracy will be shared and demonstrated so that course attendees will leave feeling better equipped to recognise the potential causes of a singer’s pitch inaccuracy and have a list of strategies they can draw from in order to guide singers to accuracy.
Heather Baker
Heather Baker is a Contemporary Voice Teacher based in the North of England and a Founding Director of the Institute for Vocal Advancement (IVA), delivering global training to voice teachers.
Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.
Learn MoreSorry, this is an archived short course...
We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.
Monday 16th November 2026
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
(London Time)
Introduction to Postgraduate Academic Skills (IPAS): Online Information Session & Q&A
Debbie Winter
Interested in developing your academic skills or exploring a pathway onto our MA Voice Pedagogy? Join our free online information session to learn what IPAS involves, how it works and whether it's right for you.
Tuesday 17th November 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
A (Very) Brief Course in Linguistics!
Miranda Guettlein
Join Miranda Guettlin (editor of the Voice and Speech Review) for an empowering introductory course in linguistics designed specifically for voice and speech practitioners. She will break down the six major subfields (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics) in order to provide voice and speech practitioners in with a more clear understanding of the components of language and usable tools to incorporate into their teaching.
Wednesday 18th November 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Expiratory Pressure Regulation for Power, Pitch and Vocal Health
Barbara Tanze
How does the pressure beneath your vocal folds affect your sound? And how can you learn to regulate it efficiently and make sense of what it means to “support your voice”? Join Barbara Tanze for this practical short course exploring the role of expiratory pressure regulation in singing and its relationship to vocal power, pitch control, efficiency and vocal health. Learn how singers can develop a more precise understanding of the interaction between respiratory activity, subglottic pressure and vocal fold function!