Principles Of Good Singing Pt. 8: Intonation

Intonation—“singing-in-tune”—is basic to all good singing. Singing is
music, and music requires above all else, good intonation. I have often heard music lovers make excuses for singers who sing off-pitch, but seem to be able to convey the emotions and meaning of songs nonetheless. Bob Dylan and Neil Young, for instance, come to mind in this regard. As emotionally moving as these artists may be, it seems to me that they would be all that much more effective if they always sang with good intonation. Singing off-pitch interrupts the flow of a song’s melody line, the very aspect of the song to which listeners are first drawn.

Regardless of what some music enthusiasts might say, singing out-of-tune, even occasionally, is an artistic blemish. Think of it this way, if Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, and Barbra Streisand had the habit of singing off-pitch occasionally, they would still be exceptional singers, but just not as exceptional. Having said this, a singer may intentionally (but only occasionally) drop slightly below pitch to create a melancholy feeling in the listener (a “blue” note), or, at other times, even sing slightly above pitch to create a sense of rising excitement. In these cases, singing slightly out of tune is perfectly fine because it is both intentional and helps to
promote the emotional meaning of the song.

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