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when is out of tune ok?


How should I control my voice while rapping?How to overcome “flooded” sound when singing?Is Sideshow Bob out of tune when performing Englishman?My throat hurts when I singDo capable harmony singers sing in just intonation or tempered tuning?vocal software for singing in tune50 years old , haven't sung a note in my life, butDo out of tune singers hear that they're off?How do singers know when they really can sing a tune?Passaggi, fach and volume













2















We have a song we're recording and parts are sung fairly loud and end out of tune. We found that there are 2-3 words that somehow were fitting better and more natural when as they were recorded and just don't fit as well when not in tune.



In one case, we have one that somehow 'flows' better in the song when it's halfway between two half steps.



That brings 2 questions:



  • Does it make sense to stay out of tune, quite a lot in some cases, just because it's more pleasing to the ear?

  • Is it possible that we just got used to how it sounds that way, and other renditions just don't seem as good?









share|improve this question






















  • I can’t see any reason to do anything that is less pleasing to the ear, unless you’re trying to annoy people watching a horror movie or something.

    – Todd Wilcox
    6 hours ago











  • In & out of tune can depend on the musical style. A Blues 3rd & 7th isn't anywhere a piano can hit, but a singer can. Also, sliding to a note sometimes works better than hitting it dead-on, but again only in context.

    – Tetsujin
    6 hours ago











  • There is the notion that repetition legitimizes. When you’re out of tune once, it’s a mistake. If you do it again in the same spot in the same way, maybe you meant to do it. It’s subjective and sometimes out-of-tune is just out-of-tune, but it can be used as expression, too.

    – trw
    5 hours ago






  • 1





    @ToddWilcox What's pleasing to someone's ear might not be pleasing to another's ear. When you want to please others, you can either trust your own ear, ask others to listen, or try to find out if there is some general theory about it that might help.

    – JiK
    2 hours ago











  • Out of tune or in tune can be a very relative matter. Note the term "tune". If the tune is supposed to be that special way you like it to be then it is in fact in tune, because that is the way you want the tune to be. There is a huge amount of possible pitches and not just the 12 fixed ones within an octave.

    – Lars Peter Schultz
    1 hour ago
















2















We have a song we're recording and parts are sung fairly loud and end out of tune. We found that there are 2-3 words that somehow were fitting better and more natural when as they were recorded and just don't fit as well when not in tune.



In one case, we have one that somehow 'flows' better in the song when it's halfway between two half steps.



That brings 2 questions:



  • Does it make sense to stay out of tune, quite a lot in some cases, just because it's more pleasing to the ear?

  • Is it possible that we just got used to how it sounds that way, and other renditions just don't seem as good?









share|improve this question






















  • I can’t see any reason to do anything that is less pleasing to the ear, unless you’re trying to annoy people watching a horror movie or something.

    – Todd Wilcox
    6 hours ago











  • In & out of tune can depend on the musical style. A Blues 3rd & 7th isn't anywhere a piano can hit, but a singer can. Also, sliding to a note sometimes works better than hitting it dead-on, but again only in context.

    – Tetsujin
    6 hours ago











  • There is the notion that repetition legitimizes. When you’re out of tune once, it’s a mistake. If you do it again in the same spot in the same way, maybe you meant to do it. It’s subjective and sometimes out-of-tune is just out-of-tune, but it can be used as expression, too.

    – trw
    5 hours ago






  • 1





    @ToddWilcox What's pleasing to someone's ear might not be pleasing to another's ear. When you want to please others, you can either trust your own ear, ask others to listen, or try to find out if there is some general theory about it that might help.

    – JiK
    2 hours ago











  • Out of tune or in tune can be a very relative matter. Note the term "tune". If the tune is supposed to be that special way you like it to be then it is in fact in tune, because that is the way you want the tune to be. There is a huge amount of possible pitches and not just the 12 fixed ones within an octave.

    – Lars Peter Schultz
    1 hour ago














2












2








2


1






We have a song we're recording and parts are sung fairly loud and end out of tune. We found that there are 2-3 words that somehow were fitting better and more natural when as they were recorded and just don't fit as well when not in tune.



In one case, we have one that somehow 'flows' better in the song when it's halfway between two half steps.



That brings 2 questions:



  • Does it make sense to stay out of tune, quite a lot in some cases, just because it's more pleasing to the ear?

  • Is it possible that we just got used to how it sounds that way, and other renditions just don't seem as good?









share|improve this question














We have a song we're recording and parts are sung fairly loud and end out of tune. We found that there are 2-3 words that somehow were fitting better and more natural when as they were recorded and just don't fit as well when not in tune.



In one case, we have one that somehow 'flows' better in the song when it's halfway between two half steps.



That brings 2 questions:



  • Does it make sense to stay out of tune, quite a lot in some cases, just because it's more pleasing to the ear?

  • Is it possible that we just got used to how it sounds that way, and other renditions just don't seem as good?






voice






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked 7 hours ago









ThomasThomas

23818




23818












  • I can’t see any reason to do anything that is less pleasing to the ear, unless you’re trying to annoy people watching a horror movie or something.

    – Todd Wilcox
    6 hours ago











  • In & out of tune can depend on the musical style. A Blues 3rd & 7th isn't anywhere a piano can hit, but a singer can. Also, sliding to a note sometimes works better than hitting it dead-on, but again only in context.

    – Tetsujin
    6 hours ago











  • There is the notion that repetition legitimizes. When you’re out of tune once, it’s a mistake. If you do it again in the same spot in the same way, maybe you meant to do it. It’s subjective and sometimes out-of-tune is just out-of-tune, but it can be used as expression, too.

    – trw
    5 hours ago






  • 1





    @ToddWilcox What's pleasing to someone's ear might not be pleasing to another's ear. When you want to please others, you can either trust your own ear, ask others to listen, or try to find out if there is some general theory about it that might help.

    – JiK
    2 hours ago











  • Out of tune or in tune can be a very relative matter. Note the term "tune". If the tune is supposed to be that special way you like it to be then it is in fact in tune, because that is the way you want the tune to be. There is a huge amount of possible pitches and not just the 12 fixed ones within an octave.

    – Lars Peter Schultz
    1 hour ago


















  • I can’t see any reason to do anything that is less pleasing to the ear, unless you’re trying to annoy people watching a horror movie or something.

    – Todd Wilcox
    6 hours ago











  • In & out of tune can depend on the musical style. A Blues 3rd & 7th isn't anywhere a piano can hit, but a singer can. Also, sliding to a note sometimes works better than hitting it dead-on, but again only in context.

    – Tetsujin
    6 hours ago











  • There is the notion that repetition legitimizes. When you’re out of tune once, it’s a mistake. If you do it again in the same spot in the same way, maybe you meant to do it. It’s subjective and sometimes out-of-tune is just out-of-tune, but it can be used as expression, too.

    – trw
    5 hours ago






  • 1





    @ToddWilcox What's pleasing to someone's ear might not be pleasing to another's ear. When you want to please others, you can either trust your own ear, ask others to listen, or try to find out if there is some general theory about it that might help.

    – JiK
    2 hours ago











  • Out of tune or in tune can be a very relative matter. Note the term "tune". If the tune is supposed to be that special way you like it to be then it is in fact in tune, because that is the way you want the tune to be. There is a huge amount of possible pitches and not just the 12 fixed ones within an octave.

    – Lars Peter Schultz
    1 hour ago

















I can’t see any reason to do anything that is less pleasing to the ear, unless you’re trying to annoy people watching a horror movie or something.

– Todd Wilcox
6 hours ago





I can’t see any reason to do anything that is less pleasing to the ear, unless you’re trying to annoy people watching a horror movie or something.

– Todd Wilcox
6 hours ago













In & out of tune can depend on the musical style. A Blues 3rd & 7th isn't anywhere a piano can hit, but a singer can. Also, sliding to a note sometimes works better than hitting it dead-on, but again only in context.

– Tetsujin
6 hours ago





In & out of tune can depend on the musical style. A Blues 3rd & 7th isn't anywhere a piano can hit, but a singer can. Also, sliding to a note sometimes works better than hitting it dead-on, but again only in context.

– Tetsujin
6 hours ago













There is the notion that repetition legitimizes. When you’re out of tune once, it’s a mistake. If you do it again in the same spot in the same way, maybe you meant to do it. It’s subjective and sometimes out-of-tune is just out-of-tune, but it can be used as expression, too.

– trw
5 hours ago





There is the notion that repetition legitimizes. When you’re out of tune once, it’s a mistake. If you do it again in the same spot in the same way, maybe you meant to do it. It’s subjective and sometimes out-of-tune is just out-of-tune, but it can be used as expression, too.

– trw
5 hours ago




1




1





@ToddWilcox What's pleasing to someone's ear might not be pleasing to another's ear. When you want to please others, you can either trust your own ear, ask others to listen, or try to find out if there is some general theory about it that might help.

– JiK
2 hours ago





@ToddWilcox What's pleasing to someone's ear might not be pleasing to another's ear. When you want to please others, you can either trust your own ear, ask others to listen, or try to find out if there is some general theory about it that might help.

– JiK
2 hours ago













Out of tune or in tune can be a very relative matter. Note the term "tune". If the tune is supposed to be that special way you like it to be then it is in fact in tune, because that is the way you want the tune to be. There is a huge amount of possible pitches and not just the 12 fixed ones within an octave.

– Lars Peter Schultz
1 hour ago






Out of tune or in tune can be a very relative matter. Note the term "tune". If the tune is supposed to be that special way you like it to be then it is in fact in tune, because that is the way you want the tune to be. There is a huge amount of possible pitches and not just the 12 fixed ones within an octave.

– Lars Peter Schultz
1 hour ago











2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















6














Technically vibrato is going in and out of "tune."



But that is controlled, and I think that is the key to approaching the question.



If it's deliberate, creating some intended effect, it seems like a valid musical choice.



All kinds of slides, half-sung notes, etc. are used by singers and add life to a performance. By comparison when I hear a very "clean" performance of a song that it well known with a "messy" performance, it's the messy performance that is more expressive.



There is another specific case to keep in mind and that is the blues derived singing of a minor third over a major chord. Ex. singing an F natural over a D major chord which containers the F# major third. By one standard that is horribly out of tune. By another standard - a bluesy standard - it's a gritty, dirty sound that is desirable.



Your "out of tune" stuff may be working according to a different aesthetic standard than something like... Taylor Swift, etc.



A funny anecdote: recently I went to a high school musical. The male lead sang out of tune the whole night! I mean clearly out of tune. At first it was strange. I kept thinking "how did this guy get the part?" After a while I didn't care and - in a strange way - it made the character endearing. He sang with such feeling (but out of tune) and in the end he brought home the part. (No, it wasn't my kid.)






share|improve this answer
































    1















    When is out of tune ok?




    Most of the time. You could write a whole book on all the situations in which 'out of tune' is the norm - from the individual harmonics of stringed instruments, to temperaments of scales, to chorus pedals, to blue notes, to 'unpitched' percussion instruments and spoken passages of indeterminate pitch.... as well as not hitting an exact note for expressive purposes.




    Does it make sense to stay out of tune, quite a lot in some cases, just because it's more pleasing to the ear?




    Yes.




    Is it possible that we just got used to how it sounds that way, and other renditions just don't seem as good?




    Yes. at the end of the day, this is an artistic choice - you should trust your own artistic judgement, but why not also ask opinions of others who are familiar with the style of music?






    share|improve this answer






















      Your Answer








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      2 Answers
      2






      active

      oldest

      votes








      2 Answers
      2






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

      votes









      6














      Technically vibrato is going in and out of "tune."



      But that is controlled, and I think that is the key to approaching the question.



      If it's deliberate, creating some intended effect, it seems like a valid musical choice.



      All kinds of slides, half-sung notes, etc. are used by singers and add life to a performance. By comparison when I hear a very "clean" performance of a song that it well known with a "messy" performance, it's the messy performance that is more expressive.



      There is another specific case to keep in mind and that is the blues derived singing of a minor third over a major chord. Ex. singing an F natural over a D major chord which containers the F# major third. By one standard that is horribly out of tune. By another standard - a bluesy standard - it's a gritty, dirty sound that is desirable.



      Your "out of tune" stuff may be working according to a different aesthetic standard than something like... Taylor Swift, etc.



      A funny anecdote: recently I went to a high school musical. The male lead sang out of tune the whole night! I mean clearly out of tune. At first it was strange. I kept thinking "how did this guy get the part?" After a while I didn't care and - in a strange way - it made the character endearing. He sang with such feeling (but out of tune) and in the end he brought home the part. (No, it wasn't my kid.)






      share|improve this answer





























        6














        Technically vibrato is going in and out of "tune."



        But that is controlled, and I think that is the key to approaching the question.



        If it's deliberate, creating some intended effect, it seems like a valid musical choice.



        All kinds of slides, half-sung notes, etc. are used by singers and add life to a performance. By comparison when I hear a very "clean" performance of a song that it well known with a "messy" performance, it's the messy performance that is more expressive.



        There is another specific case to keep in mind and that is the blues derived singing of a minor third over a major chord. Ex. singing an F natural over a D major chord which containers the F# major third. By one standard that is horribly out of tune. By another standard - a bluesy standard - it's a gritty, dirty sound that is desirable.



        Your "out of tune" stuff may be working according to a different aesthetic standard than something like... Taylor Swift, etc.



        A funny anecdote: recently I went to a high school musical. The male lead sang out of tune the whole night! I mean clearly out of tune. At first it was strange. I kept thinking "how did this guy get the part?" After a while I didn't care and - in a strange way - it made the character endearing. He sang with such feeling (but out of tune) and in the end he brought home the part. (No, it wasn't my kid.)






        share|improve this answer



























          6












          6








          6







          Technically vibrato is going in and out of "tune."



          But that is controlled, and I think that is the key to approaching the question.



          If it's deliberate, creating some intended effect, it seems like a valid musical choice.



          All kinds of slides, half-sung notes, etc. are used by singers and add life to a performance. By comparison when I hear a very "clean" performance of a song that it well known with a "messy" performance, it's the messy performance that is more expressive.



          There is another specific case to keep in mind and that is the blues derived singing of a minor third over a major chord. Ex. singing an F natural over a D major chord which containers the F# major third. By one standard that is horribly out of tune. By another standard - a bluesy standard - it's a gritty, dirty sound that is desirable.



          Your "out of tune" stuff may be working according to a different aesthetic standard than something like... Taylor Swift, etc.



          A funny anecdote: recently I went to a high school musical. The male lead sang out of tune the whole night! I mean clearly out of tune. At first it was strange. I kept thinking "how did this guy get the part?" After a while I didn't care and - in a strange way - it made the character endearing. He sang with such feeling (but out of tune) and in the end he brought home the part. (No, it wasn't my kid.)






          share|improve this answer















          Technically vibrato is going in and out of "tune."



          But that is controlled, and I think that is the key to approaching the question.



          If it's deliberate, creating some intended effect, it seems like a valid musical choice.



          All kinds of slides, half-sung notes, etc. are used by singers and add life to a performance. By comparison when I hear a very "clean" performance of a song that it well known with a "messy" performance, it's the messy performance that is more expressive.



          There is another specific case to keep in mind and that is the blues derived singing of a minor third over a major chord. Ex. singing an F natural over a D major chord which containers the F# major third. By one standard that is horribly out of tune. By another standard - a bluesy standard - it's a gritty, dirty sound that is desirable.



          Your "out of tune" stuff may be working according to a different aesthetic standard than something like... Taylor Swift, etc.



          A funny anecdote: recently I went to a high school musical. The male lead sang out of tune the whole night! I mean clearly out of tune. At first it was strange. I kept thinking "how did this guy get the part?" After a while I didn't care and - in a strange way - it made the character endearing. He sang with such feeling (but out of tune) and in the end he brought home the part. (No, it wasn't my kid.)







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited 6 hours ago

























          answered 6 hours ago









          Michael CurtisMichael Curtis

          10.5k638




          10.5k638





















              1















              When is out of tune ok?




              Most of the time. You could write a whole book on all the situations in which 'out of tune' is the norm - from the individual harmonics of stringed instruments, to temperaments of scales, to chorus pedals, to blue notes, to 'unpitched' percussion instruments and spoken passages of indeterminate pitch.... as well as not hitting an exact note for expressive purposes.




              Does it make sense to stay out of tune, quite a lot in some cases, just because it's more pleasing to the ear?




              Yes.




              Is it possible that we just got used to how it sounds that way, and other renditions just don't seem as good?




              Yes. at the end of the day, this is an artistic choice - you should trust your own artistic judgement, but why not also ask opinions of others who are familiar with the style of music?






              share|improve this answer



























                1















                When is out of tune ok?




                Most of the time. You could write a whole book on all the situations in which 'out of tune' is the norm - from the individual harmonics of stringed instruments, to temperaments of scales, to chorus pedals, to blue notes, to 'unpitched' percussion instruments and spoken passages of indeterminate pitch.... as well as not hitting an exact note for expressive purposes.




                Does it make sense to stay out of tune, quite a lot in some cases, just because it's more pleasing to the ear?




                Yes.




                Is it possible that we just got used to how it sounds that way, and other renditions just don't seem as good?




                Yes. at the end of the day, this is an artistic choice - you should trust your own artistic judgement, but why not also ask opinions of others who are familiar with the style of music?






                share|improve this answer

























                  1












                  1








                  1








                  When is out of tune ok?




                  Most of the time. You could write a whole book on all the situations in which 'out of tune' is the norm - from the individual harmonics of stringed instruments, to temperaments of scales, to chorus pedals, to blue notes, to 'unpitched' percussion instruments and spoken passages of indeterminate pitch.... as well as not hitting an exact note for expressive purposes.




                  Does it make sense to stay out of tune, quite a lot in some cases, just because it's more pleasing to the ear?




                  Yes.




                  Is it possible that we just got used to how it sounds that way, and other renditions just don't seem as good?




                  Yes. at the end of the day, this is an artistic choice - you should trust your own artistic judgement, but why not also ask opinions of others who are familiar with the style of music?






                  share|improve this answer














                  When is out of tune ok?




                  Most of the time. You could write a whole book on all the situations in which 'out of tune' is the norm - from the individual harmonics of stringed instruments, to temperaments of scales, to chorus pedals, to blue notes, to 'unpitched' percussion instruments and spoken passages of indeterminate pitch.... as well as not hitting an exact note for expressive purposes.




                  Does it make sense to stay out of tune, quite a lot in some cases, just because it's more pleasing to the ear?




                  Yes.




                  Is it possible that we just got used to how it sounds that way, and other renditions just don't seem as good?




                  Yes. at the end of the day, this is an artistic choice - you should trust your own artistic judgement, but why not also ask opinions of others who are familiar with the style of music?







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 4 hours ago









                  topo mortotopo morto

                  26.6k246105




                  26.6k246105



























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