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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Helping “Tone-Deaf” Men Match Pitch

Keven Smith · October 20, 2020

N A RECENT article, I explored the phenomenon of so-called tone-deafness. As with any given skill, people have varying degrees of talent for matching pitch. But I believe that actual tone-deafness is extremely rare. In my experience, the most common problem is that some people haven’t developed the coordination they need to make their voice match the pitch they’re hearing in their audiation. And in some cases, there’s a reluctance to make their voices go as high as the note you’re demonstrating.

As I mentioned in the previous article, I like to approach pitch-matching problems as vocal problems. There are several methods I use to help students get over the hump.

Unlocking the High Range for Male Singers

The classic case I’ve encountered is the adult male who is interested in choir but says he has trouble staying on key. Because he’s the rarest of rare creatures—a man who actually wants to sing!—I’m always inclined to work with a guy like this.

One young man approached me several years ago with exactly this set of symptoms. He was bright and enthusiastic but deeply concerned that he couldn’t carry a tune. I tested his pitch-matching abilities on lower notes. Not bad. Then we got up high, and that’s where the accuracy started to falter. I could tell from his facial expressions and body language that he was extremely uncomfortable singing high.

So I worked with him on unlocking his high notes. Here’s how I typically approach a case like this:

  • Teach him the yawn breath. It’s as simple as it sounds. As James C. McKinney writes in The Diagnosis & Correction of Vocal Faults:

“Pretend you are beginning a yawn, but do not actually go into a full yawn. Notice how your lower jaw drops free in its socket, notice the gently lifting feeling in the area of your soft palate, notice that your throat feels deeper, notice the cool air moving easily through your throat, notice how deep in the body your breath goes without any effort.”

  • Get him to open his mouth. The yawn breath does much to address this problem, but it’s worth pointing out the necessity of space to any new singer. Call his attention to the fact that it takes quite a bit of vertical space to make a good sound for singing. Some choir directors urge singers to put two fingers between their front teeth as a reminder; others prefer to have them put one finger between their molars (by poking into the cheeks). Either way, almost nobody uses enough space when they first begin singing.
  • Hum. Don’t have him sing full-voice yet. Ask him to make his nice, large singer-space, and then have him simply close his lips. Then have him do some vocalizing of short note patterns, working upscale. As he hums, encourage him to feel the vibrations in his mask area. This will be especially important as he goes up high.
  • Relax. At some point in the scale, your singer will start to feel and hear resistance: tension, cracking, breathiness, and the like. Remind him that he’s entering new territory as a singer. Reassure him that the goal isn’t to put out lots of sound on the first try; it’s to find the core of what will eventually be his high range. For these first few attempts at humming up high, he should focus on taking relaxed yawn breaths before every attempt, then gently closing the lips before letting the sound spin out of him. No forcing of breath, no lifting of the larynx, no clenching of the jaw. The sound may be wispy, unstable, or even unpleasant. Tell him not to judge it. He’ll have more coordination and control every time he practices.
  • Move to vowels. Once your singer sounds like he’s handling his voice well on hums, have him simply open his lips to repeat the vocalizing patterns on “ah.” Remind him frequently that he should carry over the relaxed approach of his humming into his full-voice singing. As he goes up high, remind him that less is more—a light, well-controlled sound is better than a forced, breathy sound.

Over time, this low-pressure approach will expand the range of the singer and give him more confidence when a melodic line goes up high. That’s an absolute prerequisite to matching pitch in the upper register.

A Modest Success Story

The young man I’ve described sang with our choir for a short time before his work schedule and uncertain living situation made it impossible for him to stick with it. He did his strongest work on the Gregorian chant—including the propers—and he continues to sing in other settings. I’m happy that singing sacred music is now part of his life, rather than something he assumes he simply shouldn’t attempt.

The methods I use aren’t failsafe. You’ll sometimes encounter hard cases who will probably never reach a level of proficiency that allows them to function as a choir member. But I hope these tips help you tap into the potential of any new singer. The worst case scenario is that at least he’ll be able to sing along with more confidence from the pews.

In a future article, I’ll share some tips on helping apparently tone-deaf children match pitch.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

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Filed Under: Articles, Featured Last Updated: November 24, 2020

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About Keven Smith

Keven Smith, music director at St. Stephen the First Martyr, lives in Sacramento with his wife and five musical children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

Many declare that Vatican Council II brought about a true springtime in the Church. Nevertheless, a growing number of Church leaders see this “springtime” as a rejection, a renunciation of her centuries-old heritage, or even as a radical questioning of her past and Tradition. Political Europe is rebuked for abandoning or denying its Christian roots; but the first to have abandoned her Christian roots and past is indisputably the post-conciliar Catholic Church.

— ‘Pope Francis’ Chief Liturgist (31 March 2017)’

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  • “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
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  • Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
  • Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser

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