Can I learn to sing in tune?
CrowdScience
BBC
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 30 October 2020
⏱️ 33 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We’ve probably all got a friend who sings along wildly out of tune - or maybe you are that person. But why are some of us apparently tone deaf, while others can hold a melody? Can you train yourself to sing in tune, or is it mostly down to raw talent?
These musical questions, from CrowdScience listeners Jenny and Anastasia, certainly struck a chord with us. Anastasia loves to sing but her friends tell her she’s off-key - or that “a bear trod on her ear,” as they say in her native Russia. Is it possible for her to improve her singing voice, and what are the best ways of going about it?
Both musicians and scientists help us tackle these questions, and explain what’s going on in our ears, brains and throats when we try to sing the right notes. We learn about congenital amusia, a condition which makes it almost impossible to tell if you’re in tune or not, and attempt to tease out the relative influence of our genes and our environment when it comes to musical ability.
Presented by Marijke Peters and produced by Cathy Edwards for the BBC World Service.
Image: Child Singing. Credit: Getty Images
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, the Science of |
| 0:07.0 | Happiness Podcast. |
| 0:08.0 | For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want |
| 0:14.4 | to share that science with you. |
| 0:16.1 | And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley. |
| 0:19.4 | I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that |
| 0:25.4 | calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:31.6 | Some podcasts are about the news. Some podcasts are about politics and science and history. |
| 0:40.0 | But my new podcast, for the BBC World Service is about losing the man I loved. |
| 0:48.0 | It's called Goodbye to All This and you can find it by searching for goodbye to all this wherever you |
| 0:56.0 | get your podcasts. |
| 0:57.0 | Anastasia, your note is lah. |
| 1:04.0 | Okay, I will try. |
| 1:05.0 | Let's give it a go. |
| 1:07.0 | Okay, so. |
| 1:08.0 | Welcome to |
| 1:10.0 | Rouss. Brilliant. Brilliant, I like that. I think we should form a crowd science quiet. |
| 1:18.0 | Should we give it another go? |
| 1:20.0 | This is the BBC World Service and that was the world premiere of a new trio featuring me, |
| 1:25.8 | Maraker Peters and crowd science listeners Jenny and Anastasia. |
| 1:29.6 | And if you didn't think we were singing completely in June, well spotted, because that's the subject of this show. |
| 1:36.0 | La La La La La. |
... |
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