Original version

BBC World Service Online

CrowdScience

Documentaries

Factual: Science & Nature

Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

We take your questions about life, Earth and the universe to researchers hunting for answers at the frontiers of knowledge.

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

CrowdScience: Can I learn to sing in tune?

Discussion & Talk

30/10/2020 GMT

Can I learn to sing in tune?

BBC World Service - CrowdScience, Can I learn to sing in tune?

Why are some of us tone deaf, and can you improve your singing with practice?

Why are some of us tone deaf – is it a problem in the ears, the throat or the brain? And is singing ability down to raw talent, or can you improve with practice?

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

Accessibility links

Programme Index

CrowdScience

Can I learn to sing in tune?

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Online

About BBC World Service