Singing with Drones: YouTube Videos and Exercises for Better Intonation
One of the best ways to refine your sense of intonation is to sing along with a musical drone.
A drone is a sound that is sustained on one pitch for a long time. This blog outlines some great exercises that will help you internalize the sound and sensation of singing along with the drone at the same pitch (in unison).
Setup
These are my go-to drones on YouTube! I use them myself and often recommend them to my students. ℹ️ On computer: Hover at the top right corner then click the hamburger menu to choose your note. On mobile: tap the video and then the “next” button.
Volume
- Ensure you can control the drone volume and play it quite loudly. Phone or laptop speakers alone won’t do. Use an external speaker.
- The right volume is one where you are singing at a moderately loud level that is physically comfortable to produce, and the drone volume matches your own.
- Sometimes you’ll hear the drone better simply by changing the placement of the speaker.
A fun game before you start
Before you press play, think about the video’s note name and try to guess the pitch. Where do you imagine it will sit in your vocal range? When you press play, how close or far is your note? Repeat this game over time and you will develop a more accurate pitch–range relationship.
Warming up with the drone
As I begin singing along in unison with the drone, I like to turn it into a calming exercise for my body. I try to let my shoulders and face feel loose as I fade in and out of the note. I give my breathing system time to let go of the daily rush. Honestly, when I start, I feel a bit out of breath. But after a few minutes it’s much easier to sing longer, smoother notes.
Resonance is the magic
Often when intonation isn’t quite working, it’s not actually a pitch issue—it’s the resonance. Resonance is the way a sound echoes within a space. For singers, the resonant space is both our nasal cavity (which we cannot change) and the space in our mouth (which is infinitely variable).
Each drone has a unique sound profile that will literally vibe better with some vowels than with others. If you like physics, you can imagine that you are trying to match the sound wave of the drone with the sound wave produced by your voice. Cool!
Vowel modification
- Cycle through the different vowel sounds and listen carefully. Decide which vowel seems to have a fuller blend with the drone, and which one doesn’t. This contrast is important.
- Alternate between the full-sounding vowel and the weak vowel, simply experiencing the difference.
- Sing only the fuller vowel. Try to deepen the richness of the strong blend by adjusting your volume and/or modifying the vowel ever so slightly (e.g., add a tiny smile or allow your tongue to touch your bottom lip).
- How would you describe the sound of this resonance? Is there any physical sensation? These descriptions may help your recall in your next drone-singing session.
Pitch modification
Unlike a piano, the human voice can slide between pitches. We can use this sliding to help understand the “centre” of a pitch.
- Sing the note that seems centred with the drone.
- Deliberately slide the note up or down a teeny tiny bit (a semitone, or even less if you can), then return to the centred pitch.
- Enjoy alternating between on and off pitch, experiencing the difference.
Again, your ability to recall the sound and sensation will strengthen with practice.
The number one mistake
We can’t hurry the feeling of calm, and we can’t hurry learning to internalize sounds. These exercises require a leisurely approach of exploring and experimenting.
Even if you only have 10 minutes today, there will be a benefit. Recalling the sensation of calm singing cannot be overrated. Producing sounds without words, rhythm, or melody deepens our understanding of tone. Listening carefully and making adjustments in resonance and pitch is an essential musical skill.
I hope you’ll enjoy these exercises, both the discovery of sounds and the opportunity to slow down.