# What Is Vocal Tuning And Why Do I Need It?

**You have a great voice but is that enough to really stand out?**

Perhaps when you are performing live everyone can just feel the magic in the room but when you are sending out material to Major record labels and publishers often they may never have the opportunity to see you perform live so they will judge your voice entirely on the " vocal quality " demonstrated in your song.

**What exactly is vocal quality?**

Vocal quality can be broken down into a number of technical elements but some of the main aspects are pitch, tone and range. Pitch control is especially important and can make or break a song. A significant reason why many songs sometimes miss the mark is because of pitchy vocals.

In lamen terms this means vocal notes that are not in tune during the vocal performance. Someone doesn't necessarily have to be an Audio engineer to notice pitchy vocals and in fact even fans can pick up on them!


**So what, it's just a few off vocal notes?**

That may be true but A&R professionals at major record labels and publishers have become accustomed to recordings of the highest level crafted by industry producers so unfortunately typically judge your recordings on the same merit and make no exceptions.

Seems harsh but their jobs to a large extent are dependent on the songs they select to be recorded by major artists, so they need to feel reassured that only the strongest songs make the cut.

Major Artists need to be reassured that the song they eventually settle on and record for their album is the right choice, any feelings of hesitation such as pitchy vocals may put them off even if your song might be the perfect fit. This leads me on to vocal tuning.

**What specifically is vocal tuning?**

Vocal tuning is the process by which a producer will carefully adjust the notes in your vocal performance to ensure that they are in tune. This means going through each vocal phrase and checking it for pitchy vocals and editing them accordingly.

**Don't you just put on Auto-Tune?**

Auto-Tune may help but won't necessarily do a perfect job 100% of the time. There may still be vocal notes that are not in tune even with **[how to autotune](https://majormixing.com/how-to-use-auto-tune-as-a-pro/)**. Furthermore over applying Auto-Tune may detract from the singer's natural vocal performance making it sound somewhat mechanical.

Vocal tuning is also a creative tool that producers can utilise to enhance the song quality by adding greater melodic depth to vocal phrases. When an Artist is going for a big hook this can be a key tool to apply.

A few select vocal edits in the hook line can really bring it out turning it from something good to something great! Usually in a hook line there are certain phrases that resonate with the emotions or pull on the heart strings, through careful and skillful vocal tuning these phrases can really be elevated for the listener so they not only sound good but drive home and deliver!

**But I have great pitch control and awesome melodies anyway?**

That may be true but vocal tuning is a tool to be viewed as a way to improve and enhance not inhibit. Unlike fancy vocal processors that make you sound like a machine, vocal tuning is used in conjunction with a natural vocal performance making it sound even more natural and moving by allowing artists to reach greater vocal possibilities that they may not have particularly realised yet.


For example, when I am engaging in vocal tuning sometimes I like to try a particular note one octave higher during the phrase, like in the hook for instance. The quick ripple from high to low can create a very exciting and melodic emotion for the listener! Extending the length of a vocal note can also be very effective in making the listener just sit and listen for a second. Vocal tuning can also be used to add harmonic layers that thicken and enrich the vocal sections harmonies are applied to.

**Can't the artist just tune their vocal themselves?**

Unless they are prepared to spend hours on precisely " tuning " the vocal performance for each of their songs I wouldn't recommend it. A vocally half tuned song just doesn't cut it unfortunately. Artists need to focus on what they do best, being creative, writing awesome songs and performing! Just leave the technicalities to producers, that's what they get paid for.

**But will vocal tuning cost more?**

Depends on the services of the producer but some producers include vocal tuning as a default part of delivering a professional mix. Meaning if there is scope to not only repair pitchy vocals but also add greater melodic depth and harmonies they will undertake this to help the song reach it's potential and really stand out!