Difference Between Singing Pitch and Tone

Singing Pitch vs Tone

So what's the difference between pitch and tone? The concepts of singing pitch and tone can be confusing to new singers so hopefully the following explanation will help clarify the difference between pitch and tone.

Singing Tone

Your singing tone is the quality or type of sound that you produce, e.g., bright, dark, strident, brittle, full, throaty. Your singing tone is unique to you, and descriptions of tone tend to be subjective. Two singers singing the same song in the same key may sound different - the reason is singing tone. Your singing tone changes with your moods or emotions. When you sing your tone changes with the emotional journey of the song and the style of the music.

Singing Pitch

Your singing pitch, on the other hand, is the frequency of sound, e.g. high or low. Singing pitch is an objective measurement, and a specific pitch will sound the same whether a voice or instrument produces it. Notes represent the pitches most commonly used in music.

It is very difficult—and rare—to have perfect pitch. Some are born with a natural sense of pitch, while others must train their ears to memorize a note (such as middle C) and base other pitches off from that note. The latter technique is the best way to improve your ability to recognize pitch, and can be practiced and perfected over time.

Now you're clear of the difference between pitch and tone. To recap, tone is the quality of sound that you produce, while pitch is the frequency of sound. Tone is a subjective description, while pitch is an objective measurement. So do you really think it's possible for someone to be tone deaf?