William S. Larson

Abstract: True pitch is one of the fundamental goals in the training of voice. No defense can be offered for false, erratic or slovenly intonation, but I ask three questions: Is true pitch in the usually accepted sense attainable? What are the norms of attainment by the best artistic singers ? In what sense is deviation from true pitch desirable ? The theory here defended is that beauty in pitch intonation lies essentially in artistic deviation from true or exact pitch. Such deviations furnish a medium for the expression of feeling, individuality of the singer, and artistic mastery. No good singer ever sings in true pitch. Let us take a single illustration of what is generally regarded as good artistic singing,2 a phrase from Tibbett's Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes, as recorded on Victor record No. 1238. If this record is available, the reader or the class may profitably listen repeatedly to the voice as recorded, and compare what is heard with what is here stated. In Figure 1 each note is represented by a graph on a musical pattern scale showing the actual course of the pitch and duration of the tone.