What age to sing in tune?

[DuffyFluckling]

I am a decent singer, and love music.

Dh is tone deaf.

When will I know which way the children will go? Dd loves singing and dancing and sings all day long, and while she is not tone deaf like her father, it's not really in tune either.

a baby of my acquaintance, about 12m. i should think that is pretty unusual though.

ds got properly into singing when he started at pre-school, about 3.5yo. he sings in tune. similarly to you i can sing, dh can't.

really depends on the child... dd- around 2 I think, db- 6 mo- really- he has perfect pitch and ended up at a specialist music school though.

DS is 5.5 and it is only relatively recently he has been able to sing slightly in tune.

DD is 3.7 and has been able to since she was nearly 3 I think. I'm sure I have read somewhere that it is quite common to still be growling up to about 7 and to then be able to sing fine.

Both DH and I are musical so we hope that both DS and DD are as well.

I've been in several reception class plays where the majority of children can't sing in tune at all (adds to the entertainment value) but 2 of my 4 were singing in tune by around 3yrs. The other two...well, don't expect to see them on Britain's got talent anytime soon!

Ds has sung in tune since he could talk really - he sings beautifully and enthusiastically

all 3 of my DS's about 18 months (before they could actually talk we had the tunes ).

However, I did a pitch test thing when I was 7yrs old (to see if I would be picked to learn the violin at school) and my parents were told I was "totally unmusical and would never play a musical instrument"

i am 33 and yet to learn!

Oh hum. Well if she's still pretty tuneless at 3 perhaps she's taking after dh's family, poor lamb.

not necessarily - I couldn't sing in tune - and failed the pitch tests miserably at 7 - I'm a church organist now

It means absolutely nothing. Some children sing in tune automatically, some don't.

Dh teaches intonation by doing pitch mathing games and excercises.

Also the way you breathe and how you physically use your larynx can affect things. All of which can be taught.

We are in the same genetic situation. I have a good singing voice and did some serious choral singing before kids. DH is tone deaf and was the only person not allowed to sing in his infant school choir .

DD2 aged 3.5 sings pretty well in tune, makes up her own songs, can clap to the beat etc.

But DD1 is 6.5 and still not there. She can nearly sing a tune and stay in tune with herself (i.e. only occasionally changing key for not good reason!). She still can't clap to a beat. And she doesn't seem to be able to hear a note and sing it accurately - so doesn't sing the same notes as everyone else, even if her tune is passable.

If anyone has any tips for teaching DD1 to tune into the pitch that everyone else is singing, I'd love to hear them.

I share your wistfulness Duffy. I am very musical but dh not so. DD is 3.7 and doesn't sing very much - but when she does - well - it's very tuneless. Also she just doesn't seem to really love music or want to play music they way I did. Alas, I think she got her musical talent genes from the same place as her hair. And it's not from me.

I guess we won't be doing mother and duets then..