Do other people's children sing in tune?

[motherinferior]

Or has DD1 inherited her dad's cloth ears? This is not a major preoccupation of mine but I do wonder. She's three and appears to have very little sense of pitch although a nice sense of rhythm (and can dance very charmingly). Like I say, not a major issue but a Thought!

Ds has been singing the Balamory theme in tune since about 17/18 mths, but it's more like "wozzatoryabalamoryooodinooolakanooooo". He can beat a 4/4 rhythm too.

I couldn't sing in tune at all until I was about 12, I was hopeless - but I am now a semi-professional musician (clarinet/sax) and can also sing. not being able to sing doesn't mean you won't be musical - I taught a girl of 12 to sing (approximately) in tune so she could pass her Grade 3 clarinet and we managed it in the end (Although it nearly killed me). She'll never be a great singer but she's a lovely clarinet player and very musical. So I am going to TRY very hard not to label my forthcoming baby non-musical if it takes after my husband and try to remember that I couldn't sing either....

Glad to see this thread. We were just starting to wonder about this, as dd (20 months) sings all songs on the same (bum) note, so I'm glad to hear that there's a long way to go before it's obvious. Dh can't sing at all, and was traumatised by having to mime in a school concert in primary school, while my singing voice is OK (good amateur choir level), so we have been speculating about which set of genes would dominate. Thanks for the sensible advice about not labelling her.

Don't forget that Fred Astaire when first auditioning got the comment - "Can't sing, can dance a little". In my ds's case it's the other way round - singing not bad, but terrible, terrible dancing. Bless.

dd1 (11) can now sing fairly well, with just a few jarring notes (bit like me really) and a good dancer, but very self-concious - more academic than artistic. dd2 (9) is a born entertainer - great singer, fab dancer, hilarious comic, clever mimicker etc etc (rubbish at maths!). dd3 (4) just beginning to sing really well - infact she sings constantly! dd4 (3) Well........ it might take a bit of time. But she would win first prize in the cutie competion every time!

My ds was like Jimjams's ds, perfectly in tune from under a year (honest- even the nursery pointed out that he was humming Postman Pat recognisably before he could stand). He has perfect pitch and was an (ahem) unusual small child, so I think it went with the territory .

More relevantly, dd couldn't sing recognisably in tune until she was about 4, I think, but sings really well now aged 6, so give it time, MI!

My dd1 and ds can. Thank goodness they've not got their father's sense of pitch, he is quite painful to listen to sometimes!