Whether you want to be able to enjoy a good karaoke with your friends on Friday night or just sing along with a song on the radio without making everyone around you wince, learning to sing in tune is a worthwhile goal. How much embarassment over opening your mouth and trying to carry a tune can one take?

You might think of yourself as tone deaf, have no hope over ever being able to hit any notes and about to give up any thoughts about you singing. Forget all that. I am here to tell you that tone deafness largely is a common myth and misunderstanding and that if you put the energy into it, great benefits await you.

The odds are high that you are not what is defined as clinically tone deaf. If you enjoy listening to music and can sense the movement and dynamics in a song, then you can in fact distinguish tones. And if you can do that, you can sing those tones as well.

Being able to sing in tune is not about hitting the notes perfect. Even the best singers can tell you that they sometimes sway up and down on the melody line, missing closely. The trick is in ADJUSTING your sound mid-note. You can start way off but smoothly glide up or down to the intended sound.

It's all about being able to hear yourself. That's where the cure lies. Here are some things to try:

Cup your hand over your ear when you're singing - so the sound from your mouth reaches your ear better. You probably will wince in the beginning, but hang on. Pay attention to whether you're singing too high or too low.

Have a singer (or singing instructor) sing a melody and try to sing along with them. It's easier to do, and they can give you valuable feedback.

Play notes on a piano and try to sing the same note. If you practice this diligently and do it enough times, you will start to get a hang of it, and you can soon move on to melodies.

That's some ideas for you. There's a lot more to it, but it all boils down to practicing and putting in the effort.