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DOSSIER

Vol. 13 (2025): Percepta - Revista de Cognição Musical

‘’Suddenly I See…’’ I Was Out of Tune: Auditory-Motor Feedback, Feedfoward and Vocal Error Recognition

DOI
https://doi.org/10.34018/2318-891X.13e025015
Submitted
March 18, 2025
Published
2026-01-23

Abstract

Singing requires the continuous integration of auditory and motor information to ensure pitch accuracy, vocal quality, and technical control. However, it is common for singers to become aware that they are “out of tune” only after the vocal emission has occurred. This phenomenon—often overlooked in vocal pedagogy—reveals complex neurocognitive mechanisms of auditory-motor feedback, self-monitoring, and vocal self-regulation. This article offers a theoretical analysis of how the brain detects and corrects vocal errors, exploring the neural circuits involved in auditory-motor integration and discussing why vocal deviations may go unnoticed in real time. Factors influencing error perception, such as cognitive overload, emotional state, and acoustic environment, are examined, as well as the differences between trained and untrained singers in their ability to recognize and correct vocal inaccuracies. Finally, pedagogical strategies are proposed to enhance vocal self-monitoring and the effective use of auditory-motor feedback.

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