Arijit Singh says AR Rahman was the first to use auto-tune: ‘That’s how a lot of singers started sounding beautiful’

Arijit Singh said that AR Rahman was the first composer in India who started using auto-tune and that's why a lot of his songs started sounding beautiful. He added that Rahman does not use it anymore.

Arijit Singh (right) shared how AR Rahman (left) effectively used auto-tune. (Photo: AR Rahman, Ali Fazal/Instagram)

The Indian music industry has come a long way from the time when songs were recorded with instruments live and in one take to now, when an entire song can be produced by people sitting in different parts of the world. Auto-tune, which is often perceived as a way to turn non-singers into singers, has also found a way in the Indian music industry but Arijit Singh has now explained that auto-tune is a processing tool that’s used by most music composers and cannot turn non-singers into singers. Arijit also revealed that AR Rahman was the first composer in India who started using this tool effectively, but he added that Rahman doesn’t use it anymore.

Speaking to the YouTube channel The Music Podcast, Arijit explained, “Auto-tune can’t turn a non-singer into a singer. It’s not like that you sing anything, apply auto-tune and it will sound like it’s in tune. It’s not possible.” Explaining different settings of the tool, Arijit added that Rahman found a way to use it and that really worked with the audience. “When people really liked to listen to Rahman’s songs, it was him actually who started using auto-tune in a very subtle way,” he said and added, “That’s how a lot of singers started sounding beautiful.”

Arijit explained the technical reason for the same and said that “when a singer sings, they sing with emotion. And when they sing with emotion, it is never perfect, they go away from the sur a little bit, most singers except Sonu Nigam, he can’t go out of tune I feel. The takes that are emotionally good, but are a little wobbly on the tune, we start tweaking them and with the emotional takes, as far as you can keep it human, you use it a little bit.”

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Using a food analogy, Arijit said that using auto-tune in a song is like adding salt to food, one can only add as per requirement. “This is used for every singer,” he said. He also mentioned that the West has been using it for ages.

Arijit shared that while Pritam uses it for every song, there are composers who do not use this tool at all. “Some music composers don’t like it at all like Mithoon Sharma, Vishal Bhardwaj. AR Rahman also doesn’t do it anymore, earlier he used to. Now he goes with whatever voice is there. Pritam’s music always has auto tune, to make it sound better,” he said.

Arijit is the most popular Hindi film music singer in the current generation and this year too, he has had hits like ‘Jhoome Jo Pathaan’, ‘Chaleya’, ‘Tum Kya Mile’, among many others to his credit.

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