Ear problem? Why can't some people hit the right pitch when they sing?

Very very interesting question.Well as you know it some people can sing right,the others can't but realise that they sing wrong,and the worst kind of bad hearing is when they think they sung it right.It's sort of genetics.Some ppl are born with it,the others are not,and someone maybe wasn't that good at the beggining but he gained his experience thru years.It's really amazing how it works and my brain tickles when i think about it.But i guess you will need to ask a professional for it :).Or watch some documentary on discovery channel :)

I Understand totally... We have the same issues in my choir. When that happens we re-direct those people to another ministry where they can better use their talents. I firmly believe in conducting auditions for a church choir.

really that's like asking why some people can draw something perfectly in scale, proportion and paint it with accurate colours, and why some people can only manage a stick man. I can tune my guitar by ear, and I can hit every note on my tuner, but when I sing, it just doesn't work out that way. it doesn't mean I enjoy singing any less, it just means that I don't have as much voice control as some people do.

It could be that they interpret the tone differently than other people. The bass player in my band has played violin her whole life and she has a very hard time singing lower notes (not because they're too low, but because her hearing register is messed up from the violin) Also of course, it could just be a "not so good" singer in your choir. Since usually there are no prerequisites for singing in a choir.