Teaching the Older Beginner:

Music Literacy Techniques for Inexperienced Singers

Laura Howard

SCAPA Lafayette High School

Lexington, KY

laura.howard@fayette.kyschools.us

Key concepts to remember:

Hear Sing Read/Write

Known Unknown

Prepare Present Practice

Folksongs Masterworks

I. Identifying the Problems & the Goals

a. What issues do students face?

i. No melodic reference point

ii. Little to no understanding of rhythm

iii. Lack of appropriate vocal model

b. What issues do teachers face?

i. Lack of time to play catch up

ii. Varying tools (numbers, solfege, counts, rhythm syllables, etc.)

iii. Performance Pressure

c. What are your literacy goals?

i. Working knowledge of melodic and rhythmic system

ii. Independent reading ability

iii. Appropriate vocal production

II. Skill Development

Technique Method Materials/Repertoire

Solfege Exercises Solfege Exercises: Rote learning; Incorporate into warm-ups daily. Sing in canon Omit syllables Divide into parts

1. scales 2. Do + 1 3. Corkscrew 4. 3rds 5. Drones

Echoing/Improvisation: 1. Clap/tap/step 2. Rhythm Syllables 3. Pitch – neutral

syllables 4. Solfege syllables

Echoing: Focus on target patterns; All activities can be teacher or student led; whole class, small group, pairs, etc. Be creative – create games

Rhythm syllables Solfege syllables Create patterns moving from basic to more difficult; Use patterns from rep.

Decoding/Dictation 1. Clap/tap/step - to

– rhythm syllables 2. Neutral syllables –

to – rhythm syllables/solfege /hand signs

3. Writing

Decoding/Dictation: Begin with students decoding teacher pattern and then switch to students creating patterns for the rest of the class to decode.

Rhythm syllables Solfege syllables Known songs (folk songs, canons learned by rote, pop songs, patriotic songs, etc.) Familiar, established patterns

Audiation/Inner Hearing: 1. Inner Voice vs.

Outer Voice 2. Part by part

Audiation/Inner Hearing: 1. Sing every other phrase of a

known song/exercise in your head.

2. Parts sing every other measure or phrase, ex. Altos m. 1, sop. .m2, etc.

Solfege exercises Known songs Repertoire Canons

Error Detection: 1. Rhythmic 2. Melodic

Error Detection: 1. www.therhythmtrainer.com; clap

a known rhythm (song) students find the mistake.

2. Sing known song with mistake – students find the error.

Can also be student led

Known songs Repertoire Canons Original examples Student composed examples

Reading: 1. Hand signs 2. Stick Notation 3. Rhythm syllables 4. Solfege /tone

ladder 5. Notation

Reading: Students sing melodies from hand signs; from solfege syllables; from notation with solfege syllables. Students read rhythms from syllables; from stick notation; from traditional notation

Sight Reading materials Original examples Concert Repertoire Canons

III. Assessment:

a. Tools: SmartMusic, ipad/iphone apps, garage band, live, other recording devices

b. Tips:

i. Isolate rhythm

ii. Assess scales and vocal exercises

IV. Resources:

125 Moderate Two-Part Exercises – Marsha Carlisle; AMC Publications

150 Rounds for Singing and Teaching – Edward Bolkovac, Judith Johnson; Boosey & Hawkes

333 Elementary Exercises – Zoltan Kodaly; Boosey & Hawkes

The Adolescent Reading Singer – Don Collins; Cambiata Press

The Book of Canons – John Feierabend; GIA

Essential Sight Singing – Emily Crocker, John Leavitt; Hal Leonard

The Folk Song Sight Singing Series – Crowe, Lawton, Whittaker; Oxford University press

The High School Sight Singer – www.masterworkspress.com

The Kodaly Method II – Lois Choksy; Prentice Hall

Let Us Sing Correctly – Zoltan Kodaly; Boosey & Hawkes

MLR Verbal Association Skills Program - James Froseth & Albert Blaser; GIA

Music for Sight Singing – Robert Ottman; Prentice Hall

The Sight Singer – Audrey Snyder; Warner Bros.

Sing At First Sight – Beck, Surmani, Lewis; Alfred

Songs for Sight-Singing – Mary Henry, Marilyn Jones; Southern Music Company