Sight Singing, Advice sought please Options

[Amber]

Hi,

I know there have been loads of threads on sight singing/reading, but when I try to do a search on specific topics it just shuts my computer down. Hence a new thread.

Teacher has persuaded me to take my grade 7 this November, so there's nothing for it, I've just got to learn to sight sing. It was depressing that my overall results in my grade 6 sank to a lowly 116, when I scored so well on all my songs and aurals. Because I failed my sightsinging. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

So, can anyone recommend a good sight singing book please. If I had loads more time and resources I'd be beating a path to Cyrilla's door to learn Kodaly properly, but with things the way they are that's not feasible.

The Paul Harris books I've worked through, and in a way they're too easy and straightforward.
Then I have another one somewhere, which has a special "method", but it was american and seemed to over complicate things.

I've got the AB's book with graded exercises in, but I'm really looking for a book that will teach me to a higher level than the Paul Harris, but without using some weird and wonderful "method".

Can anyone recommend anything please.

I haven't got bags of time free to devote to it, but if I commit just ten minutes a day, I'm hoping that will make a difference. But I'd like to use my ten minutes as wisely as possible is, I guess, what I am saying.

cheers

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Ambs
x

[katyjay]

To be honest, I've don't often use specific materials for sight-reading, whether using my voice or any of my other instruments. I've used the AB specimens, but have tended to play or sing all of them in one session and then wondered "oh dear, what shall I do now?"

What I have found works, and is the only thing that works for me, is to practise.

Ways I practise: Every day I sing or play something I've not looked at before, regardless of how hard or easy it is; just pulling a book at random from my shelves and turning to a previously unopened page and playing or singing what's on there. Alternatively I generate a random page on Schubertline or CPDL and play or sing the result. Sometimes it's seriously scary, other times deadly boring, but it does do the job.

Also I've found that being participating in ensembles - for example a choir, an SRP meeting or a Market Harborough get-together - helped my reading no end. I know that you have joined a choir since your grade 6 exam, and you may find that your reading has actually improved a fair bit without your consciously doing anything about it.

[SaxFan]

can I just support what KJ says?
Practice is the thing I think.

I don't remember what sightreading was like for a singing exam, but as has been said, it is very much like any other instrument, only you use your voice.

Having waffled that bit, I would say that when I started tenor sax with a Light Orchestra not so long ago, the first visit was AWFUL... there was the music [on the basis of "Ah, you need a copy of this one...."] and I had to play it.
Well, I didn't. I had worked out the first few notes by the time the conductor's baton did the first downbeat, then I got further and further behind (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) I'm not even sure I got the last note in the right place.

But after that it got better each week, same music admittedly, so it wasn't sight-reading, but as new music appeared in front of me I had much more idea of what to do and how to go about it. I need more practice, but on the whole it isn't so difficult, nor my efforts so pathetic.

What I do find difficult is 'letting go' of a note - I mean looking ahead so that once I have played or sung a note, for better or worse, then it's gone and I have to move on. I am sure it will come --- goodness I hope so (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[Amber]

Hi KJ

Thanks for your advice. Yes, I know there has been some improvement since joining the choir for sure, but it is such very small progress compared to where I know I need to be. I guess that's why I'm looking for the "magic book" that will teach me everything I need to know! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I'll take your advice. I've got a few minutes spare at the mo whilst the food is cooking, so I'll go and find something new to sing. I'm looking for a happy scottish folk/trad song (not easy it seems), so my Scottish Songs book would be a good place to start! Combine both sight reading and happy song searching!

[sets off, determined not to be distracted by other things - like washing the kitchen floor, or reading War & Peace]

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Ambs
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[SaxFan]

or reading War & Peace]

have you thought of learning War and Peace, just as a memory exercise? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
You could use it then as a performance and people would pay to hear it - dramatise the reading a little....

try it while you search for a Scottish song !

good luck Amber

[HazelKay]

as I totally failed the echo singing part in my exam - and I think it must have been the pitching as I think the rhythm was OK - will I improve if I just press notes on my keyboard and try pitch the same? How will know/feel when I've done it right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[SaxFan]

as I totally failed the echo singing part in my exam - and I think it must have been the pitching as I think the rhythm was OK - will I improve if I just press notes on my keyboard and try pitch the same? How will know/feel when I've done it right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

I am sure that will help, but see if KJ can tell you, she has done much more singing than I have ~

[spaceman]

as I totally failed the echo singing part in my exam - and I think it must have been the pitching as I think the rhythm was OK - will I improve if I just press notes on my keyboard and try pitch the same? How will know/feel when I've done it right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

You could use an electronic tuner to begin with. They're very cheap.

[katyjay]

as I totally failed the echo singing part in my exam - and I think it must have been the pitching as I think the rhythm was OK - will I improve if I just press notes on my keyboard and try pitch the same? How will know/feel when I've done it right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

Hi Hazel

Sorry to hear the echo singing part of your exam didn't go according to plan.

First thing I'd like to know - did your flute teacher do any work in this area with you? Pitch is a lot easier to work on with someone else listening than all on your own.

Second, you ask "how will I know/feel when I've done it right?". Are you able to hear the keyboard while you're actually singing a note, or does the sound of the note in your head drown out the noise of the keyboard? If the latter, can you turn the keyboard volume up a bit?

Anyway, when you can hear yourself singing and the keyboard both at the same time, choose a comfortable note (maybe the G above middle C?) and play it. Keep it held down and sing it, listening to whether your voice and the note are the same or whether you need to move your voice higher or lower to match.

Do this again with a few more notes - maybe up to the C above, and down to middle C. Then try doing it with notes chosen at random in that octave, each time holding the note on until you've sung it.

When you're comfortable that you can sing the note while you're playing it, then the next stage is play a note, and let go of it as soon as you've sung it. Use the same range of notes and the same ordered and then random notes from that octave.

Once you can do that, try doing it by playing the note, letting go of it and then singing it and then playing it again while you are still singing it.

And then finally try it without playing a second time - just play the note, let go, hear the note in your head, sing it.

If you feel brave enough, record yourself doing these, and listen to the recordings - that'll help you to judge if it's going according to plan or not.

[sbhoa]

as I totally failed the echo singing part in my exam - and I think it must have been the pitching as I think the rhythm was OK - will I improve if I just press notes on my keyboard and try pitch the same? How will know/feel when I've done it right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

I've found that it can help if you listen to the note, imagine it in your head THEN sing it. Start with one note then build up.
If you do have trouble pitching to the keyboard/piano it's a good idea if you can start by matching someone's voice.
And as Katyjay said it might need another pair of ears to help you know when you've got it.

[HazelKay]

Thank you friends,
My teacher does do the echo singing with me and I always did OK if I pitched the starting note right - I've tried on the computer with an ear training programme - but I find it immensely difficult to match their tones. I'm also hopeless at trying to play a well-known tune on the flute - I have to fiddle around for ages to get each note.
I keep trying, though - maybe I should take singing lessons?

[sarah-flute]

Ambs: The Trinity "Sound at sight" books are pretty good IMO, and the William Appleby book, can't recall the title at the moment (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif), is good practice material. Neither of them is that great at teaching you how, IMO, but they do try, they go gradually, and tell you what you're practising in any given exercise. (ie "now practise singing notes in the triad...")

www.schubertline.co.uk as well as random pages which would be a great practice idea, have specific sight-reading exercises that would make good practice material... http://www.schubertline.co.uk/resource.htm 3rd column, 3rd group down, "Sight reading examples".

[Fantasia in P major]

Aural Time! by David Turnbull works for my daughter and, like everyone says, lots of practise, leads to confidence!

[Rhoda]

Take my advice and teach yourself to sight sing using the tonic sol-fa. It is BRILLIANT!

It is quite easy to do and it will help you a lot. I got into the CBSO Chorus because at the audition my sight-singing knocked 'em flat! But it was only because I'd spent around six months preparing for the audition teaching myself to sight sing simple English folk songs using the tonic sol-fa and doing daily tonic sol-fa exercises (such as doh ray doh me doh fah doh soh doh lah doh teh doh doh(top) doh and back wards, and so on.

It won't disappoint and the time will be well spent learning it.

[thouston]

Hi Amber! This is a bit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/offTopic.gif) but a lot of others have given you good advice and I'd only be repeating it.
For a happy Scottish song have you looked at Jock o' Hazeldene? I did it for my Grade 8 trad song and it's great fun.
Sounds like a sad song right up to the punchline, which you can really sing with a twinkle in your eye.
I'll post up the lyrics if you're interested...
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