Hello everybody!

I'm a girl from Holland... and I want to do the piano exam grade 5 in feb.
But... I've got a little problem... at the exam you have to do sight singing....

If he plays the pieces... I remember it.. but... nothing will come out my mouth.... I don't know whether I'm nervous or what... Who can help me?

Give me some good advices...
Anywayz.. THnQ!

I think there is unfortunately no easy way out of this!

The only way to learn to sightsing is by, if not daily, then at least regular practise.

I have let myself down on that point a few times, when auditioning- just didn't practise it enough!
I was also not motivated, because not many teachers know how to teach this- for me it helped doing the spanish sol-fa system, which a violinist tought me.

It can also help singing the "number" of the note, related to the root of scale, when you sightsing.

I actually like sightsinging now, but only because I have proper material to work with- which devellops the skills in a gradual systematic way- lots of exercises!
I don't know where you would get your hands on such exercises- cause what I have again is a spanish booklet- and some matirial, which my new teacher composes...

I would give following advices:

1; stay in C-major for most of your practise-time till you get quite familiar with this key.
2; start with exercises with simple steps- melodies that go up and down scale in steps- or uses notes from the triad only, and build it up from there
3; four bar melodies to start with
4; practise at least 3 times a week- or ideally even just a little ten minute slot every day
5; progress to cover F-major (most auditions tend to use this key, I have noticed), and G-major and Bb-major
6; when you get a melody, that is difficult for you, ignore the difficult bits first- leave out the accidental- or the leap eg- sing the things you CAN sing- eg- the last two bars are easy- learn them and then gradually figure out and add the difficult bits
7: quietly sing to yourself little passing notes, when there are leaps- like counting your way up to that note (or down)

I am not quite sure, if this is what you meant with your question- or if what you really have problems with is that you are scared to sing- that you can hear the music in your head, but are scared to sing?
If that is the case I would suggest that you have a few singing lessons- there are teachers specialising in "singing for the terrified"- or maybe have lessons in combined Alexander technique and voice-work- that might also help with nerves!

Best of luck Naja