In
many ways, sight singing music is similar to reading a written text out-loud
for the first time. You must vocalize what you see in the instant that you see
it, and be correct. Both written texts
and notated music come in a variety of complexity levels and styles. Reading aloud an instruction manual is quite
a different experience than e.e. cummings. Likewise, it takes different skills to
sight-read rhythmically complex Latin music than Benjamin Britten’s choral
music.
As a choir teacher, it’s my responsibility to build my
student’s music-reading skills, which includes sight singing. Sight singing is a job skill for all
musicians, and if you have mastered it, can open doorways to great job
opportunities.
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| Look at all those freaking 16th notes!! |
I have
always been a strong sight-singer, but my experience with Bach put those
supposed strengths to the test. In my 2nd
year at USU, I found myself in an ensemble learning Bach’s St. John Passion: a
dynamic oratorio-style work involving orchestra, soloists, and choir. Take a look above to see how hard this piece is (and mind you, this excerpt is not performed at a slow tempo.) Dr. Craig Jessop led these rehearsals, and
his method of teaching this repertoire is to throw you in headfirst. And I had to learn how to swim! I remember it was intellectually stressful
and exciting to try to keep up. After
this experience, I think I have developed a list of things I can teach my
students in their quest to become better sight-singers.
Think in Intervals
This
means hearing in your mind exactly what a Perfect 4th, tritone, or
minor 6th sound like when you see them on the page. Having memory tricks can really help when you
are first learning. For example, “My
Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” begins with a major 6th, or “Here Comes
the Bride” starts with a Perfect 4th. If you are not thinking in intervals, large
leaps in music are terrifying!
Think in Keys
This
piece of advice is akin to understanding Solfege or scale degrees. This means knowing that the first note of the
scale is Do, or scale degree 1, and so forth.
Once you know the key of a piece you are sight singing, it’s easy to
understand how all the pitches relate to “do”
Split into Components
If
the rhythm and pitches together are too much to sight-read all at once, try
splitting up the parts. Just speak the rhythm without pitches first. Or, try singing the pitches without any
rhythm first. Usually the former is more
successful.
Look for Patterns:
Often
music contains rhythmic or melodic patterns that repeat over and over
again. Why do the work of reading every
note when you can read a couple of groups?
Check your part against the other parts
A
good way to check for accuracy is by noticing how your part relates to the
other parts. If the music indicates you
should be in unison with the tenors, but you are not, something is obviously
wrong! It’s a great reference point.
Be bold
Just
try something. Every new skill requires
a period of uncertainty and fear. Pick a
note, and sing it loud and proud! If
you’re right, you’ll help everybody. If
you’re wrong, it will be hilarious.
This is such an interesting posting, Elizabeth. Within the reading research literature, there is a difference between reading comprehension (understanding what you read) and oral reading fluency (reading quickly, accurately, and with appropriate inflection). The two are sometimes but not always related...for instance, I can read Spanish fairly fluently but with no comprehension.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me like sight singing is the equivalent of oral reading fluency in the reading world. Interestingly, one strategy shown to increase oral reading fluency is called "choral reading"--so named because everybody reads the same passage together, just like Dr. Jessop had everybody sing the same passage together.
Here are ideas for increasing oral reading fluency, which I think could have parallel to singing fluency, or sight singing. For instance, reading along/singing along with a tape:
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/fluency-instructional-guidelines-and-student-activities
Thanks for another provocative posting!
This is an interesting way to look at reading. In a way, you as the choir director are teaching ways for all the students to do synchronized reading. It's also difficult because not everyone is on the same level. I remember when I was in choir and there were many times we would either be singing a part over and over that I already had down, or I would be the one needing it over and over while everyone else was bored. It is an interesting way to look at reading.
ReplyDeleteYou sure do know a lot about music, and that's great! It's good to think of strategies that will help your students, especially with something you may struggle with yourself. Breaking things down will help the students master it slowly but surely. Sometimes taking that plunge is just what a student needs to get started. Great ideas!
ReplyDeleteI love this post. I like the way that you have taken your experience and have broken it down in a way that can help your students. That's pretty impressive that you were able to analyze it in such a way. I was involved in choir in high school and these steps would have been beneficial for us to see so that we could be better at sight reading. I remember one of my teachers tried out for the MoTab and she said sight reading was a huge part of the tryout. I bet having Craig Jessop direct was such as awesome experience and I can see how sight reading would have been really important to him.
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