sight singing.....
sight singing.....
#1sight singing.....
Posted: 8/20/07 at 7:53pmAnyone know of Liz Fleischman (NY), a singing teacher who specializes in teaching sight singing? Any information is appreciated. Or any other well qualified people?
#2re: sight singing.....
Posted: 8/20/07 at 8:36pmI am a music student at Ithaca College and sight singing is correct. Both terms refer to the art and practice of reading and or singing music at sight. Traditionally singers sight sing and instrumentalists sight read, but the 4 semester long class is called SightSinging.
tinkerscanne
Featured Actor Joined: 6/2/07
#3re: sight singing.....
Posted: 8/20/07 at 8:52pm
One of the best ways to practice Sight Singing is interval training. Start by singing a major scale using solfege syllables. Sing the scale ascending and descending. Then you break the scale down into intervals. Do-re, major second, Do-mi, major third, Do-fa, perfect fourth, do-sol, perfect fifth, do-la major sixth, do-ti, major seventh, do-do, perfect octave. Then do it backwards. Then do the same thing on a relative minor scale. Practicing chromatic scales is also a great tool. You should ideally be reading the notes on the staff in the clef you sing. (Treble clef for soprano, alto - Bass clef for male voices). You get used to seeing what these intervals look like as well as how they sound. BUT, you also have to know your key signatures - how many sharps and flats are in the scales so if you're sight singing a song in F-major (1 flat which is B flat), you will be aware of the note relationships without having to have the accidental (sharp, flat, natural sign, double sharp, double flat,) written in.
It is a process - not something that can be taught in a few lessons. At the college I attended, this class was called "ear training" and it was four semesters. You also need to practice because it's easy to loose. I explain it to my students this way - an instrumentalist has the keys or valves on their instrument and know what pattern makes which note sound. (Example, a flute player presses fingers 1, 2 and 3 for a G). But a vocalist has only his/her eyes and ears and sense of tonality to guide them. I had one student with perfect pitch and it was so cool when he could just pick up a piece of music and just sing it. Aside from being able to read the notes, you also must be able to read the rhythms. Know your note values - whole, half, quarter, eighth, etc. and then there are the meters - 4/4 time, 6/8 time, cut time, mixed meter. LOTS and LOTS of music theory, which MANY vocalists just don't understand because you don't learn to sing the same way someone learns to play a musical instrument.
This is really the tip of the iceberg but if you work hard, study and practice, you will get the hang of it.
Hope this helps...
#5re: sight singing.....
Posted: 8/20/07 at 9:14pmyes it does....(and wow, an intelligent response on this board!? for a change).
LuPonatic
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/12/06
#6re: sight singing.....
Posted: 8/21/07 at 12:01amThe best way to get better at sight singing / reading is to do it. Find ways to practice over and over again. get some basics on keys and intervals, then get yourself a hymnal (some easily readable tunes) to practice with. My saying is "pick a Do and go!"
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