Reply To: Sight Singing in beginning choir

[nafmeadmin]

I haven’t found worksheets and sight reading booklets to be as helpful because students have difficulty relating the materials to the actual music they sing. I take actual excerpts from their music and write them on the board for rhythm practice and for learning notes and sightreading. I have found Solfege to be very useful in getting the interval relationships in sightreading but it has to be used consistently in order for a beginning student to transfer the knowledge to the many keys. Students can also say note names of the excerpts. However, the quick students will call out the answer and not give those less trained students an opportunity to respond. I use tests to check where students are and then tutor individually those with low scores in a situation where they can receive an A by coming in for tutoring so they do not feel punished. A little a day goes a long way. If you do it too long it is tedious and will not give the desired result. Have students take turns pointing to the exercise and have them individually clap rhythms.

LeAnna Willmore
NAfME, Choral Education Council Chair