MAKING FULL USE OF THE MUSIC TEACHING TRACKS ON THE WEB
  • At rehearsal, so much time is spent learning the notes. However, by continually listening to the notes, learning them in advance and identifying them with the music, singers can prepare themselves to sing competently from the start. Rehearsal time can be better utilised by working on dynamics, tone, blend etc. and general presentation. Everyone wants to sing in a good choir and it is up to the individual members to make it so. And the more singers come prepared to a rehearsal, the better the standard, the higher respect an audience will have for the choir, who will also enjoy the performance more and everyone will have more fun.
  • Though it is a good idea to play CDs of such tracks in the car, the real work can only be done when following with the music. Even if you cannot read music, by such following you will begin to see the relationship of the rise and fall of the melody with the printed music
  • If on first hearing you feel that a section contains difficult rhythm, an unusual progression of notes, strange (to your ear) harmony, circle those parts in the music with a pencil. This will readily show up what needs special attention. You should do the same in choir rehearsals
  • Mark all dynamic markings (p, mf, f, cresc., dim., etc). This will make you much more aware of the music and what is required (use hair pins etc for this)
  • If there are any words you do not understand, look them up
  • Mark all bar numbers, verses, first time/second time bars etc etc. This will also help to speed up your reaction time in choir rehearsal when finding the place asked for by the conductor. Mark the start of your vocal line on every page – the layout may vary from one page to the next!
  • In rehearsal if the conductor for example, says that a phrase or just a note is flat or sharp immediately mark it and then go over that place with the track. Use an up arrow if the music is flat, down arrow for sharp, and a pair of goggles helps you look for difficult passages.
  • Try to spot in the music where there is a repeat of what another section may have sung – and mark it
  • Sometimes your entry is on a note which is given in the accompaniment or in another part. This is also frequently pointed out by the conductor – so mark it
  • Follow the other parts as well, including the accompaniment. The more you fully know and understand what others are doing, the better will be your knowledge of the music and so enhance your contribution. Choir singing is a team effort, so do not be an isolationist
  • Look at the rehearsal schedule and go over the music that is going to be rehearsed before coming to that rehearsal
  • The more you put into it the more you will get out of it. Also by working methodically, over the months/years, you will be surprised what you have learnt and you will find that your learning process is speeded up
  • Remember that everything cannot be done on just the rehearsal night
  • A little each day is so much better than doing it in just one hour.
          
Adrian Pitts                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            

WARM UPS
Like any other muscle in body, the vocal folds need to be warmed up with exercises before asking them to perform. Here is a selection of exercises that you might like to try before singing. Some are for the voice and some are for the body – posture is important when singing.
  • Drop your chin to your chest then slowly circle your head to the left, then up and back (only a little), to the right and then back down to the front (a complete circle). Repeat clockwise and anti-clockwise.
  • Raise your shoulders towards your head, slowly rotate them back, down and forward. Repeat, then reverse the direction. Shake your arms out when finished.
  • Check how your head is sitting – not tilted back or forwards – and lengthen your neck.
  • Roll forward onto the balls of your feet, then back onto your heels, and find a comfortable in between position, making sure that your knees are not locked.
  • Laugh – in various ways starting with a low pitch laugh, moving through chuckles and higher-pitched giggles through to a hissing ‘Mutley’ laugh (Wacky Races, anyone?).
  • Make  an ‘nng’ sound on a medium pitch, and slide the pitch higher to the top note you can manage and then lower to the lowest note you can manage. Go up and down several times.
  • Yawn!
  • Sing up and down the notes of a scale. You can do this using the vowel sounds or just one sound, such as ‘Ah’. If using the 5 vowel sounds we usually go down the scale, repeating the same note in the centre ‘o’  and ‘u’ and for the next ‘a’.
  • Tongue twisters you can try are ‘Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper. Where’s the peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked?’; ‘Nine naughty nuns nibble nuts’; ‘Papa’s got a head like a ping pong ball’ (to the William Tell Overture); ‘Popacatapetl’ (poppa catta petal) and ‘Copper plated kettle’.