CHORAL & VOCAL SIGHT SINGING and Keyboard Harmonyand Keyboard Harmony PIANIST EDITION Sight singing does not need to be scary, particularly if it is a communal activity. Members of

CHORAL & VOCAL SIGHT SINGING and Keyboard Harmony PIANIST EDITION

Sight singing does not need to be scary, particularly if it is a communal activity. Members of a choir pick up the skills by a process of osmosis, the stronger ones enabling the weaker ones. Ten minutes of sight singing at each practice can become part of the routine, just like the warm-ups at the start. I was fortunate to have been taught to sight sing in a class situation at primary age; the teacher drew the notes on a blackboard as we followed them up and down with our voices. We enjoyed it enormously. So, whether you are taking a school class, an amateur choir or a solo singing lesson, aim to make it a regular slot, to increase the difficulty very gradually, and to enhance the experience by adding accompaniments.

This book serves a dual purpose. It aims to give choirs and solo singers gently graded sight singing practice whilst at the same time encouraging the pianist to accompany them from chord symbols. Many examples of the possible realisations of the chords are given and the number of different keys and chords increases gradually. One chord per bar is used at first with more rapid changes in the later chapters.

Each stage includes exercises for the singers, (to be practised, not just sight read) and songs to be accompanied. The words are optional, but many choirs find that they help them to keep their place in the music. The book is not geared to any exam syllabus; rather it aims to prepare choir members for the sort of music they are likely to encounter. To be truly confident, singers are advised to learn how to identify the notes on the piano; they can then picture them as they sing. This aids an understanding of tones, semitones and key structures; lessening the element of guesswork.

This Pianist Edition includes chord examples and practice routines, and at the back, a chord compendium.

STAGE 1: Moving by step; 4/4 time; keys of C, G and F major

STAGE 2: Moving by step in 3/4 and 2/4 time; D major

STAGE 3: 2nds, 3rds and octaves, A, E and D minor

STAGE 4: 4ths; 3/8 and 6/8 time

STAGE 5: 5ths; A and Eb major, G, B and C minor; 2/2 time; swing

STAGE 6: 6ths; Ab and E major; ‘blue’ notes

STAGE 7: 7ths; Db and B major, F#, C# and F minors

4

Christmas Feast

Christ

F

mas- is com

C

ing- and turk

F/A

ey- roast,

D‹

gra

G‹/B¨

vy- and pars

F/A

-nips and sprouts

G7

and peas;

C

sau

C/B¨

sa- ges,- ba

F/A

con,- roast

C/G

po ta

F

- toes,- Christ

B¨6

mas- pud

F/C

ding and bran

C7

dy- cream.

F

34&b

&b

œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙ ™

œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙ ™

Glasses

Safe

DŒ„Š7

on the beach, count

GŒ„Š7

ing- the waves, Here's

F©‹7

one and two three, four,

E‹7

five, six;

A

Now

DŒ„Š7

se ven- comes, tow

E‹7

er- ing- high, Rush

F©‹7

ing- at me, knocks

G

me for six!

D

34&##

&##

œ œ œ ˙ ™ œ œ œ ˙ ™ œ œ œ œ Œ œ ˙ œ ˙ ™

œ œ œ ˙ ™ œ œ œ ˙ ™ œ œ œ œ Œ Œ œ œ œ ˙ ™

Wave Number Seven

Where

G

are my glass

C

es?- I thought

C©º7

they were here!

G/D

When

C

they are need

G/B

ed- they ne

A‹7

ver- are

C/D

near.

G

34&#

&#

œ ™ œj œ œ œ œ œ ™ œj œ ˙ ™

œ ™ œj œ œ œ œ œ ™ œJ œ ˙ ™

Shoes Off!

Dirt

D‹

on the pave

F

ment- and leaves

G

pressed to the sole

D‹

of your shoe;

Please

B¨

take your shoes

G

off and leave

A7

them by the door.

D‹

34&b

&b

œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ™

key note key note

&b(Related to F major)

key signature Bb

D MINOR

Sing to numbers:

D

8

C

7

Bb

6

Semitone

A

5 4

G

3

Semitone

F

2

E

1

Dœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

-

32

key note

&bD MINOR

Tunes in minor keys sometimes include 'accidentals' (extra sharps # or naturals § )

Sing to numbers:

C#

7Semitone

D

1

E

2

Semitone

F

3

G

4

Semitone5

A Bb

6

œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ

Reminders

Don't

D‹

for get- your coat, Don't

A

for get- your gloves, Don't

D‹

for get- your lunch box- and lib

A

rary- book,

Have

D‹

you got your flute? Was

G‹/B¨

it in the bed room?- I'll take

D‹/A

a

A7(#5)

look.

D‹

44&b

&b

œ œ# œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# ˙

œ œ# œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ Œ w

Our natural volume is ‘mf’ (mezzo forte/moderately loud), so dynamics have not been marked yet. Here are some variations.‘p ’ = piano/quiet; ‘mp ’ = mezzo piano/moderately quiet; ‘f ’ = forte/loud. Hairpins show gradual increase/decrease.

Cough

G

ing- all

D

the time, it's such

C

a pain;

G

when

C

I think

G/B

I'm free it's here

A7

a gain;

D

-

I

G

can feel

C

a litt le- tick

B7

le- near;

E‹

it

D

will in

A‹

ter- rupt- me now,

D7

I fear.

G

p

44&#Line under note: slightly stressed

. . - . . -

&#. .

(cough, cough)

.

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj ‰ ‰ œj ˙

Fireworks

Bangf

C

go the fire

F

works,- light

D7

ing- up the sky.

G

Co

CŒ„Š7

lours- are spil

D‹7

ling- out, shoot

G9

ing- up high.

C34& œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ™ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ ˙ ™

Hotpot

Give

D

me on ions,- give

F©‹/C©

me car rots,- give

B‹7

me gin ger- too;

A

Mix

G

them with chick

D

en- for love

A7

ly,- tas ty- stew!

D

34&#

&#

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ™

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ™

The Cough

33