United States or Saint Kitts and Nevis ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !


For children of thirteen years and upwards the above can be continued, together with sight-singing in three parts, dictation in three and four parts, extemporizing at the piano, and more definite work in harmony, counterpoint, and elementary composition. After the age of fourteen it is well to make the work voluntary.

Another book of sight-singing exercises which follows the same sequence is the Rational Sight Reader, by Everett, published by Boosey. Inexperienced teachers sometimes teach this as a dogma, and thereby deprive the children of the delight of discovering it for themselves. This fact is sometimes overlooked, and unnecessary difficulties are created for the children.

The two-and three-part contrapuntal singing which is done in the sight-singing classes is admirable for this, as the whole effect is blurred or entirely spoilt in such clear-cut work by a false entry. For all large school functions, such as a prize-giving, the songs should be sung by heart.

Sight-singing in three parts should always begin with exercises written in the contrapuntal style. There are instances of these in Three-part Vocal Exercises, by Raymond, published by Weekes & Sons. This book is also suitable for use where men's voices are obtainable, the two treble parts being taken by two tenors, and the transposed alto part by a bass.

In taking a fairly advanced class a teacher is often worried because there is not enough time in a single forty-minute lesson a week to touch on all of such subjects as chords, cadences, extemporizing, transposition, &c., in addition to sight-singing and dictation. It is certainly quite impossible to do so, and this is one of the reasons for apparently slow progress.

By the secret principles of a Newly Discovered System of Music Teaching, any one man, lady or child can, without tiresome exercises, special training or long drawn out study, and without waste of time, money or energy, learn to play by note, piano, banjo, cornet, clarinet, saxophone, violin or drum, and learn sight-singing."

There seems little point in teaching a child such time-values as when it can only read at sight in the key of C major! In taking an exercise in sight-singing for the first time with a class at an elementary stage the following practice has been found beneficial: 1. The children sing the tune straight through at sight, without stopping, the teacher beating time.

If the above-mentioned plan for the treatment of the minor key be adopted, bridge-notes will be essential at this stage, and the melodies, at any rate at first, cannot be sung without their aid. A further reference to this matter is given in the chapter on the teaching of sight-singing. The form of these lessons will vary slightly according to the ages of the children.

Remember that we are not aiming at artistic performance in a sight-singing class, so do not hammer away at a tune until the performance of it has reached your ideal. If you do, your aim is 'performance' not sight-singing. If a child makes a mistake in dictation, do not tell it what is wrong, unless you are very short of time.

In schools where sight-singing is taken as part of the regular curriculum it is not necessary to work at this in the song class. In beginning a new song the chief thing is for the teacher to get the class to seize the spirit of it. If difficult words occur, they may be explained later, but it is absolutely essential that the children shall get hold of some idea which they can express in singing.