Here's a ChoralNet resource on this topic.

I think this came from Howard Swann; in any case, I've used it with success.  Take the student to a piano,  play a pitch within his comfortable range, and ask him to sing it.  He probably can't.  But when he sings a pitch, find that pitch on the piano and have him sing "his" pitch with the piano.  Play another pitch nearby and ask him whether it's higher or lower than the first.  (You may need to explore "high" and "low" with him.)  Return to "his" pitch and ask him to sing a note (any note) higher than that; then any note lower.  When he does, find those notes on the piano and have him sing those pitches with the piano.  Continue the process (asking him for a pitch and then your playing it).  Eventually you can ask him to match separate (single) pitches that you play; then pairs of pitches (melodic intervals); etc.

 

As for scooping into the pitch, I think demonstrating wrong and right ways of attacking a pitch helps.  I've also found (in 29 years of experience) that I'm more likely to persuade a singer if I assure him that while scooping is a legitmate technique in some kinds of singing, it "doesn't work with the kind of music we sing in choir."  It's not stylistic, and in a choral setting we would never get everybody's scoop to match.  IOW, I reassure them that I'm not dissing the kind(s) of music they listen to; just saying that "in this context, we need to do it differently;"  I'm not requiring him to give up his kinds of music; just challenging him to expand his repertoire of available techniques.  (I've used this approach with other challenges as well, such as a tenor who was accustomed to the Russian Orthodox vocal production---very forced, high-tension sound---and found that he really had a very pleasant and usable voice.)

 

My $0.02.

 

 

 

 

 

Agree with Robert & John - just a couple of extra thoughts.

 

Re pitch matching - if he's having trouble with the piano, it can help to do these exercises singing back rather than playing - there's more of an immediate empathy with the sound of the human voice, so he's not having to make the mental leap to a different timbre as well as recognising pitch.

 

I introduced a new exercise to deal with a couple of persistent scoopers in my choir just last night. I had them sing a simple scale doh to soh and back again in the middle of the voice, first scooping into each note from below, and then sliding down to each note from high in the head voice. (I told them it was about connecting all the parts of the voice together to get them thinking about how their voices felt doing it.) After alternating this a couple of times, I had them sing the scale, this time opening directly onto the note each time, but keeping both the depth of the lower resonance and the brightness of the head voice in each note. The exercise was designed to work on the 'inner game' principles of both awareness and will - having them notice how notes started and how that related to the use of the voice, and developing the control to choose how to start a note. (This aspect resonates with Robert's point about style - we have one piece in our repertoire in which we quite explicitly use scoops in the manner of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, but they're inappopriate for other pieces, so we need to be able to turn the scoops on or off.)

 

But as John says, patience is paramount. If he gets anxious about it, that's a huge obstacle; if he sees it as just something that needs developing, that's normal for school.

 

liz

I agree with the previous posts.  I have taken to referencing all of the challenges my singers have with matching pitches and octaves to "re-calibrating" how their ear and brain are communicating with their larynx.  It doesn't seem to strike as much of a "you aren't doing this" sentiment.  Finding those spots in their voice where they do match and using them to recalibrate "how" they are hearing has provided much success.  I find remedying the "octavators" - (right note - wrong shelf singers) a stronger challenge.

 

Peace to you.

Randy

I'm still pretty new to this choral directing game(2nd year), but this is what I've done.  "Take it er leave it!"

 

Just like others are saying, I've always started with the pitch they are at, and then gradually work from there.  At first they might only have a matching range of a minor third or even less perhaps, as they grow more comfortable this will grow into a larger range.  I have them sigh, starting high and coming down or having them start low and getting higher, this gets them experiencing the different ranges and head voice vs. chest voice.  Once they being showing signs of getting back into that stagnent tone that doesn't really move, I have them sigh getting that voice into different ranges, especially into head voice.  I've also seen a lot of directors(I've done it a bit, not near as much as I should with my choir) use sighs to break vocal tension when it starts creeping in during rehearsal.

 

For some students that are matching pitch but sometimes aren't right on it, or have to search just a little bit, I have taken a short piece of PVC pipe and put an elbow joint on either end making a "telephone".  This allows them to really hear themselves.  For some students the PVC telephone doesn't really work ,and some students that was an "ahh-ha" moment for them.  More often than not the PVC telephone has worked, some students request to work with it. 

 

I have also found whistling really works wonders.  If they can't sing the pitch, have them whistle it.  Often times with "non-matching" pitch students, they say, "I can't whistle!".  I tell them that it's ok if it's not a full whistle sound...even if it's an airy pitched sound, it will work.  seems like 80% of the time they hit the pitch dead on with a airy whistle...then I have them immediately sing it on a "oo".....  Again, this starts where their speaking or mumbling pitch is at and we work from there.

 

Positive reinforcement and encouragement is crucial...make sure they know it when they match a pitch, especially the first ones.  This will get them believing in themselves, feeling comfortable doing it, and knowing that they can do it!

 

                          -Phil Voeller-

I'm going to be contrary to everyone else... I think his scooping is a good thing. It means that he's aware that his pitch is wrong, And that the actual pitch is higher and lower than the one he's singing. Get him to not just hear, but to FEEL what the correct note feels like. Once he finds it, encourage him to try again, except now, actually hit the note he ended on. Work on the attack, and build on the knowledge and desire to correct himself that he has.

 

I'd rather have a student scoop to the right pitch, than remain on the wrong one.