Teenage Basses who can barely match pitch

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Teenage Basses who can barely match pitch

Date: September 26, 2012

by Mara Joy

Views: 3042

I have recently become the choir director for a small group of 7th-12th graders (mandatory as part of their homeschool co-op,) and I feel rather inadequate!

There are 5 basses, one of them is a relatively good singer (probably more of a baritone compared to the rest), and one very weak tenor (whose voice does not overlap at all with the basses!) The other 4 basses are also VERY weak singers, one of them has a 3-note basement range of about LOW F-A, the other hree have somewhat larger ranges, but all these 4 have a lot of difficulty matching pitch. Maybe this was a bad idea on my part, but I've stuck the strong singer, the "baritone," with the tenor, mainly to avoid having the tenor sing alone (I really want to avoid singleing him out at this insecure age, as well as I don't think he *could* sing alone, or worse, sing with girls.)

So now I still have 4 very low basses who are like the blind leading the blind! I will try and work with them individually for a few minutes each week outside of choir, and hope and expect that I can gradually help them to increase their ranges and pitch abilities, but for now... what am I supposed to do? I'm very flexible with repertoire now (although Catholic/Christian religious music is strongly preferred,) and we're just doing pretty simple pieces. Right now I am trying a few things like arranging hymns by adding a low bass line that just stays on do-ti-do-re (depending what the chord is,) and/or having the baritone-tenor duo sing the same thing as them an octave higher, and trying some Gregorian chants with a "drone" (ison) that is in the basses range, but still... they sound pretty terrible! The pitch is barely there. I can't tell them to not sing (although I wish at times I could!) What does one do during the rehearsals or even performances (if this hasn't improved by then?)

(I can barely even "warm them up" because there's only about those 4 notes that the basses can remotely hit!)

I've requested from the library a couple of the books I've seen recommended on this site (the "working with adolescent voices" and teaching kids to sing ones,) but any other suggestions on what to do would be appreciated!

Replies (17): Threaded | Chronological

J. Young on September 27, 2012 4:39am

Please assure that you are actually working with boys (especially in the 7-9 grade range) whos voices have started to change. From reading your post, it sounds like they are not really basses.

It also sounds like the tenor you mention is really still a treble that you don't want to put with the girls? Perhaps you could setup your ensemble where he could sit on the edge of the tenor

section, but sing the alto part, if you are doing four part. Unless there are no girls, and then have him sing in the range he can. If that should be the treble range, then tell him that he
wont have those notes forever...

Building confidence and self-awareness is key numbe one.

Jack Curtis Dubowsky on September 27, 2012 6:19am

IMHO, here's a possible issue:

(mandatory as part of their homeschool co-op,)

It's possible that being made to sing may be an affront to nascent machismo, at a time when social presentation and conventions of masculinity are especially important.

I recommend thinking outside the box. Can the chorus be made to be NON-mandatory?

Can you do some particularly masculine material, i.e. drinking songs, army songs, navy songs, college fight songs, etc?

Can you present recordings (college fight songs, Red Army Chorus, etc) where singing is presented in a traditional, heteronormative, masculine context?

I think the supposition that this is purely related to vocal development or ear training is a big presumption.

I could be wrong here, but this is certainly a possible foundational issue. I personally remember wanting to sing badly at that age.

All my best,

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Stephen Stomps on September 27, 2012 11:15am

These singers are suffering from the onset of puberty and only G-d can make a tenor (or bass or baritone). Machissmo aside (which may well be true and something to overcome by sheer trickery), the only thing likely to help is to not force the issue for you can only hurt by doing much of anything. Simply, there is no there there.

You can at least let them know the physical issues involved. But, by asking this very question, you need to need to get more information. First, find out where they are in their vocal change. You may do this in a group so they know that they are not alone. Have each guy count backwards from 20 as many times as necessary until you can find each singer's Chanting Tone on the piano (the "note" their voice settles on). If that note is g below middle c, the voice is probably not changing yet ( but may at any moment). He may be still singing in a a treble range very well but here is where machissmo may hold sway. As the voice changes, the Chanting Tone will lower. If the note is f, the process has started but there will be very few notes. If the voice settles to e, the changing, there may be a few notes more and there will be a few more until the Chanting Tone settles around bass cleff b to g. IN NO CASE SHOULD ANY OF THESE NOTES BE FORCED! Even when the CT reaches the low g, they voice is just ready to be useful and this may be the case until 16 or 17. also, until the voice reaches this area, there will be a great gap between the five notes below middle c, maybe some falsetto above (but probably not). You must make certain that every singer is breathing correctly. All vocalizes should be decending from higher notes to lower (sol,fa,mi,re,do) and never be forced. You will find much information about this from me and many others in by searching the archives on the homepage's tabs (above).

Do not let them wallow in the swamp of they bass octave from which the singer may never rise. Do have them sigh from high to low starting from as close as you can to middle C. SUPPORT, FOCUS, RESONATE! should be your first tattoo... on your forehead if possible. A good, pirate's arrrrrgh! can work wonders (for finding focus) for your entire choir.

Stephen Stomps on September 27, 2012 11:23am

Mara, I found this in the archives.

Date: September 8, 2005

by Steve Stomps

One year my quest was to find more about the changing male voice. I knew
much less than I needed to know. I have had quite good luck with the vast
majority of the changing voices but nearly no luck at all with the ninth
grade guys who start at low g and croak around up to the d above until,
that is, until their voices have actually completed the vocal change which
is often not until their junior year.
Perhaps the greatest hurdle is a psychological one. Most, if not all of
these guys truly are not singers by inclination but after the onset of the
vocal change and the embarrassment of the "cracking" voice, they head for
the vocal basement to hide; some never get out and are left with four
notes for the rest of their lives. Poor things can't even sing Happy
Birthday to their kids. Truly, none of the tricks you request will do much
good over the short term--there is no magic fix other than puberty.
After attending ADA sessions held by John Cooksey during my quest to
find more out about the young man's voice, I have used his technique of
having the singer speak while counting backwards 1-20. If the voice
settles on the g below middle c, the boys voice is unchanged and may have
an intact treble voice for two octaves. The next stage in the vocal change
shows chanting at about d-e below middle c and the notes from g through
the d above middle c just disappear for a while but there may still be
unchanged notes above but soon they will disappear as will falsetto. This
is when some guys will head for the basement.
The next stage shows chanting between bass b-c (and tenors may stay here
for a longer while)
and now the middle voice will begin to fill in gradually but falsetto may
still be gone.
When the voice settles to a chanting low g, the entire range will begin
to stabilize and the normal passiggio will become evident. Bass/baritones
with the major break around middle c and tenors around the f above.
(Female voices correspondingly an octave above).
I find that there is absolutely no hope for a struggling singer to
develop properly until that singer has a sense of placement of the tone in
the mask. Unless there is some sort of reference--a place in the mask
which provides feedback to the singer about dynamics, tone color, a sense
of physical relaxation under stress of phonation, the voice simply will
not develop. Guys in particular will try to gain a sense of control by
tensing the muscles of the tongue, throat and glottis (think of Kermit the
Frog).
Unless the swoops, airplane, humming tricks are built into the daily
vocalizes which also develop proper breathing, support and focus, they
remain just tricks which really don't do much. Many mumbling mice making
music in the moonlight might be mighty magnificent to sing but what does
this really do after all?
If the breathing, if the placement, if the focus, if the pitch is secure
in the range the singer does have at the particular time--even if these
notes are bass g to the d above--the the range will fill in with time and
puberty. Giving the singer a framework within which he/she may develop
feedback as their vocal prowess develops it the ultimate fix but you will
have made a singer for life who will be able to sing the most important of
tunes, Rock-a-by Baby and Happy Birthday.
S

Stephen A. Stomps, Director of Choirs
Auburn High School Choirs
250 Lake Avenue Extension
Auburn New York 13021
PH: 315-255-8300 x2305
FAX: 315-255-5876
HOME: 315-591-5689
email: steve_stomps(a)auburn.cnyric.org

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Ralph Nelson on September 27, 2012 1:45pm

I had a very similar problem when I had a group of 11 middle/high school boys in a large community-based choral program. What I learned was to take "baby steps." Luckily, I am a male who had a very difficult time "relearning" to sing after my voice changed, so I had great empathy for the boys, and I remembered in part what I had to do to learn to sing again. Boys have it really tough, because most of them literally have to "relearn" how to sing. If you think back to a 2-year old learning to sing - it is really rather similar. Most cannot match a pitch to save their lives at this stage. Four notes -- that's actually pretty good for some of them! As a society, they've got it even rougher in that we get put into choirs with girls who never have to experience this - AND on top of that, they must learn to sing a harmony line (which many girls who sing alto have serious difficulties doing, yet they don't have to worry about learning to sing in a new octave). Further, the choir I worked with had a female group, and when they boys joined the girls, a number of parents would make fun of the boys and their singing. Ugh. It's no wonder so many guys never sing again!

Now - on to some practical stuff. I'll make a assumption by the name Mara that you are a woman. That's great, but if you try to sing their notes in your octave, the boy brain won't process it - in other words, most will never find the correct pitch. Use the piano in THEIR octave. Also, don't try to sing in their octave - it sounds really ood to a guy, and he will try to sing an octave lower. Find a good male singer who can come in and sing with the boys -- they need a model for their voice. Use simple warm-up excersises, and use the SAME ones every time (kind of like kindergarten teachers that teach the same routine every day -- it's really not all that different!). 3-note patterns, 4- note patterns. Over and over again -- eventually they will get it. Encourage them, if they have a piano or keyboard at home (or an I-phone that has a pitch-pipe app) to practice matching their voice against the pitches every day until they know that are on the pitch. You'll be amazed at how their voices will grow and evolve, just like how a baby learns to walk.

Good luck, and hang in there. It will be some of the most important work that you will do.

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Lori Hayward on September 27, 2012 3:30pm

Dear Mara,

What a fun time you have ahead of you :) No, really, in all seriousness - you have such an astouding opportunity for growth here. I teach 8th and 9th grade boys choir at my school. It is voice change city! At the beginning of the year I will have 50% treble, 10% tenor and 40% miscellaneous (haha). Miscellaneous tends to be a mixture of true baritones, new baritones, bass wannabees, never sang before and don't know how to control any note higher than e below middle c, etc.... Just get them singing first of all. Anything. Get them using that voice. I thoroughly agree with many of our colleagues here that the voice change is a factor, as is ego. Many, though, simply do not understand how to use their upper range. It seems too "girly." Also, during voice change, many of these boys don't have falsetto at all. As the voice change begins to settle - falsetto tends to come into play.

First - make it cool that voices change and squeak. Make it a funny thing. Talk about it. Make it safe for everyone to try and sing in class without cruel ridicule. I usually ask my students "what's the worst that can happen?" Then I say, we'll probably laugh. We can't help it. If a voice squeaks, it's kind of funny. They laugh, then we all "pledge" that we won't laugh if we can help it if someone's voice squeaks. Usually the pledge ends with something like - or may I be struck by lightning or some such ridiculous thing. However, it breaks the ice. It gives them permission to mess up while learning. Do as many high warmups as you can. Determine the falsetto.

I know that there are points in voice change where a young man may only have 5 notes to sing. However, this won't always be the case. Keep testing and see how things are going vocally.

We do a lot of work with breath and placement - and 2 1/2 weeks into the school year, my octave droppers were singing e above middle c. Most of them are true baritones who didn't know how to get their higher range. Lots of patience, love, empathy, and humor. It's so much fun. Now, after each song that they feel victorious about, they burst into applause. It's so cool. The sheer joy of leaving the basement behind.

Best Wishes to you!

Lori Hayward

West Point Junior High

Joel Hess on September 28, 2012 10:28am

There's a very obvious solution - three-part (SAB or SAT) music. There are lots of Renaissance anthems, madrigals, etc. written for this voice distribution. That way the tenor and the less shaky bass can help out the others. If you must have SATB music, you could try putting some of the lower altos on tenor and all the guys on bass.

John Wexler on September 29, 2012 7:08am

Disclaimer: my memories are now very distant indeed of being a non-singing boy dropped into an environment where singing was part of the background.

Give them something to emulate. Exhortation and explanation have very little effect on boys of voice-breaking age, who have a neural bypass whereby words can enter one ear and proceed unimpeded to exit via the other. But, if you can once get them interested, they may be able to do by imitation what you cannot get them to do by instruction.

Let them hear something different and unexpected where male voices produce an exciting effect. I could give lots of examples, but for just one suggestion, search the web for "Tenores di Bitti" - a Sardinian singing tradition where a small group of men sing, each with a very small range of notes, using simple static harmonies, and produce an effect far more powerful than you would believe possible from the description. Mialinu Pira is a well-known group with lots of clips on YouTube. Remunnu e' Locu is another fine group, and on their page http://www.tenoresbitti.com/indexeng.html you'll find an example of their chant broken down into its individual parts, and various combinations of parts.

I'm not suggesting that this is what you want your singers to do in a concert or in church. It just may be a way to break the ice and get them to try making a good controlled sound. Even if they only try it for five or ten minutes, they may discover the feeling of getting their voice working. They won't forget that sensation, and they'll be ready for you to take them forward.

John Wexler on September 29, 2012 7:29am

Correction: on the page http://www.tenoresbitti.com/indexeng.html you'll need to click the File Mp3 button on the left-hand side.

Mara Joy on September 29, 2012 7:30am

Thank you for all of your suggestions. I was particularly intrigued by the "counting backwards from 20" one, and I had a chance to do that yesterday with most of the guys, and indeed, they are all true changed-voice basses, (chanting at low G or lower,) except for the "tenor" who apparently is still in the midst of voice change; chanting at mid G! (Now, I'm aware that I had a very small sample size, which didn't include *any* changed-voice-tenors, so I'm quite interested to verify for my own personal observation where true tenors would chant, but for now I'm satisfied.)

Also, while I said that the chorus is 7th-12th grade, the guys in question are mostly 10th-11th, with one 8th grader, so perhaps knowing that, you will be less surprised that they are true basses.

I do think the key will be working with a few of them in particular individually, but I was very inspired yesterday, because after a few minutes alone with the (worst) bass, he was able to reach middle-C-ish in his head voice, and then work ALL the way down (mostly on the right pitches!) to low-low C! What a change from only 3 notes the first time I heard him... now we just need more practice so that he can access those notes at will! And I confirmed that all of the other guys (when alone with me) do indeed have a large head voice range, so it would be great if I could help them work through their "break." If I can get those guys singing a little higher, then it really will be much more feasible to do 3-part music! (As a long-time small church choir director, where men are usually quite the commodity, I am well familiar with 3-part music, haha...)

Stephen Stomps on September 29, 2012 12:57pm

Mara,

I have not been a fan of three part mixed because SAB is often closer to SAT which places the Bs too high in the tessatura. I have just remembered one of the acknowleged experts, Dr John Cooksey (sp) (from Iowa?) who has published extensively and has annoted repertoire suggestion appended. Henry Leck also has published. Bob Zazzarra may have published and I have seen him perform miracles at NYSSMA festivals in New York.

My singers really doted on knowing their "chanting tone" as it moved. Cookesy terms the young men whose voices have settled to that "low G" as young baritones whose voices are now ready to develope whether they eventually become tenors or stay as baritone or basses. In any case, the tessitura issues are the same whether T or B. ALL of my men could sing high f or f# in full, mixed or falsetto voices. Since tenors' "money notes" start at e, being able to "float" through and over the passaggio is essential so that, one day, there will be a high C. That C is much less important than the ability to have a good high f-g as part of a trajectory over and through the passaggio.

As for vocalizes in general, they should all descend from higher in the range even if the top note is a pitched sigh. Don't let them wallow in the mud of their bass notes.

Michael Sandvik on September 30, 2012 6:11pm

Hi Mara,

In my experience, droners (singers who match only a few pitches: most often basses in very low register) are quite capable of singing many pitches, but often sing with almost no energy. This seems especially common with changing/just after voice change times in young men's lives (especially ages 13-16). I learned the concept of "winding up" the singers at an ACDA convention that has yet to fail for me.

It works like this: work with a student one on one or two at the most (I consistently dedicated 5-6 minutes after a rehearsal with a student or two - that feel safe together) emphasizing paying attention to remember the feeling of singing a particular pitch. I would then pick a pitch generally above the "comfort" four notes of the droner. I would ask them to match the pitch on a specified vowell. They would of course be far below the pitch with an energy-less sound. While they are singing I would tell them more energy and higher (this is the winding them up procedure) until they reach the pitch. They have generally never experienced the energy necessary to sing the specified pitch (perhaps an "e" below middle c). Once they get there, I have them hold the pitch. Then I remind them to remember the pitch's feel. A moment later we try to reproduce it. Within a few sessions they are usually able to reproduce the pitch (generally not in the first session - you have to wind them up each time, but there are some surprises) after locating it the first time. A few sessions in they generally starting finding the near vicinity of the pitch on the first try (it's wonderful). Then you start working with them on moving between pitches. You have to be patient, but the process is extremely rewarding.

Warning: droners, I've noticed, when they start matching "normal" pitches, generally have a lot of tension associated with these "high energy" pitches, so after they are matching, you will likely need to help them learn to relax the throat without losing the energy so as not to wear out their voices in a hurry.

God Bless and enjoy the process!

Michael Sandvik

Jessica Bowen on October 1, 2012 8:06am

Michael,

Do you think a female could use this technique? Would it be better to have the singer try to match my pitch or use the piano?

Also, with the counting backwards technique, do you ask the student to do it on a pitch or will the student end up producing a pitch? What if they still just have a speaking voice? I'm having a hard time picturing how this counting thing works.

I definitely have this problem of a bass who is only able to sing a few notes. He's an 11th grader and his voice has been changed for a while. I'm having such a hard time helping him and I feel like part of the disconnect is because as a woman, I've never produced a bass note in my life!

Thanks for all the advice so far!

Jessica Bowen

AMSA Charter School

Marlborough, MA

Michael Sandvik on October 1, 2012 6:20pm

Hi Jessica,

I've had success with students matching notes from the piano, although they sometimes do better with matching a voice (I don't think it is necessary to match pitches from the voice). However, they generally don't know how to match a pitch, so as long as you can get them to keep raising or lowering a pitch by constant reminders about pitch and energy, they seem to be able to find the pitch without you singing at all (I actually prefer to use the piano over my voice). If the note is too hard for them I pick a closer note that is still a outside their common use of their voice, but is easier for them to find the pitch. The key is that once they find the pitch, remind them to remember how the pitch felt in their voice. A few sessions and their usually able to start matching pitches, and it just gets better and better. They usually feel really good about themselves in the process too, like they've really conquered something.

The system works well with ladies also, although I haven't had to use this system even half as much with ladies. I don't know what you've found, but it seems that young ladies that don't match pitch well often have a severe nervousness about using their voice in front of anyone, and so often a big part of their issue is overcoming nervousness and being willing to make legitimate sounds. However, I've had success with young ladies as well, but seldom find a droner amongst the ladies, usually just an ear that needs serious improving.

Working with the 11th grader, I don't think you need to be able to sing a bass note. Just help him find the pitch (using the reminder/winding technique) and remember the feeling. And once he's matching pitches, you'll probably have tension issues to work out with him, and again, the demonstration he needs is healthy singing, not necessarily exact pitch.

God Bless and have fun,

Michael Sandvik

Kathryn Simon on November 5, 2012 8:44pm

You've had some wonderful advice on this topic! I'd like to simply suggest a fun activity that should allow your students to perform with success very quickly. The Lion Sleeps Tonight is a great piece for adolescent changing voices. This arrangement allows for immediate success of all singers, especially for adolescent changing voices with somewhat limited ranges. Placing the piece in the key of B-flat or C allows most notes to fall in the composite range of a sixth. With the ostinato parts only requiring a 2-3 note range, there is a part that every student can comfortably sing!

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Procedures

Practice singing solfege patterns with Curwen hand signs in C major
Introduce individual ostinato patterns separately with solfege and Curwen hand signs (D = do, R = re, M = mi, etc.)
1. D D D D | D D D D | D D D D | T T T T |
2. M M M M | F F F F | M M M M | R R R R |
3. S S S S | L L L L | S S S S | S S S S |
Combine individual ostinato parts together with hand signs
Teacher sings melody of The Lion Sleeps Tonight over student accompaniment
Students sing melody without accompaniment, using pat-clap pattern
Switch solfege to “A wimoweh” and have students perform

Ostinato Accompaniment (with chords)

C C F F

||: A wimoweh a wimoweh a wimoweh a wimoweh

C C G G

a wimoweh a wimoweh a wimoweh a wimoweh :||

Verse 1

In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.

Refrain

||: Ee____________________________________ um mum a-way :||

Verse 2

Near the village, the peaceful village, the lion sleeps tonight.

Refrain

Verse 3

Hush, my darling, don’t fear, my darling, the lion sleeps tonight.

Hush, my darling, don’t fear, my darling, the lion sleeps tonight.

Refrain

I hope you find this activity helpful. I learned it a few years ago from Alan Gumm, and still use it today! My students (elementary through college-aged) have all loved it. If you have access to any percussion instruments, it's always fun to add some of those in, too!

Best wishes,

Kate

Mara Joy on May 7, 2013 11:48am

Just wanted to give an update, as this school year is quickly drawing to a close.

I don't know exactly what I've done, but with lots of work and some of your suggestions, I've helped these guys get their voices out of the basement! Regular warm-ups for the guys to increase their range (especially helping them to gradually work up the scale and gradually away from the 3 notes they were "comfortable" with,) I was able to take one of the rehearsals each week and work with the guys alone for 30 minutes, to really work on pitch matching. I even found out that as one of the low-bass "droners" got more used to singing, he has quite a nice low-tenor range (and some good piano background that helps the musical-knowledge aspect of singing), and will be singing a short solo at our final performance soon! Even the absolute "worst" (most "tone deaf") among them can now match pitches up to middle C the majority of the time on his own, and 100% of the time with my help!

What a happy ending!

We still have quite a bit of trouble with SATB, mainly due to numbers (the two guys I've assigned to tenor on the rare occasion that I separate the guys have a really hard time holding their own... how I wish we just had 2 or 3 more guys!) but they actually sound quite nice in 3-part SAB music!

We unfortunately only had 2 performances this year, (we were hoping to have a 3rd in March, but that fell through,) and the downside of that was we didn't really have enough to work for. I'm already thinking ahead to next year, hoping we'll have at LEAST the same kids, hopefully a few more! And so I am also thinking about what are we going to do. I think we either need to add another performance, and/or I would like to do something else... a sightreading curriculum (we had a little success this year with a single sheet that I just made up myself,) or even 30 minutes a week with something like a music history or music appreciation course (or even music theory? But this would be hard, since the music "understanding" of the kids is SO varied... some have 6 years of piano, and some have none!)

I will be doing more research on this over the summer, as I am not sure exactly what, if any, budget I will have to buy materials, but I am definitely open to any suggestions anyone might have.

Thanks everyone for being a great resource!

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Dennis Pucci on May 8, 2013 6:45am

Try NOT using traditional SATB/SAB voicing and go for SA or SSA stuff instead--and have the guys sing the melody (wherever it is, and in whatever range works for each). By being able to match pitch with SOMETHING, the guys shoud be able to survive the voice change thing (which may have happened years ago--but which hasn't been figured out yet!) and go on from there. Most important is to keep them singing--maybe watching some video of "Straight No Chaser" and similar groups could inspire some hope for the future as well.