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first year choir teacher with first year singers...voice placement??Date: March 25, 2013 by Jordan Davis  Views: 662
I've taught music for about 8 years, but this is my first choral music gig. I'm teaching in an offshore school in China. My choir is a mix of grade 10-12s, ALL of whom have had no choral music experience in the past. To say the least, it has been an incredible struggle for me from the beginning of the year - mostly getting intonation and pitch under control. There are still a few singers that cannot match pitch...and I'm out of ideas on how to help them. I am also not sure how to place my singers. We aren't attempting anything too challenging as far as part singing goes (mostly all 2-part mixed arrangements). The make-up of my choir consists of 38 voices (29 female, and 9 male). So far they are divided into Part 1, and Part 2. The part 1s are on the left, part 2s on the right, with my male part 1s and 2s in the top row, and closest to the outside. Probably, I need to have everyone in for pitch and range testing and then rearrange. However, how do you place those singers that cannot match pitch? Arbitrarily or randomly in a section, and beside some stronger voices? This is my 2nd posting on this site. The first time I posted a topic, quite a few months back, I received ZERO replies. I really hope I can get some feedback this time. I appreciate any and all advice or input you have to offer me.
Oh, and one more thing - I have one female singer, that is always singing in the male octave, and does it comfortably. What do I with her? Just let it be?
Thanks,
Jordan
Carter Collins on March 26, 2013 3:35am
Jordan,
First to the female who sings comfortably in the male octave: you may take her aside to vocalise her independently to determine her actual range, but if she is fine where she's at...she is fine where she's at. Obviously place her near the men, but not in their midst.
You might place your male voices in the center and front of your choir to get their sound out front and make sure they are heard since they are so few in number.
For your weak singers, i would suggest that you find your singers who are most accurate with pitch, and ask if they would be willing to help some less experienced students. If so, partner your least trained ears with a strong-eared buddy to gently coach them when they are not on pitch, they will eventually catch up.
You have done a good thing dividing the voices up equally, apart from vocalizing each student individually and spending lots of valuable rehearsal time doing so, this is the best solution. If you want to continue in this 2-part vane, I would suggest flipping the voices on different pieces to build everyone's reading skills. So the group on the left sings part 1 on piece A and part 2 on Piece B, opposite for the group on the right.
I hope these suggestions help, and that I've answered all your questions. Best of luck trying to make the best of what you've got!
Carter L. Collins
on March 26, 2013 5:27am
Just have a few minutes, but:
1. --there are both high and low voices in both sexes, so your two part idea is good, but let they choose to sing the high or the lower part.
You will get two parts, but doubled at the octave.
Best way to have them self-place is with your vocalises:
Try Do Mi Sol do with a fermata on the high Do and then back down.
Must be standing, and must be in tall elongated posture, with low (quiet) breathe to be sure it's really singing voice and not trying to talk on pitch.
I start everyone standing, and let them sit when they reach their limit. Identifies your high voices.
2. Size of voices: if you have a couple big voices, these might be the ones who are not matching pitch -- they can not sing softly enough to blend with all those other smaller voices so they just try to stay soft, but mix up signals between soft and low.
3. Most important right now is to get them singing. Too much pressure on tuning in the beginning might be shutting them down before they can get singing. Again, your warm-ups are everything -- that's when you teach your vocal techniques and tuning.
I don't get onto this site often, but you are welcome to email me at jolyne311(a)earthlini.net\
Get them singing first and foremost -- simple warm-ups and unison songs in you identify low, medium, high. Demonstrate those parts of your own voice so they learn there is a 'gear change' and all can do it, though some are better in one area or another.
Good luck,
Jolyne
on March 26, 2013 8:11am
A good resource is Singing in Tune, by Nancy Telfer. Lots of ideas you can use in your warm-ups, without singling anyone out. I also find Unison singing better for beginning singers, with an occasional Descant for a few of the better singers- gives them a little something to challenge them,
I feel your pain- I have a lovely little Ensemble, with one non-pitch matcher- I just try and tune the different sound out, and work with her a little on the side.
I have also found teaching sight Singing- something like Patterns of Sound- with no piano, helps beginning singers get a better idea of pitch.
Good Luck,
Connie
on March 26, 2013 11:00am
I have found that with inexperienced singers, often it is technique-related, as was mentioend. One recently-relocated Chinese student, who joined my choir here in when I taught in a Ga. public school, could get a good tone and match pitch, as long as the notes were within about 4 notes of middle c in either direction. As she sang the scale, the sound would become vague/pitchless around g or a. But her high speaking voice clued all of us that her upper notes were there. (I discovered this by meeting with her privately, and having her sing a scale.) Once she learned how to "flip to head tone" , she was one of my best altos; sometimes sang 2nd as well. :) I always wondered if the fact that Asian scales are traditionally different was also a factor.
During warm-ups, try a "siren" sound [just a long, low-to-high inflection - no particular pitch - this frees them up] - "nyoo-OH--ooo". Be sure that they pronounce the "y" - like"nee-ooOHoo" Similar to a cat's meow, that "ee" sound will help shoot the focused resonance forward, giving more control. Encourage them to lift the roof of their mouth - on the inside. (This is to raise the soft palate.) (If you simply say, "yawn", many will simply lower the jaw, having the opposite effect.)
I affirm Carter's idea of part-flipping; this will exercise everyone's range; it very well could "pay off" for you later - you'll have versatile and capable singers. However, remember that they are not used to following octavo music at all. I would often designate a color for each group, and highlight the notes with erasable colored pencil. ("Whether you are singing part one or 2, you follow the yellow notes..Group over here, you follow blue.")
Building on Connie's suggestion, show them intervals on the board. "This is what a 4th sounds like. [you sing for them C,D,E,F, on "Da", then get them to repeat that. Then just C and F. Eventually you can get them to "whisper-sing' the notes in between (D,E,), then eventually leave them out, but include 2 beats of silence, so they will "think" through them. Then speed it up/eliminate the silence - they should be singing a 4th. At this stage, use "da" rather than letter-names, solfege, or numbers, because, for example, if they see "Do, Re, Fa", and sing C, D, E, on the syllables Do Re Fa, they may not understand their mistake. Student: "But I sang "Fa"!" (Teacher: "Yes, you sang the word "fa' but you sang it on the note for "Mi"). Using "da" eliminates this confusion, and focuses their attention onto the pitch. When they can sing scales more accurately, then solfege is a good tool for sight-singing.
Inexperienced singers' pitch uncertainty is usually a combo of:
1. They pay more attention to the words, and the rhythm.
2. Their lack of piano/instrumental background leaves them thinking that notes are just a little higher or lower - they are not aware of specific notes, intervals, octaves, etc. When they hear a singer reach a high or low note, their concept is "That is their voice; my voice does not do that." I don't think they have a concept of high or low notes, and interval spaces actually representing sounds on the page, and that singers sing what is "written".
3. Cultural conditioning - "sound like a man/ Don't squeal/high-pitched whine, etc." - not sure if Asian cultueres have this issue at all - or if it might be worse there! ;)
I agree that putting them near a strong singer could help. I think kind honesty with all parties is good. You don't want the capable singers whining that the uncertain ones "throw me off". You also don't want the uncertain ones to clam up, concerned that they will not measure up. Relate it to help in Math or another subject; everyone has varied abilities.
Sue Ellen Page, I believe, is the one who has written, "The Uncertain Singer". She deals with this well. Some of what I typed here is based on that. You might try her book.
Of course, teens are usually self-conscious. To them, it might feel socially/emtionally safer just to kind of make a vague, quiet sound, rather than a strong focused one, and risk ridicule for a "wrong" note. ;/
Lots of "You can do this!" -type of encouragement. :)
Best Wishes; keep us posted how it works out! :i
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