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teaching two part singing

Dear All,
Could you please share you creative methods of teaching kids to sing two part songs. Canons, movable do, singing unison and having instrument playing another voice then switching? Any special exersises?
thank you !
Katya
on May 14, 2013 7:02pm
Partner songs - two songs that create harmony but are two separate and distinguishable melodies.  I always think of pentatonic songs as well.
They always pair together well.  The American spirituals "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "When the Saints Go Marching In" form a great partner
song duo.  any pentatonic songs will do, but the more memorable the melody, the better.
There are some collections of partner songs out there, can't think of them but someone will.
I remember using them often when I was teaching young singers.  I also find that using descants for the higher voices often works.  In many cases the
younger voices who can easily sing high will be more capable with harmony than those with iimited range.  You might also consider some songs with
ostinatos (or create some).
 
Larry Smith
Missouri Baptist University
St. Louis MO
smithl(a)mobap.edu
on May 14, 2013 8:13pm
Partner songs (quodlibets) also work very well in teaching beginning part singing. Avoid parallel thirds and sixths with beginners - they hear those as octaves and flip to melody. :-)
on May 15, 2013 6:11am
Ruth Dwyer at the Indiannapolis Children's Choir advocates a sequence for teaching part singing that works really well, and had octavos published by Colla Voce in the sequence:
1. unison
2. ostinato patterns
3. descants
4. suspended pitches
5. canons/rounds
6. canonic entrances
7. partner songs
8. homophonic and more advanced structures
 
Songs like Pretty Saro are really excellent. They provide opportunities for unison, canon, and ostinato, and are musically really satisfying.  It's a lot about picking the right repertoire that will provide successful experiences in singing in parts. Good luck!
Joy
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