AP Music Theory Sight Singing Techniques

1. Sight Singing AP Music Theory Mr. Silvagni

2. Sight Singing • Trains your brain to recognize and understand the relationships between notes • Use of solfège syllables helps to recognize those relationships • Solmization – a system of designating notes by solfège • Solfeggio – term for the method of sight singing using these syllables

3. Movable-Do System • When singing any scale, the first scale degree will be “Do” – Compare to Fixed-Do system where the note C is always “Do” • Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Di = major scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 • No matter what key you’re in, the first scale degree will be Do – No matter what mode you use, first scale degree will be Do

4. Major Scale Warm-ups • Major Scale • Tonic arpeggio • Diatonic ascending intervals • Diatonic descending intervals • Scale in thirds • Arpeggiated chords • Arpeggiated chords with V7 • Scale degree finder exercise • Resolution exercise • Review of top ten melodic patterns in major *Exercises are found in Barron’s Review Book

5. Singing Minor Scales • We use parallel minor solfège alterations to sing minor in order to keep “Do” as scale degree 1 – Compare to La-based minor (uses relative minor) where La becomes 1 (similar to Fixed-Do) • Do Re Me Fa Sol Le Te Do = natural minor scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 • Do Re Me Fa Sol Le Ti Do = harmonic minor scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 • Do Re Me Fa Sol La Ti Do = melodic minor scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 – Ti and La return to Te and Le when descending

6. Minor Scale Warm-ups • 3 Minor Scales • Tonic arpeggio • Diatonic ascending intervals (harmonic) • Diatonic descending intervals (natural) • Scale in thirds (melodic) • Arpeggiated chords (harmonic) • Arpeggiated chords with V7 (harmonic) • Scale degree finder exercise (harmonic) • Resolution exercise (harmonic) • Review of top ten melodic patterns in major *Exercises are found in Barron’s Review Book

7. Chromatic Scale • Do Di Re Ri Mi Fa Fi Sol Si La Li Ti Do – ascending chromatic scale • Do Ti Te La Le Sol Se Fa Mi Me Re Ra Do – descending chromatic scale • Most important syllable is Fi because it impies V/V chord, which will appear on one of the sight singing examples – Si and Di may also appear

8. AP Sight Singing • Two sight singing examples – One melody will be in treble clef and one will be in bass clef – One melody will be in simple meter and one will be in compound meter – One melody will be in a major key and one melody will be in a minor key – Melody 2 is usually more complex than melody 1 – You will have 75 seconds to prepare and practice, and 30 seconds to record your performance

9. Tips 1. Check the clef 2. Check the key signature 3. Check the time signature 4. Consider the range and determine where to set Do 5. Always know where Do is and be able to return to it even if you get lost 6. Sing a warm-up exercise beforehand 7. Look for familiar melodic patterns 8. Use a pencil to circle tonics or write out the solfège for a section or chunk you’re unsure of 9. Sing up the scale to find pitches you’re unsure of or for difficult intervals 10. Practice the melody out loud, use the entire allotted time

10. More specific tips 1. Sing every day – Make up your own vocal exercises and practice them – Sing something in major and then in minor – Practice all the warm ups from class and the textbooks – Try to combine exercises – Keep changing keys

11. More specific tips 2. Have a strategy – Use the same singing system consistently – Do not stop singing if lost…if you’re lost with the solfège, drop the syllables and use something else – Plan for mistakes 3. Perform with a steady tempo and a slower tempo – You earn one point for not hesitating (“flow point”) – No extra credit for singing quickly – The faster you sing, the less time you have to think

12. More specific tips 4. Be rhythmically accurate – Give full durational value to the rhythms, particularly the last note…they will take credit away 5. Know your own range and the range of the example – You can sing in a different key if you so choose – Sing in any octave you wish

13. More specific tips 6. A little about scoring – Graded in half-measure segments – 4 measures = 8 points + “flow point” = 9 total – Pitch and rhythm must be correct to earn point – Alternate scoring possible if you earn less than 4 points • Can be up to 4 points with all correct pitch • Can be up to 2 points with all correct rhythm

14. Singing Examples • Barron’s AP Music Theory • Music for Sight Singing • Melodia • Some internet or teacher created examples