1. Sight-singing made easy Portales Choirs

2. What do you look for? Look at the key signature first. To find the key signature for flats find the next to the last flat, circle it, and that names your key. To find the key signature for sharps find the last sharp, circle it, and go up a ½ step. Order of the sharps: –F C G D A E B Order of the flats: –B E A D G C F

3. Now that you have the key signature… After you find the key signature you need to find “Do.” –If do is on a line, then mi and so are on a line. If do is on a space, then mi and so are on spaces. –An interval of a fourth separates high do and so. Therefore, they are opposite (high do on a line, so on a space and vice versa.

4. Look at the time signature… The time signature is directly after the key signature. The time signature tells you how many beats are in each measure and what note gets the beat. –If the bottom number is a 4, then the note is a quarter (equal to 4 quarter notes in the measure, for example) –If the bottom number is a 8, then the note is an eighth (equal to 6 eighth notes, for example.

5. Scan the music… After you have figured out the key and the time signatures you are ready to scan the music. Scanning the music helps you to find patterns or things that are the same. –Look for rhythms that are the same –Always know where do is! –This takes practice and the more you do it the better you will be.

6. Find trouble spots after the first run through… You should listen and focus as you sing with the piano. Eventually you will be able to sing the line in your head as you process. Sing those trouble spots by taking them apart using solfege and your interval training. This is a great site for starting out with sight-singing… http://neilhawes.com/sstheory/practic1.htm

7. Now it’s your turn… Sing the following patterns. Just choose a note for do and get started. Flexibility is key, and the more you are familiar with solfege, the more it works as a tool to help you sing. DRMRDMSMDSDSDT,D DMSMSLSMD’SLSMRD SMSLSMDMSLSMDRD D’MRLSDSLSMD (this one is hard) Make up your own. Anything helps to strengthen your ear!

8. Last thing… Figure out the solfege for this exercise. It does not start on do. Sing it with a partner or individually. Keep working and don’t give up!