Voice production.Purity rather than volume of sound should be insisted upon; the former can be satisfactorily obtained only by a series of diaphragm breathing exercises, which will result in the throat being left free and open. The first vocal exercises should consist of simple vowel sounds, sung on every note from the middle C to the fourth space in the treble clef. These should be followed by tuned consonants, “koo” being most useful for bringing the tone forward. Sustained notes should then be practised, also major, minor and chromatic scales.
Singing in parts.On receiving the part-song the pupils should be called upon to give the key, time and form of the composition. The simplest method of teaching young children to hold their several parts is to give them simple canons and rounds. In a two-part song the whole class should first learn the seconds and then the firsts; when thoroughly conversant with both parts, the class should be divided, the pupils being called upon to sing either firsts or seconds at any time. When the notes have been learnt the words should be committed to memory and the part-song sung without copies of the music; we thus train the memory, enable the pupils to stand in good position and to give full attention to the conductor’s beat. Elder classes may be taught to sing in three or four parts, but much care is needed in the selection of part-songs, as it is difficult to get compositions with a small enough compass to avoid straining either in the upper or lower registers of young and untrained voices. I need hardly add how much choral singing helps to promote a feeling of sympathy, a right kind of emulation, and a fuller appreciation of beautiful compositions than can be gained by solo singing or passive listening.
SINGING. TONIC SOL-FA.
By Rhoda Rooney, Certif. Fröbel Society, Cl. 1.
The Tonic Sol-fa system is one which gives every advantage for producing good and accurate sight-singing, and this without the aid of a piano or any other instrument. The pupils can test the notes as they proceed by referring to the Doh from which they start, and which is regarded as the governing note of the scale or piece.
The Doh is not necessarily middle C on the piano, but is the tonic of any major scale, all the notes of which have a certain association with each other and with the governing Doh. This relationship of sounds can be felt by the pupils as they listen attentively to the first easy patterns sung by the teacher for their imitation, thereby discovering what is understood by the “mental effect of sound”. Sufficient practice of sounds with “the modulator” gives familiarity with the notes of the scale, change of key, or pitch in any relation, and it will be found that it becomes almost impossible for the class to sing out of tune. The Tonic Sol-fa hand-signs practised with the modulator are a very considerable help, whether the class is composed of little children or adults.
Time is indicated by lines and dots. A perpendicular line is placed before a strong beat or pulse, and a colon before a weak pulse. A single dot divides the beat in half, and a comma is used to show the division of a quarter beat. A horizontal line shows a tied note, or its equivalent, and a rest is represented by a blank.
Three-pulse measure—Doh is E.
