Alfred Publishing

Foundations in Choral Sight-Singing

Authors: Andy Beck, Karen Farnum Surmani, Brian Lewis
Format: Book
Voicing: Choral Voices

A sequential sight-singing curriculum for all choirs. Each of the six units (containing four lessons each) clearly introduces new music reading concepts, reinforces those concepts with several rhythm and pitch exercises, motivates students with helpful hints and challenge exercises, and concludes with fun-filled review games and "Evaluating Your Performance" questions. The helpful "Getting Ready" pages (which precede each unit) are filled with music fundamentals, and for choirs who have never read music before, an optional "Before We Begin" chapter opens the book. And it's all neatly laid out in a 96-page octavo sized publication; a perfect fit for your students, and their folders.

From whole notes to sixteenth-note patterns, seconds to sevenths, key signatures, dynamics, articulations, and tempo markings; it's all here, and it's all logically ordered to insure student success! Spend just a few minutes a day with this book and your choir, too, will learn to "Sing at First Sight!"

Contents:
How to Use This Book
The Importance of Sight-Singing
Singing Posture
Breathing
Curwen Hand Signs

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

• Beat, Rhythm, Notes, Rests, Staff, Treble Clef, Lines and Spaces, Ledger Lines, Flat, Sharp, Key Signature, Time Signature, Bar Lines, Measures, Double Bar Lines

Getting Ready for Unit 1

• 4/4 Time, Major Scale, C Major and F Major, Essential Exercise

UNIT 1

• Lesson 1 Quarter Note, Quarter Rest, Do, Re
• Lesson 2 Half Note, Half Rest, Mi, Fa
• Lesson 3 Whole Note, Whole Rest, Sol, La
• Lesson 4 Eighth Note, Eighth Rest, Ti, High Do
• Choral Designs "Song of Joy" - Jay Althouse
• Review Scavenger Hunt, Find the Wrong Note, Evaluating Your Performance

Getting Ready for Unit 2

• Repeat Sign, 1st and 2nd Endings, G Major and D Major, Essential Exercise

UNIT 2

• Lesson 5 Tie
• Lesson 6 Dotted Half Note, Low Ti, High Re
• Lesson 7 Dotted Quarter Note, Low La, Low Sol
• Lesson 8 Intervals, 2nds, 3rds
• Choral Designs "Sleep, My Child" - Mary Donnelly and George L.O. Strid
• Review Scavenger Hunt, Find the Wrong Note, Name That Tune, Evaluating Your Performance

Getting Ready for Unit 3

• Dynamic Signs (pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff, Crescendo, Decrescendo, B-flat Major and E-flat Major, Essential Exercise

UNIT 3

• Lesson 9 3/4 Time, 2/4 Time
• Lesson 10 8ths/Octaves
• Lesson 11 Eighth-Quarter-Eighth Note Pattern, 4ths
• Lesson 12 5ths
• Choral Designs "Where Go the Boats" - Dave and Jean Perry
• Review Scavenger Hunt, Find the Wrong Note, Name That Tune, Evaluating Your Performance

Getting Ready for Unit 4

• Bass Clef, Da Capo, Dal Segno, Fine, Coda, A Major and E Major, Essential Exercise

UNIT 4

• Lesson 13 6ths
• Lesson 14 7ths
• Lesson 15 Changing Meter, Pick-up Notes
• Lesson 16 Sixteenth Note, Sixteenth-Eighth Note Patterns
• Choral Designs "La Msica" - Jerry Estes
• Review Scavenger Hunt, Find the Wrong Note, Name That Tune, Evaluating Your Performance

Getting Ready for Unit 5

• Articulation Marks (Slur/Legato, Staccato, Accent, Tenuto), A-flat Major and D-flat Major, Essential Exercise

UNIT 5

• Lesson 17 Rounds/Canons
• Lesson 18 Two-Part Harmony
• Lesson 19 Dotted Eighth Note, Dotted Eighth-Sixteenth Note Patterns
• Lesson 20 Triplet
• Choral Designs "Frozen December" - Jackie O'Neill
• Review Scavenger Hunt, Find the Wrong Note, Name That Tune, Evaluating Your Performance

Getting Ready for Unit 6

• Tempo Markings (Largo, Adagio, Andante, Moderato, Allegro, Presto, Ritardando/Rallentando, Accelerando, Molto, Poco a Poco), B Major and G-flat Major, Essential Exercise

UNIT 6

• Lesson 21 2/2 Time/Cut Time
• Lesson 22 6/8 Time, 9/8 Time
• Lesson 23 Three-Part Harmony (Treble)
• Lesson 24 Three-Part Harmony (Mixed)
• Choral Designs "Alleluia Madrigal" - Donald Moore
• Review Scavenger Hunt, Find the Wrong Note,
• Name That Tune, Evaluating Your Performance

Performance Piece 1 "Sing Alleluia, Allelu!" - Andy Beck
Performance Piece 2 "I Am a Small Part of the World" - Sally K. Albrecht and Jay Althouse