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Most voice teachers do not teach their students how to read music. This has always baffled me, because in most cases the teacher herself can understand notation, so why not teach it? Sure, teaching by ear is easier – “listen to this and sing it back” is the quickest way to teach someone a song; it’s the way they’ve always sung at home; it develops their musical ear. But notation gives the student independence – they no longer have to rely on listening to something in order to sing it.

This blog post is going to outline why I think notation is important and how I teach it. If you’re a singing teacher struggling with the same problem, I hope it gives you some ideas!

Some benefits of teaching notation to singers
– most serious choirs require members to have a solid grasp on note-reading so they can sight-sing
– students can compose their own music, notate and share it
– they can pick up any sheet music and sing through it, whether or not they have heard it before
– they are not just learning how to use their voices, but they are getting a complete music education and an understanding of theory
– they will be able to pick up other instruments afterwards or alongside if they so choose

Now, the matter of how to teach notation to singers is where problems arise. Perhaps most voice teachers don’t teach it because there’s just no method or book to follow? After spending months looking for a method book and struggling to teach notation (do I hand them a sheet with note-name mnemonics and another sheet explaining rhythm and be done with it? Is there a way to progress their learning without hindering their repertoire?), I decided to create my own method.

The two main elements of music that I want beginner singers to understand is rhythm and note-reading, and this is how I teach both:

Rhythm

I think the best way to understand rhythm is to “feel” it. Sometimes I give students a rhythm to clap back, and once they internalize it, I show them how it looks and briefly explain the concept. I give them a simple 4-bar rhythm exercise each week, adding different types of rhythms sequentially. Their music contains only (or mostly) the rhythms they are working on, so their understanding of rhythm links up with the music they are singing.

Notation

This one is a toughie. How can I give them repertoire that contains only 3 notes while they are learning the names of those notes (so easy with piano, but not so easy with singers)? How can I get them interested in learning notation? In this case I focus on what is most “useful” to singers, which is solfège (using the moveable “do” system) and understanding of intervals. They learn note names, too, but these are addressed mostly when it comes to key signatures. To teach this, I use syllable sheets – which work as vocalises as well as sight-singing exercises – to teach solfège and intervals.

Of course, the key is to tie all of the above into their repertoire. Show them how to draw parallels between the elements, or else they simply won’t understand the point.

I’d love to hear from any vocal teachers reading this… do you teach your students how to read music? Why or why not? What methods do you use?