Teaching Young Singers
Teaching young singers:
What do you do with a non-musician who can't even read their own language yet, much less music notes? Here is some QUICK ADVICE!
This little girl is having a GOOD TIME. But does she really want to buckle down and learn? That is your quandary as a voice teacher.
Here is what one teacher recently asked me:
Hi!
I'm soooooo glad to have found this page. I have taught piano on and off for years, directed children's choirs and adult choirs, but for the first time in my life am teaching voice lessons.
The studio where I'm teaching I'm afraid is more quantity than quality, and they have some very young students taking voice lessons which is a real challenge to me because they don't match pitch, they can't read so therefore can't read lyrics, they don't have a background in music and don't know notes!
A good friend and colleague suggested I just treat these lessons as if it was children's choir but with only one person in attendance. I welcome any suggestions!
Thanks! Tina
Hi, Tina!
Yes, what do you do with a non-musician who can't even read their own language yet, much less music?
I like your friend's suggestion. Because of your years of teaching choir, you probably know how to get a good sound out of a kid. I would work on:
- a little bit of sound quality every week,
- a little bit of pitch-matching, and
- a little bit of breath control.
Then, start developing a varied repertoire to which you can come back every week.
They can't read? Then they'll have to find the song on YouTube or record it on their parents' cellphones during lesson time.
You can TEXT LINKS to their folks' phones, if you've got some good ones.
There's no other GOOD way, except for you to spend LOTS OF YOUR TIME preparing recordings to which THEY MAY NEVER LISTEN ANYWAY.
Grrr. This is the voice of experience talking here!
This repertoire, in my opinion, should encompass cheap music (read: FREE, as in what you find on my website) of several genres.
I like to give newbies "Cat Came Back" (some like it, some don't); what it has going for it is that it is repetitious, with many repeated notes inside a narrow range, and the lyrics are funny.
Goober Peas is another one that little kids really like once they've caught on to the words. Waltzing Matilda is very pretty, with new terminology from Australia that makes it fun (for those who are not Aussies). And Erie Canal has a strong melody that's easy to sing.
Also, we will try each week one new Broadway song in an attempt to find something they will like to keep singing. (Check out my Broadway musicals list page for ideas.)
For girls, a good first song might be "Castle on a Cloud" from Les Miserables. It is a pretty sure-fire hit (though I consider it really too low for little kids, they still want to sing it!). And "In My Own Little Corner" from Cinderella is fun, though it has a twisty melody filled with half steps and some difficult intervals.
Another is "On the Good Ship Lollipop." This can be found in Popular Solos for Young Singers, a book with a CD that I frequently recommend that parents buy.
Not "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid. That kind of singing requires a soloist's voice in order not to sound pretentious! In my opinion.
For boys, that first Broadway song is harder to find!
Chim-chiminee or another song from Mary Poppins and Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah come to mind - great songs, but will kids think they are too corny? You don't know until you try. We just keep looking.
Other possibilities:
- Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
- The Ballad of Davy Crockett
These can both be found in the songbook mentioned above, Popular Solos for Young Singers.
"Erie Canal" and "Lavender's Blue" (free on my site) will keep kids happy for a short while.
I have a lot of simple songs on my vocal page - just check them out. And some on the guitar page, such as "Goober Peas" and "Spanish Ladies" have become great favorites with boys (despite early-on resistance).
And though it is initially unfamiliar and therefore TO BE RESISTED, kids will grow to love "The Star of the County Down." In fact, it may end up being their favorite song in the world. Check out the guitar version as well.
In addition, they can start learning rounds (scroll down the Free Vocal Sheet Music page to find a number of rounds). They like them, EVEN IF THEY CAN'T HOLD THE PART while you are singing the other lines. Every week they will get a tiny bit better.
I almost NEVER give in to their requests for rock/pop music.
If I do, they understand that it is a special favor and I MIGHT deign to let them sing it sometimes at lessons if they have done well with everything else. Nothing is being learned there, or not much.
Most of all, "rock" music (or whatever is the latest trend) is SO not happening at a recital - unless the kid just knocks my socks off.
Don't assume that your time with these beginners may not be well-spent.
It is so gratifying to be surprised by little improvements that accumulate into some real skill, and know that you had a hand in it!
Dianna:
Your website is a light in the darkness. THANK YOU for all you do in helping to spread the love of music. It matters!
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All the first-year material I give my beginner students.
Piano keyboard sheets, scales, chords, note-reading exercises, and over 256 pages of music!
This beautiful song book for piano & voice "Esther, For Such a Time as This", available as a digital download, tells the riveting story of the time when Jews in ancient Persia faced a foe named Haman, and how a brave young queen risked her life to save her people.
A good choice for a singing story-teller, an operatic group, a short theater production, or a class of children!
This book is also available from Amazon as a paperback.
This book is available as a digital download from this site. Visit this page to see some free examples from the book.
It is also available from Amazon as a paperback!
This is the perfect easy start for little pianists.
And when they start reading white-key notes on the staff, this is a fun easy resource to say each week, "Choose a new black-key song at home this week and figure it out to show me next lesson!" They will be spending more time at the piano.
A perfect read aloud storybook
for little boys or girls.
The Adventures of Tonsta highlight the travels of a very young boy with a good heart, who goes about helping folk in trouble.
With a red cap on his head and a sack of tools slung over his shoulder, Tonsta seems to meet people in distress wherever he goes.
Lots of trolls in this book - including one who gives him a Christmas gift!
Liz:
Hello - I just want to say THANK YOU so much for the duet version of Oh Holy night (in Bb too!), which is great, as I have two students at school that are going to sing this in a concert in 3 weeks.
With not much time and no budget, it is so nice to find an arrangement! Thank you.
Amber:
Thank you! THANK YOU!!! For keeping the beautiful art of Opera alive!
I stumbled upon this site and I'm so happy I did!
About the Author
Hi, I'm Dana! (Say that like "Anna".) I'm the owner of Music-for-Music-Teachers.com, and a newer site, SingTheBibleStory.com.
Like some of you, I've been playing the piano since early childhood, and have added a few other instruments along the way, plus an interest in arranging and composing music.
You can find out more about me and the reason for this website at my About Me page.
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