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Date Posted: 20:22:28 02/18/07 Sun
Author: Nickie
Subject: Singing in Band?!
Recently, I heard about a school of thought that centers on the idea of singing in band. The idea is that students will sing through all their music before ever even picking up their instruments to play it. What do you think about this? I think that while it could be very helpful for students to develop an aural matrix before beginning to play, there may not be enough rehearsal time to allow for this. Ideas?
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Brian B., 07:37:04 02/22/07 Thu [1]
This is an interesting new idea. If there is rehersal time enough to get this done, you could possibly avoid different problems. It could be possibly be done where each section had a "singing" leader that could teach their section in sectionals and that could possibly cut down on time but Im not sure how that would work since I havent had the experience to be in a good band so I'm not even ure if sectionals of that sort would be possible.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Beth G., 07:42:14 02/24/07 Sat [1]
I think that it is a great idea to sing the music in band before playing it, if there is time. In band, in highschool the teacher used to have the students "bop" their parts which is kind of like singing the music with only short and staccato notes and it really helped the students to fully understand the rhythms and how to play the music.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Emma, 17:46:43 02/25/07 Sun [1]
I believe this is an interesting idea as well, but it is a good one at that. I believe that there isnt enough time in rehersals to do this, but if you use it as a first read through its just like sight reading. It can be very helpful is the director uses the technique correctly.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Amanda M., 18:40:02 02/26/07 Mon [1]
If the band had enough time, I think it could improve their sense of the music. Perhaps, like Brian said, a person for each group could be assigned to teach his or her peers how to sing through it in sectionals and then during band rehearsal all of the groups could get together to sing. It would definately help with rhythm, but it could also help with intonation if the students could could relate their singing with actually playing their instruments. Of course, this will not work for all students, but it is still a valid idea.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Hayley Pletcher, 19:53:36 02/26/07 Mon [1]
I believe that singing in band would be helpful when learning the parts, but maybe if the students would only sing the really challenging sections, then it may cut back on the time being used for singing. This way, the students will still have an opportunity to play some of the song.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Jessalyn, 23:08:52 02/26/07 Mon [1]
I think singing in band is a wonderful idea. Not only will it help develop rhythmic, and aural skills but also teach the students disapline and responsibility. Their isnt always going to be time to hard core devote to specific lessons in class, therfore the students need to take responsibility for the lessons themselves and learn the material on their own.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Jessica, 16:11:21 02/27/07 Tue [1]
Sorry to have o disagree but I do. Singing through a piece before playing it would negate part of the "sight reading" skill. If you already know what a piece sounds like before you play it of course it wil be easier to play but will it really help you in the long run?? I couldn't imagine what would happen to me if I went into an audition for any ensemble, was handed a piece to sight read and replied "could I sing through this before I play it?" what a joke. I'm sure the audition would either end there or the outcome would have to be toward the negative. I'm not disagreeing with singing in band all the time... I believe ti is very helpful to figure out a tricky rhythm or passage but only after the piece has been sigt read at least one time through.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Nickie, 19:10:56 03/22/07 Thu [1]
I am not suggesting that singing be used in place of sightreading on one's instrument. On the contrary, I think singing ought to be used as a way to INTERNALIZE ONE'S PART, so as to truly know it before playing (or after playing it once, perhaps). If you can't sing your part, you probably can't play it either.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Rosemary Walzer, 16:08:33 03/24/07 Sat [1]
I've noticed this issue has heated up some discussions and I'd like to share my perspective from the other side. As a band director, I use singing as a learning tool frequently. In concert band and jazz band, I have my students hum Bb for tuning purposes (to internalize the pitch) and then play a Bb. I also ask sections to sing their parts, usually focusing on rhythm and articulation (in jazz band, I do this almost everyday). This tool is great in helping the kids internalize tempo, intonation, syncopated rhythms, and articulation styles. Would I use singing to "sightread" a piece? Probably not and for several reasons.
1. None of my kids in choir. None of my kids want to be in choir. Singing makes them feel vulnerable and just singing their part (and not really focusing on pitch) is a little scary for them.
2. There would be a dilemma between having the kids match pitches exactly to their instruments or singing octaves above. Could I get a soprano to sing a tuba part? Or would the alternative be detrimental to the aural matrix (singing in the wrong octave)?
3. Transposing instruments? Where do we start?
4. Fast chromatic/modal/just bizarre passages. I can't imagine asking my flute/clarinet students to sing each pitch correctly.
5. Time to teach sightsinging, dissect transpositions, play starting pitches on piano.... so many students, so little time.
It really is an interesting theory to have students sing through their parts before playing, but I'm afraid for my own situation is impractical. However I will continue to use singing to teach internalization of other musical aspects.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Jayme Orians, 19:30:57 03/28/07 Wed [1]
I think its a really good idea. If you set the tune in the students ear then they can go home and practice their instruments to get the fingers down. I think it would improve tuning and overall tone of the group.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Chad B, 13:59:51 04/01/07 Sun [1]
I think the singing method would be a very effective tool for most band ensembles. Perhaps instead of singing through the whole piece at once they could take it a few lines at a time; divide the piece into sections. Bands commonly rehearse a piece in sections to start off anyways so why not sing a section then play that section? After you've completed the sections, sing/play larger sections until you don't have to sing the whole piece because you've already developed a context for it both singing and playing. I would be interested in seeing this put into practice.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Nickie, 09:53:02 09/18/07 Tue [1]
Perhaps my point was misunderstood? What I mean is that singing should be used for tricky passages. For example, if the clarinets have a tricky run, it might be easier to have them sing it to internalize it, and then try playing it again. I am not suggesting that singing should be used for sightreading or for rehearsing, and there certainly is not time for the ensemble to sing through entire pieces. Does that clarify things?
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Jenna B, 13:27:29 01/27/08 Sun [1]
I think that the usage of singing in a band or instrumental ensemble is indeed useful. I do not think that a director should hand students their music and say "ok by thursday I want you all to have played your parts on the piano and sang through them..." I think that whether during sight-reading or in practice, if there is a specific part of section of a song that the students struggle with then I think it is beneficial to have them sing through it.
I also agree with the idea of humming tuning notes to internalize them. I truly thinks that this makes a differenece.
Another reason I think singing in band or instrumental ensembles is beneficial is because if a section is struggling, if they are forced to vocalize the passage it is sometimes easier to digest then just trying to decipher it silently in their minds.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Jeff Meyers Jr., 16:01:15 01/28/08 Mon [1]
Heck yea, I think it is pretty helpful. At least for me, of course there is a mindset that I think teachers need to keep, and that is theres no way to please everybody. Teaching techniques should be spread out, in a way that hopefully cover everyones learning ways.
Throughout my years in band early in high school, my teachers did use this technique quite frequently, and I thought that it worked very well. It all depends on your philosophy, I suppose.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Lynsey Cook, 09:01:46 01/29/08 Tue [1]
I believe singing through pieces helps a great deal in the learning process. It's just like in symphonic band, when we tune we hum/sing the pitch and it always produces a better result. You get a feel for the song and know more along the lines of what it should sound like when you begin to play it.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- greg king, 07:40:57 02/19/08 Tue [1]
not only is singing important, it helps you appropriately interpret the piece. singing the piece helps lyrical playing by leaps and bounds in fact in my trombone lessons i play out of a book that was meant for vocal exercises in singing but it does wonders for your lyricism. so yes singing and band go hand in hand...
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Jeremy B, 09:04:20 02/14/08 Thu [1]
I also belive that singing tru prieces helps quite a but. I know from being in my wind ensemble and having some very difficult literarure that singing thru the song helped wiht some difficult rhythms.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Ashley Diemer, 07:48:44 02/19/08 Tue [1]
I believe this all depends on how much time is spent on singing the music before they play it. I think it is a great idea for students to develop their oral skills first, because then they can hear what it should sound like and then play it. Plus, this possibly would make it easier to play since you already know the rhythms and notes. But if too much time is spent singing, then there will not be enough time to get down to the instrumental aspect of band.
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Re: Singing in Band?! -- Tasia B, 09:09:08 03/04/08 Tue [1]
I like the idea of singing in band, but not the whole music. I think that would be a waste of rehearsal time, and in most high schools, that time is preciously short. I like the idea of singing tuning pitches and rhythms that people have trouble playing.
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