Sight reading for Singers?!
Question: I am doing an all county solo this coming month and part of it involves sight reading. does anyone know any good sites where i can print off sight reading music? ((preferably in an alto range and with no skips!))
Also...
any suggestions for becoming a better sight reader?
and...
there is one section in the song that goes rather high in my range and is marked fortissimo. i can barely sing it in tune, let alone that loud! any suggestions for that problem?
Answers: I am doing an all county solo this coming month and part of it involves sight reading. does anyone know any good sites where i can print off sight reading music? ((preferably in an alto range and with no skips!))
Also...
any suggestions for becoming a better sight reader?
and...
there is one section in the song that goes rather high in my range and is marked fortissimo. i can barely sing it in tune, let alone that loud! any suggestions for that problem?
This was said before, but definitely PRACTICE, PRACTICE PRACTICE! That is definitely the only way to get better.
Also, my music theory teacher makes me use this website constantly:
www.musictheory.net
Do the ear trainers on it, become familiar with intervals, the scales, MEMORIZE the notes on the staff if you don't know them already.... But mainly do the ear trainers and intervals, because thats what a lot of sight reading is.
Well, I don't really have an answer to your first question, but the answer to your 2nd & 3rd can be summed up in one word:
PRACTICE! Practice your sight reading. You know how the song goes, and once the music starts, you will know the Key. The more you practice the song while you sight read, the easier it will become. The same with that higher part. It's good that you still have a few weeks so take your time and practice that segment of the song with the high part. Try singing that part softly until you are sure you can hit the note properly. Don't "slide" up to it - hit it dead on - nothing sounds worse than someone who slides into a high note - I hear a lot of that on the shows and on the radio even by accomplished singers. Once you can hit the note while you are singing softly, work on the fortissimo aspect by gradually singing it louder. When you're comfortable with that, then do the whole song the way it should be sung.
Going back to sight reading for a moment - once you feel comfortable doing that song, work on sight reading other songs to improve your skill. After a while, it will become second nature.
I wish you the best of luck with your solo. Keep practicing. :-)
Practice! learn sol-feg (the do re mi scale) and memorize what each different interval sounds like. (it helps to think of a common theme that contains the intervals.) THen just get any new music that you don't already know and try sight singing it. I like using beginning piano books for beginners, as the melodies are so simple.
As for the high section- sometime it is easier to sing higher when it is louder. Try beliting it as loudly as you can in order to tune it. You may find you have to tone it down later on.
Usually with these type of sight reading things, they are in a range for a female that isn't high. Don't worry about whether it is alto or soprano. They just want see if you can sight read. But here are some cheat tips on sight reading certain intervals.
Before uttering a note, LOOK at the sight reading music first. Sing it in your head before you sing. That helps alot. Most people just jump in WITHOUT knowing what was to come. And unless you are an impeccable sight reader, you are destined to fail doing it that way. Beat out the rhythm on your leg if you need to also beforehand. Also, common sense but some still don't do it,
when the note goes up, sing higher, if the notes go down, sing lower.
There are a few songs you can use to figure jumps. If you see a note jump 4 notes, remember....the tune "here comes the bride". That is the exact two notes you should sing (Here is the first note, Comes is the 4th interval) UNLESS it is in a minor key. Another song that means the note jumped from one to six is the first two notes to "My Bunny Lies over the Ocean" (MY and BUN=6). Also, as the other suggested, use solfege. But I would even take it to a new level. Memorize what each interval sounds like. For example. Do, Re (means a second) Do-Mi (means a 3rd...say you are in the key of C...it would go from the note C to E), etc.....Sing them going up and going down. And look at what note jumps look like. I hated using Solfege personally, and rather looked at the jumps themselves and memorize that way. But for some people it worked better. Especially if they didn't know the piano. You can also do the same thing with chords if you know piano.
As far as websites, most of them are gonna want you to pay for it. I would google sight reading for singers and type in free.
As far as your issues with singing fortissimo, don't force a sound that isn't in your natural voice. That is why it isn't staying in tune. We all have various instruments. Your fortissimo may not be like my fortissimo, and that is ok. The best thing to do is use proper diaphragmatic breathing and don't PUSH the sound out. Pretend as if the sound is coming to you. Give it more energy inside, but don't force it. If you give the note energy from the inside your throat will not have pressure on the sound. That's when the diaphragmatic breathing backs you up and kicks in. It makes a huge difference.
I hoped that helped. But I still say the most important thing is to look at the sight reading piece first, sing it and get the rhythm in your head, and go for it. Good luck to you!