Saturday, October 15, 2011

singing note names in F major and G major

Today's lesson gives you more practice sight singing absolute note names.  You'll see a familiar song written in two keys in treble and bass clefs.  It is good to know the notes in both clefs even if you primarily will read one clef.  Notes for sopranos and altos are written in the treble clef.  Notes for tenors can be written in the bass clef or in treble clef with their notes sounding an octave below what is written.  Of course, it makes logical sense that the basses read their notes from the bass clef; but, if a song is written with melody only as in many songbooks and rounds, it is often written in the treble clef and the tenors and basses have to sing it down an octave.  Such is the treble biased reality of choral music.  It may have something to do with the fact that elementary music teachers (I am one of them) mostly teach the treble clef as this is where the range of a child's voice lies. If you learn how to sight sing notes as they relate to the tonal center (solfege singing), you will be able to take any piece of music and sing or play it in the key you wish.  Pretty cool.