371 Bach Chorales — in Order of Sight-Singing Difficulty
For nearly 200 years, the 371 four-part chorales (371 vierstimmige Choralgesange) of Johann Sebastian Bach have enjoyed a unique popularity and usefulness in music education. To make this collection more accessible to students of sight-reading: (1) The editor has reordered the chorales from easiest to most chromatically complex. (2) The parts are presented in open score format, instead of the customary keyboard reduction. (3) The entire collection is presented in reproducible format, for economy and utility. And (4) all measures are numbered for convenient rehearsal. The chorales are organized into four volumes, from Volume 1, the easiest to Volume 4, the most complex. The contents of each volume are likewise organized, creating a smooth progression in difficulty throughout the entire series. Reproducible PDFs.
The Baroque Sight-Singing Series — SATB
Canons! Fugues! Chorales! All those forms that made the Baroque period so delightful are employed in this beautiful series by Nicholas Palmer. Beginning with simple, stepwise motion, the singer rapidly develops an excellent reading ability in an artistically satisfying, Baroque world of counterpoint. Melodic imitation between the voices develops the students’ listening skills, as well as their appreciation for the music of this period. Now, even the beginning student of sight-reading can experience the aesthetic exhilaration so characteristic of the Baroque period. Reproducible PDFs.
The Classical Sight-Singing Series — SATB
In this series, composer Hank Beebe has succeeded in capturing the spirit and ambience of the Classical period in all its rich variety. Beginning with simple, stepwise motion, exciting chord progressions, spiced with a wide variety of rhythmic devices, create an opportunity for beginning readers to experience the thrill of sight-reading "real music." While basically homophonic, this series is rhythmically challenging. Often, a lyrical melody in one voice part is accompanied by a spritely rhythmic texture created by the other voices. Volume 2 introduces the use of syncopation and the melodic minor. Melodies often alternate among the voices, so that altos, tenors, and basses have the opportunity to sing melodies, not just harmonies. This series employs articulations — staccato, marcato and accents - as well as tempo variations (ritardando, etc.), bringing choirs with limited reading ability to a high level of musicianship. Reproducible PDFs.
The John Dowland Ayres — SATB
John Dowland (1563-1626) was one of the most stylish and popular composers of his day. These 52 SATB Secular Ayres (love song madrigals), researched and edited by Joe Hickman, D.Mus., and arranged in their relative order of sight-reading complexity, are full of emotional intensity and elegant melancholy. Available in 2 editions: The Dowland Reader (music only) and The Performance Edition with English lyrics.
Reproducible PDFs.
The Easy Rhythms Sight-Singing Series — SATB
This series provides a solid grounding in solfège while avoiding rhythmic complexity. To accommodate choirs with boys’ changing voices (cambiata), each mixed choir version contains one voice part that stays within the cambiata range. In the SATB edition, this is the Tenor part. In the SAB and SA(T)B editions, it is the Bass part. The (T) in the SA(T)B version duplicates the Bass part, but in Tenor clef, creating the appearance of four voices in a three-voice composition—great for choirs with small (or weak) tenor and/or bass sections. For boys’ choirs we provide the TCB editions (Treble, Cambiata, Bass). Reproducible PDFs.
The Easy Romantic Sight-Singing Series — SATB
In this series, Hank Beebe has captured the splendor of the Romantic period without deviating from his fluid, easy-to-read compositional style. Beginning with simple, stepwise motion, each volume starts with simple rhythms (whole, dotted half, half, and quarter notes), then gradually adds eighth note pairs, multiple eighth notes, and finally dotted quarters and eighths. Although more chromatically colorful than our Classical series, all the accidentals are kept in the form of easy-to-sing sharped lower neighbors (e.g., la-si-la). Your singers will be amazed at the sophisticated harmonies they are capable of producing - and all while sight-singing! Reproducible PDFs.
Easy Sight-Singing with Words — SATB
A set of nine concert-length compositions in completely step-wise, diatonic style, with piano accompaniment, intended to supplement and reinforce the progress made in Volume 1 of any of our series. Available voicings: Unison, Two-Part Mixed, SA, TB, SAB, SSA, TTB, SATB.
Reproducible PDFs.
The Great Poets — SATB
The purpose of this series is to liberate your choir from excessive dependence on solfege and enable them to move on to the next level of musicianship - sight-singing with words. Hank Beebe has filled Volume 1 with easy-to-read music that will build your singers' confidence in their ability to sight-read with text. It gradually progresses, both rhythmically and harmonically, to the more complex material in subsequent volumes. During the course of this series, your students will be exposed to some of the finest poetry of the ages. PLEASE NOTE: This series is not a substitute for systematic solfege training. It assumes a reasonable ability in solfege as a prerequisite. Completion of any of our other sight-singing series is more than adequate preparation. Reproducible PDFs.
Happy Rap! — for Speaking Chorus
Your choir will thoroughly enjoy this break from the routine. You don’t even have to tell them that they are improving their rhythm skills, as they challenge themselves to keep together in perfectly unison speech, through humorous, miniature dramatic scenes in which they become the characters. Audiences will love this, too! Each composition is entertaining enough and of sufficient duration to include in your concerts as a novelty number. The texts are little rhythmic encounters from everyday life. Hank Beebe has created in "Happy Rap!" an innovative, FUN approach to practicing rhythm and improving rhythmic sight-singing skills. Starting with the simple Malone the Monotone, the series gradually progresses to challenging rhythmic excursions for up to four voice parts. Humor and wit abound.
Reproducible PDFs.
Let’s Get Started — SATB
If your choir can sing up and down the scale, they're ready to dive into this series. Vol. 1 is completely stepwise and diatonic. All five volumes parallel the corresponding three- and four-voice versions so that the two voicings could be used concurrently, if desired. warm up with Let's Get Started in unison, then move right on to the corresponding three- or four-part music in the same session. Each unison volume contains 300 exercises. Virtually all keys are covered. The treble and bass versions contain the same music but in different clefs. The cambiata version remains totally within the cambiata range, with all melodies represented in both treble and bass clefs on each page. This series is also useful as a tool to measure individual progress. Reproducible PDFs.
Mastering Chromatics — SATB
In this series, Hank Beebe takes your choir a giant step forward toward the ultimate goal: total reading ability. This series assumes your choir has completed any one of our other series - Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Let's Get Started, Steps to Harmony, or Easy Rhythms - and it continues with a similarly methodical treatment of chromatics: first stepwise, then approached or left by thirds, then fourths, etc. By employing simple, basic rhythms, this series enables the singer to concentrate on the chromatic content of the music and enjoy a wealth of tonal colors, while at the same time developing the skills needed to sing a wide variety of choral music. Reproducible PDFs.
The Palestrina Motets — in Order of Sight-Singing Difficulty
Palestrina represents the quintessence of the Renaissance style. This series includes his 52 SATB motets, researched and edited by Joe Hickman, D.Mus., and arranged in order of sight-singing complexity. Available in 2 editions: The Palestrina Reader (music only) and The Performance Edition with Latin text. Reproducible PDFs.
The Renaissance Sight-Singing Series — SATB
Using the rules and conventions of 16th century counterpoint, the composer has reproduced the sound and flavor of Renaissance polyphony in this elegant series of graded compositions. Beginning with simple, stepwise motion, as each composition progresses, the independent voice parts produce a kaleidoscope of ever-changing modal and tonal harmonies, so characteristic of the period. Melodic imitation between the voices develops the students’ listening skills, as well as their appreciation for the music of this period. Since the compositions are mostly polyphonic, every voice part is melodic and of equal interest and importance in the creation of beautifully interweaving textures. Reproducible PDFs.
Resplendent Rounds — SATB
Resplendent Rounds can be used as an introduction to sight-singing as well as a method for developing vocal independence. It can be used by any group — from beginning to advanced, from elementary through high school and adult. Every page can be used as unison, 2-voice, 3-voice, up to 8-voice canons. Available voicings: Treble, Mixed, or Tenor/Bass with Treble/Tenor on 1 side of the page and Bass on the other. 72 stepwise, diatonic canons. An extensive book of colorful piano accompaniments is also available, to add sparkle and pizazz. Reproducible PDFs.
