The American Folk Song Sight Singing Series — Unison (Kodály)
Folk songs have long been recognized as ideal tools for the teaching of sight-singing. All the rough edges have been worn off by generation after generation passing these songs on to their children. Starting with the most basic interval (the minor third: so-mi), Dr. Sanders has organized this collection of 170 folk songs into a gradual progression from songs containing only those two notes through full pentatonic songs by the end of Volume One following the Kodaly sequence. Volume Two adds fa, then ti, progressing to full diatonic songs. Because singers start learning to read music at different ages, this series is available in two editions: one with song titles and lyrics for your younger students, and one with just the music, for older students from middle school on up. Reproducible PDFs.
Easy Sight-Singing with Words — Unison
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.
Happy Rap! — Unison (Rhythmic Speaking)
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.
The High School Sight-Singer — Unison
A short, accelerated approach, suitable for middle school through college, designed to help non-reading singers quickly integrate into a choir that already possesses sight-reading skills. Each drill is a day's lesson, focusing on the skips or steps surrounding a particular pitch level. Identical to the University Sight Singer except for title.
Reproducible PDFs.
Let’s Get Started — Unison Treble
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.
Melodia, A Course in Sight-Singing — Unison
In 200 pages and over 1500 one- and two-part melodious exercises, students are led from the simplest of scales to the most complex music a choir is likely to encounter in traditional music.
Reproducible PDFs.
Poor Richard's Rounds — Unison (Kodály)
Round singing is an effective and enjoyable way to teach singers to sing independent parts. Rounds help singers hear vertically, so participants can become skilled harmonizers in no time. In these sets, the rhythms are simple, and ranges are usually an octave or less. Poor Richard's Rounds, based on the wit and wisdom of Ben Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack, begins with a volume of progressively arranged pentatonic rounds followed by a second volume that builds skills to include the full diatonic scale. Reproducible PDFs.
Progressive Kodály Exercises — Unison
200 Progressive Pentatonic Exercises follows the sequence of the Kodaly approach to sight-singing. Beginning with Sol-Mi, students gradually build their sightreading skills to include the complete pentatonic scale. The rhythmic content progresses similarly, beginning with the quarter note, and gradually adding additional note values. This volume also includes exercises centered on La (for minor mode practice), as well as other modal centers. A number of the exercises in this volume may be sung together as partner songs, and some as rounds, offering an effective means for developing vocal independence. 175 Progressive Diatonic Exercises completes the progression by systematically adding Fa and Ti. Reproducible PDFs.
Resplendent Rounds
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. (iPad/SMART Board compatible.)
Rounds for All Ages
Round singing is an effective and enjoyable way to teach singers to sing independent parts. Rounds help us hear vertically, so that participants can become skilled harmonizers in no time. In these sets, the rhythms are simple and ranges are usually an octave or less. Forty-eight of the rounds in each volume are completely diatonic. The few chromatics that do occur in the remaining five are limited to easy, stepwise patterns..
Reproducible PDFs.
Steps to Harmony — Treble
This series was designed to be useful in all teaching situations, from middle school on up. The range is limited to one octave - C to C - so that everyone sings in a comfortable range throughout. Beginning with stepwise, diatonic quarter notes, this series puts you in control of how fast and how far your students progress. Ideal for use in a music curriculum spanning several grade levels. Can be used by unison, two- and three-part choirs. Reproducible PDFs. (iPad/SMART Board compatible.)
The University Sight-Singer — Unison
A short, accelerated approach, suitable for middle school through college, designed to help non-reading singers quickly integrate into a choir that already possesses sight-reading skills. Each drill is a day's lesson, focusing on the skips or steps surrounding a particular pitch level. Identical to the High School Sight Singer except for title.
Reproducible PDFs.
The Weekly Sight-Singer — Unison (Treble)
An abbreviated and accelerated method for church and community choirs that meet only once a week, consisting of 27 weeks of lessons. Using standard tunes that most adult singers already know, this method develops a connection between these familiar melodies and the "language" of solfeggio.
