66 Sight Singing – Preparation for the Sight Singing Final

Sight Singing Final Exams may have three components: elements, sightreading, and prepared pieces. Here is what (and how) to prepare.

• Elements
  • The instructor will give you a starting pitch. You will be asked to
    sing, using solfege:
    • Any ascending or descending simple interval
    • Any root position triad (major, minor, diminished, augmented)
    • Any root position seventh chord (dd, dm, mm, Mm, MM)

• Sightreading
  • The instructor will give you a tonic triad, a starting pitch, and 60
    seconds of preparation time. Please conduct and sing using solfege.

• Prepared pieces:
  • Perform the following excerpts, conducting yourself and using solfege:
    • Georg Philipp Telemann, Sonata for Two Flutes TWV 40:105
    • Richard Wagner, Liebeslied from Die Walküre WWV 86B, Act I

Review: Preparations for the Musical Elements portion

Intervals

Please review the appropriate solfege choices in the table below. Important: you will lose points if, for example, you’re asked to sing a minor seventh and you attempt to perform do, te. It is much more logical to use the contextual solfege sol, fa, which is where we find this interval most often in the melodies and harmonies of classical music.

• Review “Intervals in Context”

Triads

• The major triad is composed of a stacked major third plus minor third. The two commonest ways it appears in diatonic harmony are as chord I in a major key (do-mi-sol), and chord V (sol-ti-re) in major AND minor keys. It’s also very common for it to appear as chord IV in major keys (fa-la-do).

• The minor triad is composed of a stacked minor third plus major third. It also occurs within the diatonic scale. In minor keys, it appears most commonly as chord i (do-me-sol). In major keys, it appears commonly as chord ii (re-fa-la)and as chord vi (la-do-mi).

• The diminished triad is composed of two stacked minor thirds. It functions as chord vii0 in both major and minor keys, as well as chord ii0 in minor keys. In this class, we will always spell this chord ti-re-fa when we are singing it outside of a melodic or harmonic context. Don’t attempt to spell or sing the diminished triad do-me-se. Not all chords relate to do, and this spelling has no context in diatonic music.

• The augmented triad is composed of two stacked major thirds. It is relatively rare in diatonic harmony. It doesn’t naturally occur within the tones of the diatonic scale, and sounds very chromatic. For this reason, many learners find it hard to sing. When it does occur, it is usually spelled sol-ti-ri and appears as a chromatic variant of the dominant (sol-ti-re).

Play all triads and their inversions on the piano in a variety of keys. In addition, practice singing this triads workout in a variety of keys.

• Review “Triads and Their Functions in Root Position”

Seventh Chords in Context

• Review “Singing Seventh Chords in Harmonic Context.”

1. Fully diminished 7 (dd⁷): vii⁰⁷ in minor keys

2a. Half diminished 7, also called diminished minor 7 (dm⁷): vii^ø7 in major keys

2b. Half diminished 7, also called diminished minor 7 (dm⁷): ii^ø7 in minor keys

3a. Minor minor 7 (mm⁷): ii⁷ in major keys

3b. Minor minor 7 (mm⁷): vi⁷ in major keys

4. Major minor 7 (Mm⁷): V⁷ in major keys and minor keys

5. Major major 7 (MM⁷): I^M7 in major keys

Prepared Piece 1: 

Georg Philipp Telemann, Sonata for Two Flutes TWV 40:105, IV

Prepared Piece 2:

Richard Wagner, Liebeslied from Die Walküre WWV 86B, Act I