123 Sight Singing Assignment

Conducting and Chanting in Changing Meters

Conduct in large beats. Use the beaming structure of the measure to determine how to conduct. For example, the beaming in m. 1 of the first example indicates that you should conduct that measure in three, using the pattern “2+3+3.”

Béla Bartók, Mikrokosmos Sz. 107, Book Four, “Minor and Major”

Béla Bartók, Mikrokosmos Sz. 107, Book Five, “Change of Time”

Rhythmic Duet

Conduct in a “big four,” i.e. “2+2+2+3.”

Béla Bartok, Mikrokosmos Sz. 107, Book Six, “Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm”

Singing Non-Diatonic Scales Using Trichords and Tetrachords

Trichords (Reference):

Half-Whole Octatonic Scale: Preliminary Exercises

To master singing the half-whole octatonic scale, start with these short excerpts composed of interlinked trichords and tetrachords. In the first four measures, sing the numbers. In the second part of the exercise, sing the words “0134, whole step…” etc.

Half-Whole Octatonic Scale

Now sing the entire half-whole octatonic scale in ascending and descending motion, remaining careful over the difference between a whole step and a half step.

Whole-Half Octatonic Scale

Repeat the practice procedure for the whole-half octatonic scale. Warm up with the 023 trichord, then “0235, half step, 0235, half step.”

Now sing the entire whole-half octatonic scale.

Whole-Tone Scale: Preliminary Exercises

To master the whole-tone scale, first start with interlinked trichords and tetrachords to practice singing groups of whole steps without being tempted to add in any half steps.

Whole-Tone Scale

Now sing the whole-tone scale in ascending and descending motion, taking care not to add any half steps.

Chromatic Scale: Create Your Own Exercise

Use the 012 trichord and 0123 tetrachord (not pictured above) to create your own preliminary exercises in singing the chromatic scale. Then see if you can sing up and down the chromatic scale.

Non-Diatonic Melodies

Chromatic Collections

In these examples, the non-diatonic nature of the melodic language makes it impractical to sing using solfege. Conduct yourself and sing on a neutral syllable like “la.”

Claude Debussy, L’isle joyeuse L. 106

Whole-Tone Collections

Conduct and sing on “la” or another neutral syllable.

Claude Debussy, L’isle joyeuse L. 106

In the next example, Debussy uses more than one whole tone collection. To set yourself up for success in your sight singing lesson, analyze the excerpt for 0246 tetrachords before you attempt to practice it. This makes singing the excerpt much easier.

Claude Debussy, Proses lyriques L. 84, “De grève”

Octatonic Collections

Conduct and sing using a neutral syllable.

Béla Bartók, Mikrokosmos Sz. 107, Book Four, “From the Island of Bali”