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PART-SINGING: A SKILL UNTO ITSELF

a presentation by .
Robert de Frece University of Alberta
Alabama Music Educators' Association Tuscaloosa, Alabama
January 10, 2908
.. _-----------------
These notes are for the lise participants only and for lise with children. 1l1ey may nol be
: duplicated or distributedto others without the pennission of the clinician
Dr. Robert de Freee
, Department of Elementary Education, University of All; ':: 'l8
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G5
e-mail: rdefreceraJualberta.ca
.. _--._---------
The development of children's part-singing skill is sometimes confused with their ability to read music. In
many cultures, people sing beautiful harmonies without being able to read music at all. This session will
explore teaching strategies and a sequence for the development of part-singing skills in the elementary
grades. While sight-reading skills should be developed on an on-going basis, part-singing skills can also be
developed at a level beyond children's ability to read all that they sing. The challenge is to have the
children read everything that they can read (giving them a reward for knowing how to read music) while
also developing their ability to sing in. parts.
A SEQUENCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PART SINGING SKILLS
IN GRADES 1 to 6
Grade 1/2 Grade 2/3 Grade 4 Grade 5/6
_U_N_IS_O_N I
OSTINATO
ROUNDS/CANONS
COUNTERMELODIES
FREEZE TONE (sustain pitch from melody to become a chord tone)
MELODIC SEQUENCES
PARALLEL 3rds and 6ths
NOTE: In this chart, children at each level should continue to practice the skills from previous
grade levels. Unison singing is an important skill for children and adults. To produce a perfect
unison, singers must be exactly on pitch and must produce a uniform, blended vowel sound.
With each developmental level, more skills are added to those developed earlier.
2
L
VOCAL OSTINATO
The use of vocal ostinato can begin in grades 2 and 3. Once introduced, this skill can be used at all
subsequent grade levels with ostinati that are more complex. The ostinato shown in Part 3 of the verse of
"Land of the Silver Birch" can be used in grade 2 or 3. The ostinato shown in Part I is more complex
melodically and also has a much wider range and should be saved for grades 5 and 6.
LAND OF THE SILVER BIRCH Arr. R. J. de Frece @1984
I.
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PROCESS:
iJ_--------- ... :2.
Set up hand-drum accompaniment 4 ['1 n -
Teacher sings over hand-drum
Teach song through echoing by phrases
Teach Part ill through echoing
Class sings in 2 parts
) Teach Part I ostinato by use of tone-ladder
visual, then add words. (Only a few students
needed on this ostinato and perhaps onlyon
one verse.
-II
3
CANONS
FOLLOW YOUR OWN INSTRUCTIONS CANON
Swing R. J. de Frece @1985
I. F
fj )il [j H)nl ) ;J J J 1
3
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1
. Pul four hand' On jD'," h'i" And 'fv .,IcJ.z." I;ff(, J,...J of_yo" st.",/, :! li
f
? III h..J -rio,n y'"
Z.
J ) flJ ) ).1 II::::1I d.. t ! ) Ej t I
gf/ Jai" ho",Js a"d yo. el, - ck r{JM, .. JDt- ./h. 11 - 'j no'" OM ''',
,C7 . ,
;& ) J ( ) I J J J i I J ) ) I j ) )3j
. ant D<lt, .JJ"'f yo"r h<>nr4 and .furn a - bDur: a"t sk;> i", pn< skI' out,
F 3. c."
r (f . 1
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fj
ift"d d.wn anJloUtJ. #tc. IIc>Dr. CrauJ, d..,,, low' and tlt.,{ sl.N. CI"f -I"'k.! "f1,.11s
r

. . nice! A"J y., do 4; dD
This song provides mutual reinforcement: the words tell you how to move-the movement reIninds you of
the words.' Third and fourth grade children can sing this canon easily because the melody is long enough
that they are not confused by the entry of each part. The movement is best performed in three separate
circles rather than concentric circles (where children in the innermost circle are ''bombarded'' by the other
two parts). First and second grade children enjoy singing this as a unison song although they aren't ready
to sing it in canon. The octave leap at "Clap twice, that's nice" is also a problem for younger children: it is
recommended that if the song is used with 1
st
and 2
nd
grade, both words be sung on middle C (low so).
COLJNTERMELODIES
. DECK THE HALL
Welsh Carol
Countermelody by R. J. de Frece @1984
Camt anti si-:J
r.. I. 1& I. I. I..
I.
I
4
;:.-:.
Introduce the melodic fragments that make up the countermelody as a sight-singing exercise. Students
should sing solfa syllables in response to notes on the staff. Add rhythm to the fragments and, finally,
"assemble" the entireform. This may takethreeorfour weeks. Save the surprise for the end-theaddition
ofthe "Deckthe Hall" melody will be agratifying experience for the children and that good feeling helps
to underline the importance of the development of music literacy skills. In creating your own
countermelodies,tryo to avoiddifficultleaps-thestepwisemotionused here makes this melody accessible
to mostupper-elementarychildrenwho havehadexperiencewith sight-singingexercises.
MELODIC F/fAGMAfrS IN COUN1UI>1LODY
ABc ..
( r
F G
;b Et rr. r r II
.., 0 0 .., 0 .. '"
FoRM OF ClJljJV'ER./vfcLoD'y II: ABAC.:\1 DH.DABF<q
FREEZETONE
This termdescribes thetechniqueofhavingapitchfrom themelodysustainedto becomeachordtone. _
I'M GONNA SING
'--Spiritual
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A oJ.
S'I':J I:" J'III- ,,., q
!'hI " /"'"r ,,,.,-
St''';J Si;J -----

0
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Arr. R. J.de Frece@1985
PROCESS:
Teachmelodythrough echoing by
phrases
Presentavisual of thewords of the
songon thechalkboard.
Usefreezetonesnowflakesto
"freeze"melody notestoform Part
III.
Alterthetexttoform PartIII.
Indicatepitchchangesthroughthe
USe ofsoJfeggecirclesshowingthe
pitchesdo andti. i,
TeachPartIIthroughtheuseof
Curwen handSigns.
,.... _

I:m Vo when lhe


Im gonn8 sIng sIng sang
*
rm gonn8 sing when the spirit says sing
.
Asong to praise my lord.
5
PARALLEL3
rd
and6
th

It was once thought that singing parallel thirds was an easy first step to part singing. We now know that
paraphony is an adult approach to harmonization and difficult for younger children. By 5
th
and 6
th
grade,
childrenaredevelopmentallyreadyforparallelmotionleading to almostinstantpartsinging.
THE OLD ARK'S A'MOVERIN'
Spiritual
Arr. R. :r. de Frece . l1985
/
r"""'= ........ _ 1""""= r"""':I
old Q'
, ,.
I'm JO - .n
h.me. .
e..
).11- SOLO
J).C.
r , - '-'
lil!-;- ....rrl.uI. ,. -t-wo by ..fWD.,.- And Nooak hi,., If. ZDt>.
{".,)----------------------
J 1 I J J 1 I k J J It
I'" .... I. ...
I ... -
'll
, PRocEss: Teach PartsI andITthroughechoing
Teach PartsInandIVthrough useofCurwen hand signs.
Have students respondtoconductinggestures in ordertovary
dynamics,tempo etc.. "
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SEQUENCES
Melodic sequences can be found in vocal music from Handel's Messiah to part songs by Natalie Sleeth.
Reading melodic sequences teaches children to read music in blocks rather than note by note. Have the
children predict where the melody will go and then find the sequence in the complete score of the melody.
This counterrnelody can also be used to teach the raised fourth degree of the scale (ft.) in measure 11.
WE WISH YOU AMERRY CHRISTMAS
TraditionalEnglish Carol
Arr. R. J. de Frece @1986
MeLODY
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brIt'S
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el, -mas is
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