To get students singing without embarrassment. To learn how to match pitch, explore harmony, and timbre of voice.
Exploring Pitch and Vibration
step 1
Have the students warm up by echoing the sounds of the teacher. Remind them to keep taking deep breaths before they make their sounds.
step 2
Then have the students all sing the same note/pitch. This may take a little time.
step 3
Once they are able to match the note, ask a few of them to sing a different note while the rest of the class continues singing the first note.
step 4
Have everyone stop singing. Tell the students that some notes sound great together (harmony).
Allow them to explore combining notes on their own to find out which notes work well together and which do not. Discuss what they have discovered.
Part 2 - Extension
Step 1
The teacher has the students sing a note. The teacher’s hand goes up, the students’ voices get higher. When the hand goes down, the voices get lower. The teacher moves his/her hand up and down, the voices follow the hand movement.
Step 2
Repeat the exercise, but now have the students change the vocal texture: smooth to rough, etc. Rough texture is similar to your voice when you have a cold. Have the students give examples of what they think a rough voice sounds like and have them explain why.
Step 3
Repeat the exercise, but now have the students change the vocal color: bright to dark, etc. To create a bright sound, the students must smile while singing. To create a dark sound, the students should frown.
Step 4
Review all three sounds and choose a simple song. Have the students change sounds in the song. Use hand signals when you want them to change. One finger for Bright Sounds, two fingers for Rough Sounds, etc.
