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Pr#cticing Chor#l Music: Ten ide#s for the singer who doesnʼt think

they c#n pr#ctice on their own


Congr-tul-tions! Youʼve now been told for the millionth time to pr-ctice your
music for your next choir rehe-rs-l. But if you -re someone who he-rs th-t -nd
thinks, “I donʼt pl-y pi-no. I c-nʼt do this without someone helping me,” here -re
some w-ys you c-n pr-ctice on your own -nd improve your singing.
Gr-b your music -nd - pencil. M-ny of these steps c-n be done in - public
pl-ce. No need to he-d to the pr-ctice room (stop using th-t -s -n excuse).

!. St#rt with the text. M-ke sure you know wh-t you -re singing. Think
-bout the text. Find - tr-nsl-tion if it is in -nother l-ngu-ge. Write the
poetic tr-nsl-tion -bove/below the lyrics. If you w-nt to go deeper, use -
tr-nsl-tion site to tr-nsl-te word for word (especi-lly if thereʼs - word th-t
you sing over -nd over -g-in. You should know wh-t th-t specific word
me-ns). Do you know who wrote the lyrics -nd why? C-n you put the piece
into historic-l context?
#. Listen to # recording. We live in - time of unbeliev-ble -ccess to
recordings. Find them. Listen to more th-n one recording -nd comp-re
them until you find one or two you re-lly like. Follow -long with your score.
Listen while p-ying -ttention to -ll of the p-rts. Listen while p-ying
-ttention to just your p-rt.
$. An#lyze your music. How is the piece org-nized? Does it h-ve sections?
Are there repe-ted p-rts? Does your p-rt occur in -nother voice p-rt? Are
there key ch-nges or meter ch-nges? Is there - repe-t sign/first -nd
second ending/cod-? How would you describe the org-niz-tion of this
piece to someone who h-s never he-rd it?
%. Find your st#rting pitches. For every entr-nce you h-ve, figure out how
you -re going to find the st-rting pitch. M-ybe -nother voice p-rt just s-ng
the note. M-ybe it w-s just in the -ccomp-niment. Do you know wh-t note
of the chord it is (e.g. Iʼm singing the root of this chord)? There is nothing
worse th-n “sheep singing” (blindly following wh-t the person next to you
is singing). T-ke responsibility for being -ble to enter on your own.
&. Donʼt just sing through the p#rts you #lre#dy know. Youʼll be w-sting
your pr-ctice time. Identify problem -re-s, -n-lyze why youʼre h-ving -
problem with th-t spot, figure out w-ys to solve the problem -re-.
'. Solve the problem #re#. Bre-k it down to something you CAN do. Then
-dd something to it. Pr-ctice with repetition, but only if youʼre sure youʼre
doing it right! St-rt with just the pitches slowly (d-re I s-y on solfege
syll-bles?). Then -dd the rhythm to the pitches. Next, -dd in the lyrics.
M-ke sure you slow down the tempo the e-ch time you -dd -nother l-yer.
No need to pr-ctice with dyn-mics, -rticul-tions, -nd bre-ths until you
h-ve m-stered pitches, rhythms, -nd lyrics.
[. Work b#ckw#rds to forw#rds. How m-ny times h-ve you felt gre-t -bout
the beginning of - piece, but completely unsure of the ending? During your
own pr-ctice time, work on the ending section -nd progressively -dd
sections, e-ch time going through to the end. If you think of your piece -s
“ABCDE,” pr-ctice E, then DE, then CDE, then BCDE, -nd ABCDE.
\. Audi#te your p#rt. Sing your p-rt through in your he-d. Do this while you
-re w-lking somewhere. Do this in your c-r while youʼre w-iting for
someone. Do this before you go to sleep. Do this ALL OF THE TIME.
(Friendly reminder: Audi-ting is virtu-lly impossible if there is other music
pl-ying. C-rve out some quiet time in your life.)
]. Use your pencil. M-rk your score while youʼre in rehe-rs-l so you
remember wh-t w-s giving you problems. This will s-ve you time when you
pl-n out your next pr-ctice session.
!^. Just pr#ctice. 99% of the time I donʼt w-nt to pr-ctice. No one does. But
99% of the time, once I st-rt pr-cticing, I get stuff done. I stop when I lose
focus or I run out of time. I NEVER regret spending - little time pr-cticing
something. Do yourself - f-vor -nd m-ke it p-rt of your d-ily routine.

You h-ve the -bility to do these ten things. Do them. You will re-p the benefits
of being more confident with your p-rt, which will -llow you to contribute to the
ensemble in - more me-ningful w-y. And your own voc-l technique will improve,
bec-use youʼll be -ble to concentr-te on how you sound inste-d of -lw-ys
worrying -bout how your p-rt goes. Youʼve got this.
-Doreen Fryling (lifelong pr-ctice -voider)

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