| Author | Topic: Reading Music |
Choirboy
Registered User
From:
cheshire
Registered:
10/16/2007 | posted: 10/16/2007 at 1:08:02 PM ET
I have recently joined my church choir but I can not read music. Are the musical notes in the hymn books which accompany the words the same as those used in playing the hymn on, say, a piano? Is there some "trick" that can be employed in helping the completely illiterate to understand the various notes and the language used.Just for information I am nearly Seventy Years old
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suzyq
Registered User
Registered:
11/18/2004 | posted: 10/16/2007 at 2:04:18 PM ET
Hi and welcome to our friendly forum.
You are now a member of Late Bloomers - I started piano lessons at 60 and continue to take lessons and practice, practice, practice.
Is there a fellow choir member who can help you with reading music, maybe your choir director can help. I don't know of an easy way to learn to sight read (sight sing) - I'm sure one of our expert musician's will be able make suggestions.
Are you a tenor etc. - keep in touch, let us know how things go.
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 imnidiot
Registered User
From:
Ashley PA
Registered:
3/28/2005 | posted: 10/16/2007 at 8:43:18 PM ET
I too am a choir member, and cannot read well. I can tell by looking at the music that the notes go up and down, as well as what the notes are, but I still have to memorize the song by ear, because I don't know the sounds of the notes just by reading them. The notes for the vocal part are different from the accompaniment, unless it's a simple song like Mary Had A Little Lamb. You will see several lines of music, some are for the vocals, and others are for the instruments.
I am a fragment of my imagination
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Choirboy
Registered User
From:
cheshire
Registered:
10/16/2007 | posted: 10/17/2007 at 7:29:25 AM ET
quote:
Thank you for your comments. It's nice to know I am not on my own
I too am a choir member, and cannot read well. I can tell by looking at the music that the notes go up and down, as well as what the notes are, but I still have to memorize the song by ear, because I don't know the sounds of the notes just by reading them. The notes for the vocal part are different from the accompaniment, unless it's a simple song like Mary Had A Little Lamb. You will see several lines of music, some are for the vocals, and others are for the instruments.
I am a fragment of my imagination
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Choirboy
Registered User
From:
cheshire
Registered:
10/16/2007 | posted: 10/17/2007 at 7:35:47 AM ET
quote:
Hi and welcome to our friendly forum.
You are now a member of Late Bloomers - I started piano lessons at 60 and continue to take lessons and practice, practice, practice.
Is there a fellow choir member who can help you with reading music, maybe your choir director can help. I don't know of an easy way to learn to sight read (sight sing) - I'm sure one of our expert musician's will be able make suggestions.
Are you a tenor etc. - keep in touch, let us know how things go.
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Choirboy
Registered User
From:
cheshire
Registered:
10/16/2007 | posted: 10/17/2007 at 7:41:14 AM ET
quote:
Thank you for your suggestion. There is one member of the choir who has been singing in church choirs since childhood unfortunatly he is not one of natures born teachers. Incidently I think that I am a bass as this is where I have been put in the gruop but I have some difficulty in reaching the really low notes. I put this down lack of breathing exercises.
I have recently joined my church choir but I can not read music. Are the musical notes in the hymn books which accompany the words the same as those used in playing the hymn on, say, a piano? Is there some "trick" that can be employed in helping the completely illiterate to understand the various notes and the language used.Just for information I am nearly Seventy Years old
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Bandirector
Registered User
Registered:
9/27/2007 | posted: 10/17/2007 at 9:09:19 AM ET
The easiest way to think of it is this: As the notes are placed higher on the staff, the pitch of the note goes up. As they are placed lower on the staff, the pitch goes down. I am sure you probably have figured this out by this point.
In music, there exists a distance between every two notes that we musicians call an interval. The farther apart the two notes are on a staff, the larger the interval. If you have a note that jumps from the bottom line of a staff to above the top line, that will be a larger interval than one in which the two notes have a distance of one line or space between them.
My best advice to you is to use your ear. I preach to my students that the most important thing in being a musician is listening. Listen to the piano, as in a choir it often times will play the part you are singing or at least something similar. Listen to the other voices in your section and practice matching their pitch. And listen closely to get a feel for how it feels and sounds to sing different intervals. Your ear is your best friend in this endeavor.
Good luck and let me know if I can be of any more assistance!
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carpinteyrowuh
Registered User
From:
Sevilla
Registered:
3/15/2014 | posted: 3/15/2014 at 5:06:42 PM ET
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