Learn new songs in different languages and styles!
Weekly Teaching Tip – Aug. 22, 2018
by Sissy Handler
We all have students who need our help with learning songs and how to sing them in the best way possible.
How do you help them? What advice do you give them?
When have you last learned or studied a new song?
I have many tools I already use for myself and my students. Such as underlining or marking the syllable on the beat/groove, to make arrows or signs on the lyrics sheet where the melody goes to.
For some students (who sing every single note as written) I suggest to learn it without notes, but with a lyrics sheet only. They need to learn freedom in singing and not sounding cheesy…
If the song is difficult and the student doesn’t know where to enter, either count or find out if there is something significant in the music played before that can be a helpful recognition mark.
Then of course the story within the lyrics, etc. We all know these tools.
As I had to learn a new program, I found some new ways – especially if the song is not in English or your mother tongue…
GIVE IT A TRY AND LEARN 3 NEW SONGS! IN 3 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND 3 DIFFERENT STYLES!
OBSERVE YOURSELF HOW YOU DO IT!
TRY NEW THINGS!
COLLECT THE INFORMATION YOU LEARNED!
NOW YOU HAVE MANY MORE NEW OPTIONS AND VARIETIES OF WHAT YOU CAN OFFER YOUR STUDENTS!
GO FOR IT!
Summer regards from Vienna,
Sissy
