Billy Huyler Dr. Strand MUS-BE231 13 September 2012 Tips for Non-Pitch-Matchers Outline Working with Non-Pitch-Matchers I.

Basic Necessities a. Students must have a mutual trust between themselves and teacher, and with other students if working with groups b. Short, frequent practice sessions c. Wide range of activities II. First Steps in Pitch-Matching a. Begin in a small, comfortable range (usually middle C to G4) i. Make sure to check where students feel most comfortable in voice b. Ask students to cup hands behind their ears III. Unison Singing Sensation a. Ask student to sing a pitch and to sustain the pitch while the instructor sings and/or plays the same note to create unison b. Make a recording of students singing different pitches in their range and ask them to match their own pitches c. To comprehend non-unison pitches, play a pitch on the piano and either sing it in unison or sing another pitch i. Ask the students if the pitch is the same or different from the original pitch IV. Thinking/Imagining the Pitch a. Have students hum the pitch to help them image it right before they sing it

b. Have students open to a mah sound and to sustain after they have hummed it V. Echoing Activities a. Melodies that move by skip are easier than stepwise melodies b. Try to use the descending minor third c. Try to use the pentatonic scale VI. Singing Songs a. Try to incorporate singing songs ASAP b. Use familiar melodies and try to let the students decide which to use c. Should be in a comfortable range with repetitive melody i. Rain, Rain, Go Away, Hot Cross Buns, Jingle Bells, Mary Had a Little Lamb, etc. VII. Marian Flaggs Process a. Four-step echoing exercise b. Instructor sings a pitch in the students singing range, and the child is asked to: i. Hear it outside ii. Hear it inside iii. Sing it iv. Decide if he or she is correct or incorrect