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Choral Sight Reading: A Kodály Perspective For Middle School To College-Level Choirs, Volume 2 (Kodaly Today Handbook Series) Micheál Houlahan
Choral Sight Reading: A Kodály Perspective For Middle School To College-Level Choirs, Volume 2 (Kodaly Today Handbook Series) Micheál Houlahan
Choral Sight Reading: A Kodály Perspective For Middle School To College-Level Choirs, Volume 2 (Kodaly Today Handbook Series) Micheál Houlahan
Choral Sight-Reading
ii
Choral Sight-Reading
A Kodály Perspective for
Middle School to College-Level Choirs
Volume 2
DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197550533.001.0001
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Permission to use works presented in this book has been obtained from the following.
Zoltán Kodály, “Ave Maria”: Permission granted by Editio Musica Budapest Zeneműkiadó Ltd.,
Universal Music Publishing, Editio Musica Budapest, 2020.
Belá Bartók, “Kanón”: Permission granted by Editio Musica Budapest Zeneműkiadó Ltd.,
Universal Music Publishing, Editio Musica Budapest Ltd., 2020.
John Tavener, “The Lamb”: Permission granted by Hal Leonard LLC, 2020.
v
Contents
Acknowledgments • vii
v
Introduction • ix
Unit 7. Simple Meter: Second Division of the Beat and Basic Patterns • 57
Unit 16. Simple Meter: Second Division of the Beat and Dotted Note
Combinations • 137
Contents
Acknowledgments
We thank Suzanne Ryan, past editor-in-chief for Humanities and Executive Editor of
Music at Oxford University Press, for her encouragement and critical guidance during vii
the writing of this book. We also appreciate the support and guidance of Norm Hirschy at
Oxford University Press. Special thanks to our editors, Jane Zanichkowsky and Anupama
Gopinath, for their impeccable scrutiny and thoughtful editorial assistance with our
manuscripts.
viii
ix
Introduction
Choral Sight-Reading: A Kodály Perspective for Middle School to College-Level Choirs is a prac-
tical approach to teaching sight reading according to the Kodály concept. Our overarching ix
goal is to provide choral directors with a musical way to include teaching sight-reading and
music theory as part of their choral rehearsals. This book also aims to guide students in
developing their capacity to think about sound and apply that aural experience to learning
music notation and choral repertoire. In our text, this twofold procedure is laid out in a
specific arrangement to aid in learning.
We undertook this project recognizing that both novice and more advanced students
would benefit from a logical and sequential pedagogy for expanding their musicianship
and sight-reading skills as part of their choral experience. The research for this publica-
tion is not presented as exhaustive nor conclusive; it is offered as a foundation. We en-
courage our colleagues in the field to continue this research.
This book includes twenty-nine units. Each unit guides choral students to read music no-
tation progressively by gradually introducing rhythmic and melodic elements and concepts
within songs. The first song in each unit focuses on students’ hearing, performance, and
thought processes to enable them to practice and understand the musical elements and
concepts covered in the unit. Each unit consists of two sections, the beginner section for
novice and intermediate choral singers and the advanced section for students in a high
school varsity or a college-level performing ensemble. Each part in this double structure
goes through the same steps. Units 26 through 29, for advanced choirs, present selected
sight-reading repertoire from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic styles. The
last unit includes suggestions for learning twentieth and twenty-first-century choral music.
Each unit presents material in a specific order. This structure provides a systematic
approach to sight-reading that engages students in what we’ve termed the Performance
Through Sound Analysis and Notation model to develop music theory and sight-reading
skills.1 Units 3–25 have the same design. What follows is a typical unit structure. Steps
6–8 apply to the advanced section of the unit.
1. Unit Overview
2. Learning a Focus Melody by Sound Analysis. Students are guided to sing a short
music example with text or with a neutral syllable.
3. Translating the Focus Melody into Notation. This section uses the Houlahan and
Tacka Model of Learning and Instruction that forms the core of their pedagogical
publications. Their model first leads students through an aural analysis of the
sound. Students are then guided to sing the focus melody with rhythm and/or
solfège syllables and notate the rhythm and/or the melody on the staff.
4. Music Theory. This section provides the essential music theory knowledge
associated with the newly learned rhythmic and/or melodic element presented in
the unit.
Choral Sight-Reading. Micheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka, Oxford University Press. © Oxford University Press 2023.
DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197550533.001.0001
x
Introduction
x Each unit begins with a focus song that the choral director sings for the students a
number of times using the Performance Through Sound Analysis model for learning rep-
ertoire. With each repetition of the song, students are guided to listen and determine the
following by ear:
• the number of phrases in the song
• the form of the song
• the meter of the song
• the tempo and appropriate dynamic marks
Once students can identify these important events, the choral director sings the song
with rhythm or solfège syllables (depending on the unit), and students sing it back by
ear. After students have memorized the song with rhythm and/or solfège syllables, the
syllables are translated into notation. Students then practice reading the focus song
from notation. This gives students an opportunity to practice reading known songs in
staff notation before they begin sight-reading new or unfamiliar repertoire. Section 4
explains the music theory concepts within the unit. The explanations provide students
with information that helps them read and understand a music score. Section 5 contains
sight-reading examples. Before sight-reading each example, students are guided to hear
or audiate it before performing it aloud and then to determine or describe the phrasing,
form, meter, tempo, dynamics, and tone set if applicable.
Advanced music theory expands on the information presented in section 4. It
allows students with more choral experience to apply their knowledge of rhythm and/or
solfège syllables and counting with numbers to sight-reading more complicated musical
examples. For example, advanced rhythmic units include musical examples written in
more complicated meters such as 2/8 and 2/2; this section also includes key signatures
using from one to seven sharps and flats. This activity reinforces what’s critical to un-
derstanding the takadimi rhythm syllables, namely, that rhythm syllables and counting
numbers remain the same as those written in simple time signatures. The syllables desig-
nate a position on the beat; the syllables do not designate a note value. In the advanced
sections, students practice sight reading in more complex keys. Using solfège syllables
simplifies this process. Regarding key signatures and staff placement, the keys of F major
and F-sharp major may have different key signatures, but the note placement remains
the same.
Introduction
B-flat and D are introduced. When minor tonality is introduced, we limit sight-reading to
the minor keys la =A, D, and E. As the units focusing on minor tonalities progress, mu-
sical examples in the minor keys of g minor and b minor are included.
In the advanced section, we use a slightly different key sequence for reading major
keys. The premise is that the keys (and notes) C and C-sharp have the same staff place-
ment, and therefore, the only difference between sight-reading in those keys is the
starting pitch; the staff placement is the same.
1. Sight-reading examples are written in do =C, C-sharp, C-flat, F, F-sharp, G, and
G-flat. We introduce the key signatures for all of these keys and a way to sing with xi
absolute letter names such as C-sharp with one syllable, ciss, and B-flat with one
syllable, bess.
2. The case is the same with the following keys: do =B-flat, B, D, D-flat, E, E-flat, A,
and A-flat.
In each unit’s advanced section, the sequence for introducing minor keys continues with
the same logic, la =D has the same staff placement as la =D sharp, and so on.
Unit Summaries
Unit 1. Phrase and Form
This unit introduces students to the concept of a musical phrase and how to
determine the form of compositions eight to sixteen measures in length.
Unit 2. Beat, Meter, and Rhythm
This unit shows students how to aurally identify aspects of music associated
with rhythm.
Unit 3. Simple Melodic Patterns
This unit addresses features of pitch, or the “highness” or “lowness” of a
musical sound.
Unit 4. Simple Rhythm Patterns: First Division of the Beat
This unit addresses basic elements of music related to rhythm. The objective
is to address simple rhythms such as the half note, quarter note, eighth note,
and quarter and eighth rests.
xii
Introduction
𝅘𝅥 Ta ta 1
ta di ti-ti 1&
xii
𝅗𝅥 ta ah ta ah 1 2
𝅝 ta ah ah ah ta ah ah ah 1 2 3 4
ta di mi ti---ti-ri 1 & ah
ta ka di ti-ri--ti 1e&
ta mi tim ri 1 ah
ta ka ri-tim--- 1e
ta ki da tri-o-la 1 and a
Compound Meter
ta ki da ti—ti--ti 123
𝅘𝅥. ta ta 1
ta da ta ti 1 3
ta ki ti--ta 12
Introduction
Unit 7. Simple Meter: Second Division of the Beat and Basic Patterns
This unit adds to the student’s knowledge of rhythm. Initially, in rhythmic
learning, students kept the beat, and then divided the beat into two sounds on
the beat. Here they divide the beat into four even sounds. This is referred to as
the second subdivision of the beat.
Unit 8. Major Pentatonic Melodies
This unit presents the major pentatonic scale.
Unit 9. Simple Meter: Second Division of the Beat and More Complicated Patterns
In this unit we group the sounds on the beat into three uneven sounds: a long xiii
sound followed by two short sounds and then two short sounds followed by a
long sound.
Unit 10. The Extended Pentatonic Scale
This unit presents the notes of the extended major pentatonic scale, focusing
on low la (l,) and low so (s,).
Unit 11. Upbeats
This unit introduces the upper extended range of the pentatonic scale and
internal and external upbeats.
Unit 12. Syncopation
This unit introduces syncopation or syncopated rhythm, continuing the
practice of the extended pentatonic scale with syncopated rhythmic patterns.
Unit 13. Minor Pentatonic Melodies
This unit presents a minor pentatonic scale.
Unit 14. Dotted Notes
This unit adds to students' knowledge of rhythm patterns by addressing the
dotted quarter note followed by an eighth note. It continues the extended
pentatonic scale and adds both dotted note patterns and syncopated rhythmic
patterns.
Unit 15. Orientation to the Major Scale: Pentachord and Hexachord Melodies
This unit addresses major tonality through five-and six-note scales.
Unit 16. Simple Meter: Second Division of the Beat and Dotted Note Combinations
In this unit we group the sounds on the beat into two uneven sounds: a long
sound followed by a short sound and a short sound followed by a long sound.
Unit 17. The Major Scale
In previous units, students learned about pentatonic, pentachord, and
hexachord scales. This unit builds on that information and enlarges the
number of notes in the scale to eight.
Unit 18. Triple Meter and Changing Meter
This unit presents triple meter as well as a changing meter.
Unit 19. Orientation to Minor Scales
Just as we began the study of major scales with small five-and six-note scale
structures, this unit introduces minor tonality in the same way.
xiv
Introduction
Outstanding Features
Research-based and field-tested. We are fortunate to work with choral directors who
have field-tested the materials and teaching sequences in this book. The repertoire is
presented with a teaching sequence informed by current research findings in music
perception and cognition. This enables us to present a model of music instruction and
learning that shapes students’ musical understandings and increases their metacog-
nitive skills. By doing so, we present a clear picture of how one develops sight-reading
skills based on the Kodály perspective.
Presents sequential development of sight-reading. This volume provides a systematic
approach to the development of sight-reading unison and part music. The preliminary
units also include part-work activities by adding simple rhythmic and melodic ostinatos
to songs and providing canons for singing in two to four parts. Subsequent units in-
clude complete music examples written in several parts.
Teaches the skill of audiation. Audiation, or inner hearing (the ability to hear in one’s
head), is a skill that is sometimes overlooked in the context of a choral rehearsal. Here,
xv
Introduction
along with a roadmap for teaching basic and advanced music sight-reading skills, we use
a teaching procedure that also develops students’ audiation skills. Audiation and lis-
tening skills are essential to the development of part-work skills. Our specific teaching
procedures offer a sophisticated methodology that reverses the traditional approach to
teaching sight-reading, which begins with notation.
Provides assessment tools. Every unit concludes with an assessment activity and
rubric for the basic and advanced levels. The assessment is includes (1) an evalua-
tion of a focus melody sung with rhythm syllables and numbers or solfège syllables,
depending on the unit, and (2) a new sight-reading example that uses the newly
learned rhythm or solfège syllables and numbers. The advanced assessment is also xv
twofold but uses more challenging musical examples. An example of an assessment
protocol follows.
Singing Assessment
Sing Choral Etude 14.X. with solfège syllables and hand signs.
1. In-tune singing: The student sings with the correct intonation. When errors are made,
the student can self-correct with little or no prompting from the teacher.
2. Fluidity: The student keeps a steady and consistent beat while performing with little
or no hesitation.
3. Rhythm: The student performs accurate rhythms while singing with solfège syllables.
4. Solfège syllables: The student sings with accurate solfège syllables and accurate hand
signs.
Criteria 0–2 errors 3–5 errors 6–8 errors 9–10 errors 10+ errors Did not
perform
In-tune 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
singing
Fluidity 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Rhythm 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Solfège 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
syllables
TOTAL /50 points Comments:
Introduction
Criteria 0–2 errors 3–5 errors 6–8 errors 9–10 errors 10+ errors Did not
perform
In-tune 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
singing
Fluidity 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Rhythm 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Solfège 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
xvi syllables
TOTAL /50 points Comments:
Introduction
• Chromatic notes
• Intervals
• Harmonic functions in major and minor keys
• Triads in root position and inversions
• Chord progressions using primary and secondary triads in major and minor keys
• Roman numerals and figured bass
• Cadences
• Modes
We provide repertoire for teaching each music theory concept in the Level 2 music theory xvii
and sight-reading sequence, including unison and part-singing examples incorporating
these elements. Assessment rubrics for sight-reading are included.
Note
1 Micheal Houlahan and Philip Tacka (2015) Kodály Today: A Cognitive Approach to Music
Education 2nd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press) Chapter 6 “From Sound to Symbol:
A New Learning Theory Model.”
xvii
xix
Choral Sight-Reading
xx
1
Unit 1
1
As your director sings Choral Etude 1.1 with a neutral syllable, or text, determine the
following:
• the number of phrases
• the form
• the tempo and dynamic markings
Choral Sight-Reading. Micheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka, Oxford University Press. © Oxford University Press 2023.
DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197550533.003.0001
2
Choral Sight-Reading
4. Music Theory
A phrase is a musical unit defined by the interconnection of melody, rhythm, and har-
mony and ends with a cadence (a point of rest) of some kind. The length of a phrase varies
and is usually followed by an answering phrase of the same length. A phrase mark (the
3
arched line above each line of music) suggests a musical idea. Phrases indicate a breathing
point in the music. A musical phrase will typically be four measures in length. A music
phrase can sound open or closed.
A motif is a small rhythmic or melodic idea within the phrase. For example, “Rocky
Mountain” is made up of several rhythmic motives.
Period structure is a question-and-answer form. When there are two phrases, the end
of the first phrase is open or weak; the subsequent phrase sounds like more of an ending.
The open phrase is sometimes referred to as an antecedent; the second phrase is known
as the consequent phrase and ends with a “closed” feeling. There are several different pe-
riod structures. “Wall Flowers” is an example of a parallel period. 3
Strophic form uses the same melody for successive stanzas. “O, Belinda” (Choral
Etude 1.4) is an example of a song in strophic form. Subsequent verses include “Right
hand ’round,” “Left hand ’round,” and so on.
Some songs with additional verses can also include a refrain. Refer to this type of
form as verse-refrain.
“Do Let Me Out” (Choral Etude 1.5) is an example of verse-chorus form. This type of
form is built in two sections. The chorus contains melodic motifs from the verse section.
4
Choral Sight-Reading
5. Sight-Reading
"Tules tänne, niin saat nähdä, Sonja!" sanoi Varvara. "Tuo pikku
notaari kävelee lakkaamatta tästä ohitse."
Minä olin hyvin kauan, melkein ihan lapsuudesta asti ollut hyvä tuttu
Jakov Pasinkovin kanssa. Hän oli ollut kasvatettavana samassa
yksityisessä oppilaitoksessa Moskovassa, saksalaisen Winterkellerin
luona, jossa minäkin olin viettänyt kolme vuotta.
Jakovin isä, joka oli köyhä, virasta eronnut majori ja muuten hyvin
rehellinen, mutta hiukan heikkomielinen mies, oli tullut herra
Winterkellerin luo pienen, silloin seitsenvuotisen poikansa kanssa,
maksanut hänestä vuoden maksun, mutta sitte matkustanut pois
Moskovasta ja kadonnut, antamatta enää mitään tietoa itsestään.
Tuon tuostakin kuului hämäriä kummallisia huhuja hänen
vaiheistansa. Vasta kahdeksan vuoden kuluttua saatiin varmasti
tietää hänen hukkuneen Irtish-joen tulvaan. Ei kukaan tiennyt, mikä
hänet oli vienyt Siperiaan.
Kuin minä näin hänet ensi kerran, oli hän kuudentoista vuoden
ijässä ja minä olin äsken täyttänyt kolmetoista. Minä olin silloin hyvin
itserakas ja lellitelty poika, rikkaassa kodissa kasvanut. Niinpä minä
heti kouluun tultuani kiiruhdin tekemään lähempää tuttavuutta erään
ruhtinaan pojan kanssa, josta herra Winterkeller piti aivan erityistä
huolta, ja parin muun ylhäissukuisen pojan kanssa. Kaikki muut
pidätin minä kaukana itsestäni enkä Pasinkovia ottanut edes
huomioonikaan. Sitä pitkää ja hoikkaa poikaa rumassa nutussaan ja
lyhyissä housuissa, joiden alta näkyi karkeat, kuluneet puolisukat,
katselin minä köyhän työmiehen pojan tai sellaisen palveluspojan
vertaiseksi, jonka isäni oli minulle valinnut kotitilustemme maaorjain
joukosta.
*****
Sofia aikoi nyt nousta pois pianon edestä. Mutta Varvara pyysi
häntä soittamaan edelleen, meni Pasinkovin luo ja ojentaen hänelle
kätensä, sanoi hämillään hymyillen:
"Tahdotteko?"
Minä ilostuin hyvin Pasinkovin tulosta, mutta kun ajattelin, mitä olin
tehnyt edellisenä päivänä, jouduin niin häpeihini, että käännyin
jälleen seinään päin, sanomatta hänelle sanaakaan.
"Niin, minä tarkoitan yhtä tosi asiaa", vastasi hän pannen eri
painoa joka sanalle. "Eilen minä näytin teille lompakkoani, jossa oli
erään henkilön kirjeitä minulle. Tänään te olette nenäkkäästi ja
sopimattomasti nuhdellen — huomatkaa tarkkaan: nenäkkäästi ja
sopimattomasti nuhdellen — maininneet samalle henkilölle
muutamia sanoja niistä kirjeistä, vaikka teillä ei ole ollut mitään
oikeuden tapaistakaan sellaiseen, lievimmiten sanoen, kömpelöön
käytökseen. Minä haluan sen tähden kuulla, miten te aiotte selittää
tuon kaikin puolin moitittavan käytöksenne."
"Ja minä haluan tietää, mikä oikeus teillä on tällä tavoin tutkistella
minua", vastasin minä, vavisten sekä häpeästä että kiukusta. "Jos te
huviksenne sopimattomasti kerskailette ylhäisistä tuttavuuksistanne
ja huvittavasta kirjeenvaihdostanne, mitä se minuun koskee? Vai
eivätkö ehkä kaikki kirjeenne teillä enää ole tallella?"
"Minä tiedän nyt, mitä minun tulee ajatella", sanoi hän. "Teidän
muotonne todistaa kyllin selvästi teitä vastaan. Mutta minä sanon
teille, että oikea aatelismies ei tee sillä tavalla. Varkain lukea toisten
kirjeitä ja sitte mennä nuoren, ylhäis-sukuisen naisen luo
häiritsemään hänen rauhaansa…"
"Rakastan."