Vocal exercises to help singers tune into a cappella harmony

I thought I’d share a few vocal exercises that I use to help singers tune in to a cappella harmony. 

© Susie Mendelsson

I often integrate these into the warm up sessions to get people listening more closely before we move on to learning harmony songs.

What’s more important: your well-being or the next concert, rehearsal or singing workshop?

We’ve all been there: we’re feeling a bit rough, but we soldier on any way.

photo by Peter Reed

A big concert is coming up so we can’t let people down. But is that the right way to think?

How I teach harmony songs

An interesting question popped up on a Facebook group: How do you teach harmony parts to your singers?

There were several different approaches, some of them using recordings or keyboards. Here is how I do it.

How your performance can be a disaster, but the concert a huge success

We had a concert recently where pretty much every song went wrong in some way.

Yet we ended up having a fantastic evening and the audience enjoyed it enormously. How is that possible?

Companion Voices: singing for the end of life

There are several singing groups in the US, UK and beyond which specialise in bringing songs of comfort to the dying.

Watford Companion Voices

You may have heard of the Threshold Choir network in the US. Here in the UK we have Companion Voices founded by Judith Silver in 2014. I asked Judith to write this guest post to tell us more about her work in this area.

Singers’ big mistakes in performance usually go unnoticed by the audience

A choir concert is never 100% perfect. There are usually one or two minor errors, or even big mistakes.

photo by Alex Proimos

But what might feel like a huge disaster on stage is often not noticed by your audience.

Why you shouldn’t rely on another singer in your section to know the songs

I wrote last week about what to do when important singers are missing and a concert is due.

photo by Ben W

I mentioned the drawbacks of singers relying on others in their section to know their part. I’d like to go into that in a bit more detail.

A concert has arrived and some important singers are missing – what to do?

It’s the final rehearsal on the day of your big concert. You realise that several important singers are missing.

What can you do? Here are a few ideas.

Own your identity as a singer (or composer or arranger or choir leader)

Are you a singer? Or are you “learning to be a singer”, or “wanting to be a singer”, or “trying to be a singer”, or “starting out as a singer”? 

Maybe it’s time to step up and claim your identity.

What to do when someone wants to teach you a song you already know

If you regularly attend singing workshops or have ever been in more than one choir, it’s inevitable that you will encounter a song you already know.

photo by Moses

Apart from zoning out, what’s the best thing to do when someone wants to teach you a song you already know?

Why are we stretching when we’ve come to sing?

I believe that proper preparation for singing is vital.

But sometimes I forget to explain why to singers who come to my one-off sessions. This is what I should remember to tell them.

Do you always sing the same voice part? Maybe it’s time for a change!

Many singers in community choirs choose for themselves which part they sing. They are not allocated a part by having a vocal range test.

photo by Michael Coghlan

This might work for a while, but what if you’ve chosen the wrong part? Also, voices change over time. Maybe it’s time to change parts?

Why it’s important to set your voice free from time to time

Being in a choir and singing with others is very controlled. There are other voices to blend and balance with, and fixed harmonies to follow.

But from time to time I believe it’s important to really let your voice soar.

Are you dependent on something that enables you to sing or lead singers?

It might be your singer’s water bottle or conductor’s baton. We all have something important that enables us to do our singing.

What happens if you lose it or it breaks?

New singers are trying your choir, but not staying – what can you do?

Choirs are often on the lookout for new singers. Some even offer free trials before singers commit.

But what happens if that influx of new people doesn’t stay? What has gone wrong? Let’s look at some possibilities.

How anxiety dreams can help you better prepare for concerts and workshops

I am due to lead a singing weekend in a few weeks. My first in over two years.

The other night I had an anxiety dream about it. Here’s what I learnt.

Why sing English versions of foreign language songs?

Since the Russian invasion began a few weeks ago, many choirs have been showing their support for Ukraine by singing Ukrainian songs.

However, many have been sung in English translation, rather than the Ukrainian original. Why might that be?

Is it important for singers to memorise the songs they perform?

I’m often asked how to get singers “off book” for their next concert.

 

The assumption is that it’s best for a singer not to have lyrics or sheet music in their hands when performing. But is this necessarily a bad thing?

Singing songs of support across different cultures

When Russia recently invaded Ukraine there was an outpouring of support and solidarity. From money and arms, to thoughts and prayers.

Svitych youth choir, Nizhyn Mykola Gogol State University, Ukraine

Many choirs have chosen to sing Ukrainian songs as a demonstration of their support. How does this help?

How to use the internet to research a song in a foreign language

I teach songs from many different cultures, most of which aren’t in English.

Before I teach a song, I need to find out as much as I can about it: who wrote it, what language it’s in, its cultural context, translation into English and so on. Here’s how I go about it.

Payback time: honouring the cultures that songs have been taken from

We often think of traditional songs from other cultures as just “out there” for the taking, to be used freely.

photo by Ashashyou

But every song was written by somebody, and every song is rooted in a particular culture and context. This hasn’t always been understood or acknowledged by those who have carried the songs into different contexts.

What is a ‘popular’ song?

When does a song have ‘popular’ appeal? When is it entertainment?

Does ‘popular’ simply mean ‘well known’?

6 different ways of presenting lyrics when teaching and learning songs

There are many different way of offering lyrics to singers, more so if your choir doesn’t use sheet music.

None of the options are perfect. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each.

How much ‘stuff’ do you need to lead a group of singers? Far less than you think!

What is the minimum you need to get a group of people singing together?

A piano? Sheet music? A baton? Backing tracks? The less you rely on ‘stuff’, the freer and more resilient you become.

Singing benefits choir leaders too, not just singers

There is much talk these days of how singing is good for you, especially singing as part of a group.

photo by COD Newsroom

But that’s always from the singers’ perspective. We don’t often consider those who lead the singing.

Confessions of a singaholic – why too much singing might be a bad thing

Once you’ve discovered the joys of singing with others, it’s sometimes hard to know when to stop.

Here is a cautionary tale from someone who got rather carried away.

Reflect, reinvent, reboot, refresh – ideas for new beginnings PART 2

I thought I’d do a round-up of posts I’ve made over the years which are relevant in some way to new beginnings.

Part 1 was last week. This is Part 2.

Reflect, reinvent, reboot, refresh – ideas for new beginnings PART 1

People often use the New Year as a time for reflection and an opportunity to make fresh starts.

I thought I’d do a round-up of posts I’ve made over the years which are relevant in some way to new beginnings. This is Part 1. Part 2 will follow next week.

Posts from Christmas past – part two

I thought I’d do a round-up of posts I’ve made over the years which are relevant in some way to Christmas.

Part one was last week. Here is part two.

Posts from Christmas past – part one

I thought I’d do a round-up of posts I’ve made over the years which are relevant in some way to Christmas.

Here is part one. Part two follows next week.

How to deal with a toxic choir member

Very occasionally a singer may join your choir who seems to affect everyone negatively.

They are somehow ‘toxic’ and affect the whole choir. Here’s how you can deal with such a person.

Discovering “the space between” when singing

This week Mary Denn writes a guest post which introduces the Japanese concept of “the space between.”

photo by chris_j_wood

Since singing is a universal form of expression, other cultures can offer different insights into how we approach it.

Revealing your humanity as choir leader or singer will bring people on your side

As David Burbidge pointed out in his recent guest post about choir leadership styles, some singers end up putting their choir leaders on pedestals.

And even if you resist that extreme, it’s easy to forget that they have a life outside choir and music. Choir leaders are as vulnerable and human as you are.

Is it ever OK to criticise your choir leader in public?

Or … “Who’s in charge of your choir?” (answer: it’s not you!)

photo by jon jordan

I often hear from choir leaders about singers who point out to them that they’re not doing their job right. Is this ever justified?

Choir leading and power – striking a difficult balance

This week, David Burbidge writes a guest post about leadership in choirs.

photo by Quick fix

Is it possible to be in charge without diminishing those you are trying to lead? David believes you can be empowered as a leader whilst also empowering those you lead.

How your choir or singing business can stay in the public eye even though you have no events to promote

There are times, especially during the pandemic, when there are no choir events or concerts coming up.

But you need to keep your singing business in the public eye or people will forget you. Here are some ideas you might try.

Why rounds aren’t the best way to introduce singing in harmony

Rounds are often seen as a simple way into harmony singing.

photo by Hyacinth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

But I would argue that they’re not that simple and aren’t a good way to introduce harmony. Here’s why.

How to make sure your choir constitution is fit for purpose

Many choirs have a written constitution and an associated committee.

photo by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free.org

This is fine when everything is going well, but when something goes wrong, you might find that your constitution is not fit for purpose. Here are some things to think about when you write one for your choir.

Choir leaders: how do you give individual attention in a room full of singers?

Often, as a choir leader, I notice one person who is not quite catching on for some reason.

How do I give that person individual attention when they are just one in a room full of singers? Here are some ideas that might help.

How to stop viruses spreading at choir – ventilate, ventilate, ventilate

Many of us feel that we have become seriously over-informed about aerosols, droplets and other Covid issues.

But the silver lining is that we are now far more aware of how to help prevent winter colds and flu in our choirs (and Covid of course).

How a choir is like an orange – and other useful comparisons

Have you ever wondered why a choir is so like and orange?

Wondering about this is a very useful exercise and can throw up some surprises. Here’s how.

The difference between foreign song lyrics and made-up sounds

How important is it that the words in songs mean something, or can they be meaningless sounds?

Many choirs sing songs in languages they don’t understand, so does it matter whether lyrics are in a real language?

What to do if you don’t like your choir leader

Not every choir leader suits every singer.

Here are some questions to help you work out what to do if you don’t like your choir leader.

Plans are worthless, but planning is everything

I always, always plan my rehearsals and workshops in great detail, including the warm ups.

But invariably the unexpected happens and my plan goes out the window! Nevertheless, here’s why planning is still vital.

5 ideas for when your mind goes blank in front of your singers

It’s happened to us all: you’re mid-rehearsal and suddenly your mind goes completely blank.

Instead of panicking, here are some things you can do.

The more trust there is in your choir, the more trustworthy people become

Can you trust that your singers will do their best in the concert? Do you trust your choir leader to not harm your voice?

Rather than wait until you feel somebody is ‘trustworthy’, assume that you can trust everyone in your choir and they will rise to the occasion.

We all want to be seen and heard – so join a choir!

One of the most powerful human needs is to be seen and heard.

We all want to feel valued, important and that we matter. Being in a choir does all that and more.

Are only ‘singers’ allowed to sing?

Following on from last week’s post (Can only singers lead choirs, only music readers arrange songs and only musicians be songwriters?), it’s time to consider ‘singers’.

 

I think most of you know by now that I believe that everyone can sing. I’d like to delve a little deeper into whether you need to be a ‘singer’ in order to sing.

Can only singers lead choirs, only music readers arrange songs and only musicians be songwriters?

Many choir leaders demonstrate and teach songs by singing them. But can you lead a choir without being able to sing? Similarly, do you need to be able to read music to be a song arranger, or be a musician to write songs?

 

The simple answer to these questions (I believe) is “No.” Here’s why.

Why you can only focus on one thing at a time when singing

Singing can be daunting at first because there are so many things to remember: posture, breathing, smiling, tuning, balance and so on.

But if you try to focus on all these at once, it will end in disaster (especially in performance). Here’s what you can do instead.