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Table of Contents
Finding the Answer for the Question, "Can I Learn Sight-Singing if I Haven’t Learned an Instrument?
Do you want to learn how to sight-sing? Have you ever wondered, “Can I learn sight-singing if I haven’t learned an instrument?” You’ve come to the right place! Read more to find out whether it’s possible to learn sight-singing without having learned an instrument first.
This article uses technical musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
Can I Learn Sight-Singing if I Haven’t Learned an Instrument: The Components of Sight Singing
Learning an instrument before you learn to sight-sing can be valuable. However, you don’t have to play an instrument to learn how to sight-sing. The two main components to sight-singing consist of:
- Reading the score
- Singing in tune
Shape notes and Kolday rhythm syllables will help you to sight read. For info on singing with shape notes and rhythm syllables read:
Singing in tune also has two components:
- Melodic tuning
- Harmonizing in tune
The following two posts have sing-along song tracks that help you to learn how to sing in tune. The first link helps you with singing melodies in tune. The second link helps you to harmonize in tune.
Concluding Thoughts to “Can I Learn Sight-Singing if I Haven’t Learned an Instrument?”
At the beginning of this post, we asked the question, “Can I learn sight-singing if I haven’t learned an instrument?” The quick answer is “yes.”
However, when working on sight singing, knowing some piano helps, because you can bang out the notes on the piano as you sing the melody. Thus, piano works fine as a melodic sound model, helping you sing your melodies in tune. This means that knowing how to play some piano will be useful. Though really any instrument will do in a pinch.
While the piano makes a good melodic sound model, it doesn’t make a good harmonic sound model. For more on melodic vs harmonic tuning read:
To learn how to harmonize in tune, you either need to sing in an a cappella group or sing with The Intonation Flight Simulator posts on this website:
However, many vocalists learn how to sight sing in ensembles likes choirs and choruses. If you have this sort of sight-singing and ear training support on hand, you’ll find it’s possible to learn sight-singing without having learned an instrument first.
© 2023 Geoffrey Keith
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Glossary
How to Avoid Writing Annoying Cliches
Do you want to know what cliches are and how to avoid them? Cliches are phrases that have been used so often that they lose their impact on your audience. Writers, poets, and songwriters need to be aware of them, because they can drain emotional energy from your work. Keep reading “How to Avoid Writing Annoying Cliches” to learn what they are and how to stay away from them. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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Harmony and Melody Tune Differently
Have you ever felt embarrassed because someone said you sang or played out of tune? Does harmonizing seem like a puzzle you can’t solve? Knowledge is power. I will show you how harmony and melody tune differently, and how it impacts singing and playing in tune. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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Do People with ADHD Have Difficulty Playing from Sheet Music?
Are you a parent or a music teacher of an ADHD student who struggles with reading music? Though many people with ADHD have a hard time reading music, multisensory teaching methods can help! Click to answer the question, “Do people with ADHD have difficulty playing from sheet music?” Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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What’s Assonance and What’s the Best Way to Use it in Writing?
Do you need to know what assonance is? Do you want to know how to use it in your writing? When you write, you need to make each word count. It’s not just the meaning of your words, but also the sound of the words themselves that can impact the feel of your prose, poetry, or songwriting. In addition, assonance opens up more options when you get struck searching for a rhyme. Keep reading “What's Assonance and What’s the Best Way to Use it in Writing?” to learn what it is and how to do it. Estimated reading time 3...
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