Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Tagged: music instruction, singing

This topic has 5 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 7 months ago by nebby.

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

Author
Posts
October 11, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Sue
Participant
I was pondering how to do this, and I just read a thread from a couple of years ago. (If interested, you can read the posts here.) I looked into the recommended Singing Made Easy course, but I noticed that the early levels are geared toward children much younger than mine.
Does anyone know of materials to teach pre-teens/teens how to sing who haven’t really had much music instruction yet? DS13 can sing on pitch very well but doesn’t know how to read music yet. DD12 often strays off pitch but usually hits the target eventually, so to speak. DD14 thinks she can play the guitar and sing very well….but she is normally waaayyyyy off-key and I fear she is nearly tone-deaf, so to speak.
Or, if any of you have used Singing Made Easy, are the first two or three levels not too babyish for 12- to 14-year olds? Thanks.
Sue
October 11, 2012 at 2:44 pm
csmamma
Participant
Sue, I’m so glad you asked this question. I’m interested as I have one particular ds who thinks he sings very well, but not a bit on pitch. I really hate to tell him the truth in the matter and try not to cringe as he sings . Any suggestions would be great!
October 11, 2012 at 3:42 pm
sheraz
Participant
LOL – I have the same problem!! =)
October 11, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Lesley Letson
Participant
oh my, I will have to see what others have to say – I read this as my 7yo DS is singing at the top of his lungs in his room – Waaaayyyyy off key himself 😉
October 11, 2012 at 7:25 pm
mccormickmomma
Member
I teach private voice lessons and m students range from the very talented who just need a boost to be little superstars to the can’t-match-pitch, but don’t know it. I start them with simple ear training exercises. What I remind them is that lots of people have a great voice, but without a great ear, you can’t properly use your voice. This helps save a little dignity for the ones who already consider themselve good singers. We play pitch matching games where I sing a note on a given vowel and they have to match it. If they are flat or sharp I point up or down and have them move their voices up or down until we match. Then i let them sing a note and I match them. Once they can match a single pitch then I move to stringing 2 or 3 together to form simple melodies. There are also some good exercises on musictheory.net for ear training. And thats what this issue is… ear training, now voice training. My husband is pretty tone deaf, so it is important to me as a musician to help my kids learn to use their ears.
October 11, 2012 at 8:43 pm
nebby
Participant
Any advice if I am the tone deaf one? I have hinted to my dh that he should work with the kids on this but he hasn’t taken me up on it.
Nebby