Opinions expressed represent those of the person who posted them. All entries are posted as per the original author. Thanks to all who responded!
Your Name: suzanne callahan I have had success with a couple of little boys I thought would NEVER be able to match pitch or hear their part. I truly spend more time in my non-select male chorus cheerleading and trying to improve their self-esteem and self-confidence than anything else!! Play their part on the piano an octave higher than it's written. sometimes I play all of their part in octaves (while they are singing) so they can hear it correctly. I work very hard to help them understand their voices and the difference in falsetto voice and regular voice and know where the break happens for them. Have them keep a journal of their individual ranges and how they change day to day. Knowledge is power!! Have the boys sing vocal exercises downward until they can match the correct pitch then throw yourself a party. :) |
| Your Name: Matt Foy Your Email Address: matt.foy@rsdmail.k12.ar.us Type your answer here: First of all, you must be very, very patient. I will sing the correct pitch with them and tell them that they are too low and to try to get up to the pitch I am singing. Sometimes I try to get them to slide the pitch up. Most of the time when this occurs it is because the boy has just gone through the voice change and they haven't discovered their head voice yet or they haven't developed the muscles to even make a sound in their head voice. It takes daily individual practice to get these boys going. It is great when they finally catch on and come to you proudly and say "I did it!" |
| Your Name: Karen Graham Your Email Address: kvk1911@hotmail.com Type your answer here: I usually sing the first few notes an octave higher and that seems to get them on the correct pitches. |
| Your Name: Carol Heavin Your Email Address: carol.heavin@lrsd.org Type your answer here: I start whereever they seem to be and begin working up and down. Getting them to sing lightly and putting the sound behind the eyes as they move up. I tell them to sing through their eyes. |
| Your Name: Barry Martindale Your Email Address: bmartindale@bergman.oursc.k12.ar.us Type your answer here: I have an 8th grader that is suffering from this. I start a vocalise of do, mi, so, mi do, at about E flat below middle C using Hoo Hoo hoo etc. and creep up by half steps...when I hear him struggle I have him stop on the so and sustain. This proves that he CAN sing that high...then I stay on his back. |
| Your Name: Greg Oden Your Email Address: glo_iv@yahoo.com Type your answer here: (1)Have the guys slide (glissando) from the octave low pitch up to the correct pitch with other young men who can perform this correctly. This takes many repetitions every day. (2)Have the whole choir do this as a warm-up exercise. (3)Convince these types of singers to not only hear and match the correct pitch, but to feel the note in their throat. As they slide up and down they can feel a changing sensation in their throat... different notes 'feel' like they have a different place in the throat. |
| Your Name: Cynthia Outlaw Your Email Address: cynout@ipa.net Type your answer here: I find the pitch their own on the piano. Match that with them, then move upwards. If that doesn't work, I have another guy sing to them and help them match pitch. I put their matching partner in charge of making sure they're on pitchduring every rehearsal. |
| Your Name: John Peoples Your Email Address: jpeoples@grsc.k12.ar.us Type your answer here: Don't you love those jr. high low voices! The most success I have with this is to make the boys do vocal sighs (slides). With my boys this year, sliding from the bottom upward was what worked. Some years the boys can sigh downward, but this year's crop was different! Once they reach the pitch they are supposed to be singing, I have them stop. We do this many times eventually sustaining when they get to the correct pitch area. Once they get used to the sensation in that pitch area they usually hone into it and are successful then on. Sometimes patience runs thin, but when they can sing in the correct octave and feel successful, it's party time! |
| Your Name: dan Phillians Your Email Address: dphillians@wynne.k12.ar.us Type your answer here: OK, this is straight from Mr. Skoog. He walked into male chorus and hollered "HEY", everybody hollered back. We'd do this back and forth 5 or 6 times. He also did it to me in our voice lessons. I realized pretty soon what he was doing. Here it is: I do it with my male choruses now as part of warm-ups. I tell them to imagine hollering (NOT YELLINGOR SCREAMING)at a friend across campus - "Hey". They imitate me, I make sure they are not tightening their neck/throat, it's open, loose, cavernous and free. Then after a few days we start matching pitch with it, we holler "hey" on middle C. Then C#, then D. I slowly move up every few days as they understand the technique. Then we start again at middle C and hold it for a few seconds. The "H" comes from the gut and they learn that it takes the 'gut' muscles and a loose open jaw/throat/neck. Then we start moving up again. Once they develop the muscles, then we can work on control and dynamics but we develop the muscles first! The md-range will be easy to discuss now, tell them it's half of a holler, or 3/4. Guys want to feel masculine in their singing but they must develope the technique and muscle first. My Concert Choir basses will sing an f above middle C everyday, tenors an Ab, everyday. it's a holler but it's loose, relaxed, and full. It makes the C's and D's easy. |
| Your Name: Clint Pianalto Your Email Address: cpianalto@sdale.org Type your answer here: Motor boats work great. Have them mimic some type of motor, motorcylce or boat, nascar if you will. Also have them sing the passage on some sort of nasal production, I "nah,nah" as in apple and have them make it very nasty, the foward placement helps many young men find the upper register. |
"You are here... The note I need you to sing is here. Let's work our way up to it. Good.... That's the part of your voice I need you to sing in all the time." |
| Your Name: Stephanie Rowe Your Email Address: ssexton@mail.bic.k12.ar.us Type your answer here: Usually I have the boys sing a scale up from the octave they are singing on to the octave they are supposed to be on. Once there, we start the section again. If they drop down the octave again, we stop, sing the scale again and keep repeating the process till they get used to being up the octave. |
| Your Name: Annette Rushing Your Email Address: annette.rushing@sbcglobal.net Type your answer here: I have had 17 years of boys in the changing voice. It is definetly a challenge. In my experience, some boys CANNOT sing it an octave higher, so I choose a part as best I can and let him sing an octave lower. THe part may not be bass either, but they want to sing and I encourage the singing as much as I can. Every year, the challenge of changing voices differs. When many of my boys drop so low, I have vocalised and tried several ways to get them to sing as written. If you can get them to sing in place, let ME KNOW HOW! Believe or not, I have my 7th Boys singing 3 part music to help with their changing voices this year, and this idea doesn't always work. It is trial and error, a lot of patience, and prayer. Good luck! I try to remember that God has me in this job for a purpose...boys changing voices are a big part of it. I have approximately 90 boys total in 3 of my choirs this year. Yep! IT IS A CHALLENGE! |
| Your Name: Becca Your Email Address: BeccaSanders@aol.com Type your answer here: Can't wait to read these responses b/c it is definitely a problem many of my students have. I'll start where they are singing and have them sing up the scale to where they are supposed to be, then have them stay there and go directly into their part. If there is any pause whatsoever, they'll go right back to dropping an octave. We usually have to do this many, many times before they'll start out correctly. |
| Your Name: Sharon Ward Cooper Your Email Address: swardcooper@m34u.net Type your answer here: Sometimes if I sing the boys part an octave higher it will help. I also will have an established Bass sing the part in the proper range and also demonstrate his lower range for the boys who are having trouble, so that they know he can sing low. Sometimes it takes a little time, but the boys usually figure out how to use their upper register voices. Ok, I also vocalize the boys from c above middle c or higher going downward to help them understand where they break from their head voice to their chest voice. This is very difficult for some of them when they start to get into their chest voice range and some of them will also say they just can't sing that high, but when they hear other boys doing it, they usually catch on and learn. |
| Your Name: tinan Your Email Address: tinan@searcyschools.org Type your answer here: I find a note that they can agree on with the other men usually D or E below middle C and then we practice doing a five note slide up until they can sing those pitches step by step- if they fall back into the lower octave we stop and do the slide thing again and work it step by step. It usually takes less than a week of concentrated work during warm-ups to do that. |
Your Name: jerry vincent Your Email Address: jvincent@fortsmithschools.org Type your answer here: I assume that they are singing the correct pitch an octave lower. Try developing their falsetto voice and working the falsetto sound downward into their range. Sometimes working the voice from the top down works better than trying to push the voice up from the bottom. Be patient. It may take a while. |