27 | Effective Lesson Pacing for Young Singers (Part 2)
In this Part Two episode, Nikki Loney shares ten teacher and student-tested activities that can help singers learn about their voices and develop musicianship skills. These activities, games, and exercises are guaranteed to make your singers smile! (And improve their singing!)
10 Fun and Educational Activities for Young Singers
Young singers in the private lesson studio need so much more than just technical exercises and repertoire development. Beginners (of any age) need a safe place to discover and explore their voices, and they need to develop basic music skills. These activities will not only help your students to develop their voices, they will also keep them engaged and learning. (And enrolled in lessons longer!)
1. Tonic Sol-fa (Moveable DO) Games and Activities
Games that encourage independent and unaccompanied singing are crucial to helping a student build their confidence in the lesson studio or classroom. The tonic sol-fa system (solfège) allows teachers to step away from the piano and allows students to sing a cappella. Download our FREE Solfège Hand Sign Wall and Flashcards.
2. Listening/Ear Training Games
Major and minor triads, interval identification – let your beginners describe the sounds they are hearing with their own words.
3. Tongue Twisters
Tongue twisters will not only make your singers smile, they will open up great learning/teaching opportunities about our unique instrument and how the tongue, lips, and teeth work together to make sounds. Tongue Twisters are included in our FREE resource Songbird Warm-Up Game.
4. Copy Cat Singing Games (Call and Answer)
Start by singing one note (or very small intervals) and have the student sing it back to you. As your student’s confidence and skills grow you can move to longer melodies with larger intervals.
5. Copy Cat Rhythm Games
Clapping, tapping and singing rhythmic patterns is an important skill. Don’t wait until they are at the intermediate level to do this. Do it now! This is a fun activity that will prepare them for exams or auditions. If you have a percussion instrument handy, let them use it!
6. Clapping/Tapping/moving to the beat of the music
Singers who struggle to feel the beat or pulse of a song will have difficulties with repertoire. Play some moderately-paced music and:
- tap/clap or just move to the quarter notes
- clap or tap on beats 2 & 4 (important for jazz and contemporary popular music styles)
7. Written Theory Work
Everyone knows you remember more when you write it down. (That’s why we made the FULL VOICE Workbooks with plenty of written activities for singers.) Young singers enjoy working through music theory exercises on paper and writing can help slow down the students who just want to do everything too quickly. (Remember: don’t assign them for homework.)
8. White Board Station
Kids love writing on a white board. Whether it is drawing treble clefs or learning the notes on the staff, why not make it more fun with a white board and coloured markers. We highly recommend the Ultimate Music Theory Whiteboards. They have a piano keyboard at the top and two music staves. (Plus markers and a cute eraser too.)
9. Exploring the Score (Repertoire Hide and Seek)
Beginner singers are new to music notation, so that music score that you just put in front of them is probably stressing them out. Take the time to talk through the score and let your singers ask questions about the symbols and the weird way the text is written out. Reading text aloud is always a great idea before starting a new song.
10. Flashcards
Whether it is good old-fashioned paper cards, or maybe your teaching studio employs iPads and other technology, music flashcards offer endless games and activities that makes learning quick and easy.
Teacher Challenges:
1. New year – new activities.
Pick an activity that you have NEVER done before with your students and give it a try. Let us know how it goes with your students: hello@fullvoicemusic.com
2. Try these 10 activities with your older students.
Most of these activities can be “ramped” up, becoming challenges for your intermediate and advanced students.
If you have any other activities that you and your students just LOVE, please share them with us. We’d love to hear about what you’re doing in your teaching studio! Email us at: hello@fullvoicemusic.com
