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FIFTY STEPS IN SiGHT-SINGING (CURWEN'S EDITION,

5130.)

BY

ARTHUR SOMERVELL, MUS.DOC. (CANTAB.).

FOURTH EDITION

K

LONDON: J.

CURWEN & SONS

LTD.,

24

BERNERS STREET, W.

PRICE First

and Second

sets of exercises (Pupils'

Books) 6d. each.

B18TRE./ONTST

BOSTON "nvn & Son

Mr 870

PREFACE. IT

slowly beginning to be recognised that to be unable to read a single line of

is

music at sight

after

is,

all,

This

rather a sign of ignorance.

and should be made the most

of

who have

all

by

is

encouraging,

heart the spread of

at

musical education, and the consequent advancement of music in this country.

In our elementary schools of

curriculum

the

teaching

of

good

results

although

no reason

is

why

if

obtained

only

in

not a subject demanding special artistic

is

any more than the teaching

of reading requires a special

But putting

here that

we

if

we turn few

find the subject, except in a

In most of them singing where there

for the

is

is

one, exists

with the result that practically no boy

hands

is

;

It

by learning an instrument

unusually intelligent,

;

is

true that the

but for all

all

that

it is

to

needed. ,

to a public school can read

up the barest smattering

him when he comes

* No subject can be treated educationally in the time usually allowed one hour per week.

\

the value

and even then, unless he

of little value to

Fifty Steps in Sight- singing.

is

members

even more generally neglected

who goes on

unless he happens to have picked

is

The singing-

mainly for the practice of music (learned

In boys' preparatory schools the subject

it

places, excellent

educationally*

them, books of the words would in most cases supply

subject

many

gifts,

of literature.

cases, totally neglected.

rarely treated

of the class usually hold the music in their

all,

this

to the secondary schools, it is

most part by ear), for a school entertainment.

music at

knowledge

aside the elementary schools, where, in

being done in this direction,

is

of

teachers could only realise the fact that the

teaching of sight-reading

class,

are

much wider and more thorough knowledge

a

subject should not be fostered,

work

forms part

sight-reading

where enthusiasm backs the requirements of the Board of Education,

places

there

and

;

the

is,

of the

musically,

to sing a part

from half au hour to

PREFACE.

IV

Nor

in a choir.

does there seem to be any attempt in these schools to foster

a love of or veneration for music.

When master

is

not only a first-rate musician, but an enthusiast.

man

such a

come

the boys pass on to a public school they usually find that the music

is

by the

greatly hampered

fact that the large majority of

him, not only ignorant of what music

to

for the study of

practically impossible for

teachers

;

but totally unequipped

is,

them ever

is

heart-breaking

when young to read

never learned

that the boys

is

boys

but the time wasted in grinding through and through

;

a piece of music, in order to teach the bare notes,

This

of

Those who are put into the choir gradually pick up a

it.

vague idea of reading

fact

But the work

really to acquire the

at

power

;

sight to

do

while the

makes

it

so.

a point which cannot be urged too strongly upon parents and

for experience shows that the

younger a child

is

(within reason)

when

he begins to learn sight-reading the more easily will he master the subject.

have often heard whole

classes of

C

the staff in the key of

;

I

children under six years old singing from

and I know one school

in

West Norfolk where every

child over twelve years old can sing almost anything at sight, because they have

been properly taught from infancy.

The time given

to music in this school

is

ten minutes a day.

Many

now beginning

parents are

generation to

to see the folly of allowing the

grow up

are asking that this state of things, at least as regards their

cease to exist.

so

own

numerous have been the enquiries from

and

children, shall

different sources

book which will be a guide in working out a scheme of sight-reading

for a

lessons that I

some

And

younger

ignorant of a subject so easily taught in childhood,

am, to a certain extent, trying to meet

of the results of

my own

Teachers must use their

demand by publishing

experiences with a class of small children.

own

to the next, for, in the case of

this

discretion as to

some

when

children, the

to

same

go on from one lesson lesson

may

have to be

worked through several times, and frequent recapitulation of back work

A

be found advisable.

will

short time (say fifteen minutes) spent on these lessons

every day will be found more valuable than a longer time once or twice a week.

The important songs,

and the

of question of the training of the child-voice, the learning

class of

music to be learned have not been touched upon; but with

Fifty Steps in Sight -singing.

PREFACE.

regard to the

last, it

\

should be remembered that to teach a child, or perform

" for his delectation," a piece of bad music, is as unpardonable as to recommend " " It is unfair to make anyone grind as an example of literary art. Scraps at a subject such as sight-reading, without at the of

what the drudgery

will eventually lead to

see that their children are introduced to a

;

same time giving some idea

therefore

good

it

class of

behoves parents to

music alongside the

sight-reading lessons; exactly as most children learn poetry and have stories

read to them while they are learning to read. " It is commonly asserted that " good music

is difficult,

the impossibility of giving children any knowledge of

one plays the piano classical in

well.

But

there

is

every sense of the word, which

contrary, delightfully easy to learn

Wales, and Ireland.

it

lies

in families where no

a huge storehouse of good music,

not only not

is

difficult, but,

on the

the traditional songs of England, Scotland,

These can be learned and sung (many would say with

and

advantage) without pianoforte accompaniment;

hardly necessary to

it is

point out that children have a right to this great national

Those who have never

and that herein

and natural

heritage.

tried to teach these songs will be astonished at the ease

and pleasure with which children pick them up with large acquaintance

them forms the

which to build, in later

life,

best

;

and there

is

no doubt that a

and most normal foundation upon

a knowledge and appreciation of music in

its

greatest forms.

NOTE TO THIRD EDITION. to the

two Appendices

at the

The

attention of teachers

is

particularly called

end of the book.

AETHUK SOMEHYELL. KENSINGTON, 1904. Fifty Steps in Sight-singing.

FREFACE.

VI

APPAEATUS. A pointer or small baton. A Tonic Sol-fa Modulator (seven keys) A blackboard, blank on one side and ruled (iv) A note-book for each child.

(i)

.

(ii)

(iii)

(v)

An MS.

music-book for each

for

music on the other.

child.

THE STAFF MODULATOE.

A stave should be drawn upon the apart whenever a in

new key

is

being

blackboard with lines about three inches

first

more than the chord of the Key.

or

-&fifty Steps in Sight-ringing,

explained.

It

is

not necessary to write

FIFTY STEPS IN SIGHT-SINGING, STEP The

(i)

should learn the mental

class

me may be added.

(ii)

The

effect of

doh soh doh and afterwards the 1

The hand-signs should

learn to sing these notes in aotes

I (SOL-FA).

any

also

be taught, and the

class

order, the teacher either pointing to the

on the modulator or giving the hand-signs.

following or similar passages should be written on the blackboard and

sung slowly by the Example

class.

:

dmdsmdd'sd'smsdsd'smd'msd (iii)

One

Ear-tests.

syllable laa,

of the four notes should be

and the

This

STEP (ii)

is

and

called

The

doh.

the

a most useful exercise.

II (STAFF).

A short recapitulation of the first part of Step I. A large stave should be drawn on the blackboard, in

to

individual children, should then sing any one

class, or

of the other three asked for.

(i)

sung by the teacher

class

and middle C written

should then count the scale degrees on

the Tonic Sol-fa Modulator from doh to doh\ and then the lines and spaces

C

on the stave from middle found, and in the same

way

upwards.

the places of

The

place of doh* can thus be

me and

soh.

The

class

should

then (using the Sol-fa names) sing these notes in any order as the teacher points to (iii)

them on the

The following

or similar passages should be written on the blackboard

sung slowly by the

(iv) Ear-tests.

The

Staff Modulator.

class

:

teacher should sing very slowly a passage formed from these

notes, using the Sol-fa names, staff

notation in their

MS.

and the children must write them down in the

books.

Afterwards a similar passage should be

sung slowly to the syllable laa and taken down by the children. be found advisable to sing the doh between every two notes. 2

and

It will

2

Fifty Steps in Sight-singing.

STEP (i)

The

class

III (SOL-FA).

should learn the mental effect of ray and

te,

and should sing from

pointing on the modulator, as well as from hand-signs, passages introducing

Ray and

the six notes already learned. skip (ii)

(e.g., soli

ray, soh

The following

te,

me

or

te

first

he taken

by

te).

or similar passages introducing the

written on the blackboard, and sung slowly Example

should not at

by the

new

class

notes should be

:

:

drmsmrdsd'td'smrmsd'td'smrd (iii)

The following or similar down in their note-books. between each

test

(i)

mr

A short recapitulation of The

C

staff

of the

class to write

key must be played or sung

given twice.

ms

STEP IV (ii)

be given for the

:

dm

dr

The chord

and each

test,

Examples

ear-tests should

the

first

d't

sn&c.

(STAFF).

part of Step III.

modulator having been drawn on the blackboard and the chord of

written

in,

the places of

rat/

and

reference to the Sol-fa modulator.

te

may

easily be

When

found by the children by

found, these

may

be written on

the blackboard as small opaque notes to the right of the chord.

The to (iii)

class

should then sing the notes already learned as the teacher points

them.

The following

or similar passages should be written on the blackboard

and

sung slowly by the children.

4fe-^-^ (iv)

Ear-tests.

The chord

should sing to the syllable children should write

key having been sung or played the teacher laa any two of the notes already learned, and the

of the

them down

in the staff notation in their

MS.

books.

3

Fifty Steps in Sight-singing.

STEP V The

(i)

class

(SOL-FA).

should learn the mental effect of fall and

fa/i,

and should sing from

pointing on the modulator, as well as from hand-signs, passages introducing all

the notes of the octave.

Fah and

f

ml

skip (ii)

(e.g.,

r

f

The following

f

r

1

lah should not at first

d

Example

1

&o.).

or similar passages, introducing the

written on the blackboard, and sung slowly

the

by

The following

or similar ear-tests should be

down

Example s

f

A short recapitulation of Staff

the

sung

to the syllable laa (or

test,

and each

The chord test

of the

given twice.

:

n

f

si

STEP YI The

be

td'sfmrd

1

in their note-books.

key must be played or sung between each

(ii)

notes, should

:

played) for the class to write

(i)

new

class.

drmrmsfmrdd'tltd'slsfms (iii)

be taken by

1

first

d

1

t

&c.

(STAFF;.

part of Step Y.

Modulator having been drawn on the blackboard with the six may easily be found by the

notes already learned, the places of fah and lah children

by

reference to the Sol-fa Modulator.

When

found, these

may

be

written on the blackboard as small opaque notes to the right of the chord of C.

The

class

should then sing the notes already learned as the teacher points

to them. (iii)

The following

or similar passages should be written on the blackboard,

sung slowly by the children.

-f

c?-

and

4

Fifty Steps in Sight- singing

.

The chord of the key having been sung or played, the teacher should sing to the syllable laa any two of the notes already learned, and the children should write them down in the staff notation in their

(iv) Ear-tests.

MS.

books.

STEP YII (i)

(SOL-FA).

Practice on the modulator.*

Two -beat measure

(ii)

well-known tunes in

The following

(iii)

sung

first

ways doh :

Id

should be explained to the class, and examples of time sung, both teacher and class beating time.

this

or similar time tests should be written on the blackboard

and

time-namest and afterwards to the syllable doh or lah (in some better than lah, as it is an easier sound to articulate sharply

to the is

:

Id

:

:d

jld

Id

:d

Id

:

I

d

:d

Id

:d

Id

:

I]

Exercises 1,

(iv)

3, 4, 5, 6,

and 7

in the

"

Criterion Sight-reader

should be sung, with teacher and class beating time

" (Part I)

:

KEY

jld

(\s

:n

Is

:f

:f

Im

:r

II

:s

In

|d

:r

If

:m

Ir

:m

Id

:t,

Ir

:d

II,

:t,

Id

:m

Ir

:d

Ir

:n

Is

:r

It,

:s'|f

:1,

Is,

:

)

:r

Id

:

II

KEY F:f

jlm

:r

If

:m

||d

If

|r

:f

:n

In

:f

II

:f

In

:r

:

|m

:s

|s

j

:r

Id

:-

:m

if

:

:r

Id

:-

|f

XEY Eb. 1

jld

Jim

:s

im

:f

II

:f

Is

:d

:r

It,

:1

Id

|m

:s

If

:s

It

1

:d

Ir

:m

:s

Im

:f

If

|m

*Each lesson should now begin with a short practice on the Sol-fa or Staff Modulator, be gradually according to the notation in use at the lesson, when the more difficult intervals may mastered. tSee Appendix II.

Fifty Steps in Sight-singing.

KEY Cs

Id

:s

r

:n

1

:d

If |f

:1

|s

:f

|r

:m

In |m

:f

|f

:

Is

:d'

:d

s

Is

:s

Is

Id

:f

1

In

;d

:f

:

|r

:m

Id

:f

|n

:

II

|r

EET :n

:n

:r

|d

|n

:r

|d

|n

|s

:

|n

:

|d'

:1

Is

s

|

1

:f

|n

||s

:s

:

:s

|n

:f

In

:r

|d

:

:1

|s

:f

In

:f

|r

:

fd

II

KKY

:f

Id

:r

Ear-tests of

down by

:f

jn

|m

jln

(v)

:r

|d

:t,

two notes

Is

|

:m

|s

(as in

:

Is

:d

:n

|r

|d

:

II

the children in their note-books.

(i)

Practice on the modulator.

(ii)

\

\

|s

Step V) should be sung or played and written

STEP VIII and

:1

(STAFF).

time should be explained to the class and examples of well-known (simple duple) again sung, both teacher and class

tunes in this time

beating time, (iii)

The following sung

first

Z.J.

/I

or similar time-tests should be written on the blackboard, time-names* and afterwards to the syllable doh.

to the

l_f

and

6

Fifty Steps in Sight-singing.

The following

(iii)

or similar exercises should be written on the blackboard,

sung slowly by

Ear-tests

(iv)

of

the

and

class.

two notes should be taken down by the

class in the

staff

notation.

STEP IX (i)

(SOL-FA).

Practice on the modulator.

(ii)

A

simple piece of two -beat rhythm should be written on the blackboard,

and sung by the children Example,

:

Id

:

:

Id

:d

Id

:d

Id

:

Id

:d

:d

Id

Id

:d

:

||d

j

:d

Id

Id

:d

Id

:d

Id

:d

Id

:

Id

;

||d followed

by a passage

in tune only

Example :

dmsfmrrmf When

these

combined

have

been

:

fmd't

s

1

read

:!-:-

through

Isfrd

td's

1

a few times, they should

be

:

Example :

In

:

||d

i

Id

1

:t

II

:s

If

:m

:t

Id

1

As

If

:1

Is

:f

|r :f

:s

|1 (iii)

:m

:

|r

:

|m :

:

|m

Id

:

|r

j

: |

the children improve in writing the ear-tests correctly the difficulty

be increased, occasionally Example

tests of three notes

being given.

:

dmr

sis

d'tl

msf&c.

||

may

Fifty Steps in Sight-singing.

STEP

X

7

(STAFF).

Practice on the modulator.

(i)

(ii)

A simple by the

class first to

Example : >T

piece of f

rhythm should be written on the blackboard, and sung the time-names and afterwards to the syllable doh.

Fifty Steps in Sight- singing.

8 Example : m s

d

fe

s

s

fe

s

m

1

t

d

1

f

r

d

s

fe

s

ta

1

s

1

t

d

Exercises 26 to 32 in the

(iii)

KEY

jlm

:d,r|d

Mm

:r.m|f

:m

c?

i

,

S|f

c