Vocal Fundamentals

A group class for those beginning their singing journey combining vocal technique, music theory and reading skills and a lot of fun.

In this unique course, students will have the opportunity to work with two specialist tutors, developing fundamental skills in both vocal technique and music literacy in a fun and supportive environment. This will allow students to sing and perform with greater musical understanding. Whilst the class is held in a group context, each class will consist of tutorials in smaller groups with each tutor, before the entire group comes together at the end of class for ensemble singing. This provides the opportunity to apply the skills and concepts covered in the tutorials.

Students will learn to understand and apply the fundamentals of vocal technique, including:

• Warming-up

• Breathing

• Posture

• Resonance

• Diction (vowels and consonants)

• Vocal health

In addition they will learn to confidently navigate a vocal score by understanding and applying fundamental concepts in music notation and sight singing, including:

• Developing skills in reading and performing rhythms in both simple and compound time signatures, including syncopation

• Reading pitch in the treble and bass clef

• Understanding the concept of key and why it is important for singers to be able to decode key signatures using the cycle of fifths

• Developing an awareness of major, minor and modal tonalities

• Developing sight singing skills including interval and pattern recognition

• Making sense of vocal scores: decoding the dots!

In the ensemble session at the end of each class, students will have the opportunity to perform a variety of repertoire from unison singing and rounds through to 4-part harmony, encompassing a broad range of styles.