Instructions/Tips for Home Practice

Instructions and Tips for Home Practice

Tip #1: Schedule your practice sessions on consistent days/times each week.

  • Home practice assignments will be posted in Canvas every Wednesday evening.
  • Recommended practice schedule is Thurs/Fri/Sun/Mon.

Tip #2: Know the amount of practice required for your choir level.

  • Debut Prep: As directed (check Canvas for assigned practice)
  • Debut: 15 minute practice sessions 4x per week (total of 1 hour per week).
  • Encore: 20 minute practice sessions 4x per week (total of 80 minutes per week).
  • Advanced Ensemble: 30 minute practice sessions 4x per week (total of 2 hours per week).

Tip #3: Ensure younger singers have support during their practice sessions.

Debut, Debut Prep, and younger/beginner Encore singers need an adult present when practicing at home. Some basic responsibilities of this adult include:

  • Help the singer log into their Canvas account and open the current week’s post.
  • Ensure the singer properly warms up their voice.
  • Help the singer read the solfege in their sheet music and use solfege hand signs while practicing.
  • Help the singer count rhythm if needed.
  • Remind the singer to stand tall and use proper breath techniques.
  • Help the singer project their voice by sitting across the room and having them sing to you.
  • Help the singer practice choreography as needed.

Tip #4: Take home practice seriously! Your choir friends are depending on you to come to rehearsal prepared. Follow these steps to make the most of your home practice sessions:

1. Begin by opening your classroom in Canvas and having your choir binder in hand.

2. Stand tall, in choir stance (feet together, knees loose, hands behind back.)

3. Choose a mid-range note for “do” and sing the solfege scale (“do-re-mi” etc) a few times, using the hand signs.

  • Use some of the solfege practice videos if needed.
  • Encore and Advanced Ensemble singers should also warm up with the Tendency Drill.

4. Work on the week’s home practice as assigned. Use the audio and video tracks in Canvas as directed.

5. Sing through each assigned piece at least 3 times. Note the meanings of the following instructions:

  • Count Rhythm means to use the sheet music and count the notes as singers do in rehearsal. To do this, note the time signature, and count the beat by tapping or clapping.
  • Practice on Solfege means to sing JUST the solfege (do-re-mi, etc), NOT the words. Learning solfege is an important part of training the singer’s ear. Solfege should be thoroughly memorized on a song before adding words.
  • Memorize on Solfege means the singer should be able to sing the entire song on solfege from memory before that week’s rehearsal.
  • Practice on Words means to practice singing the words to the song. This should be done only after the singer is confident on the solfege.
  • Memorize on Words is the final step – this means the song should be completely memorized on words before that week’s rehearsal.

Here are some videos to use for solfege practice and warmup:

Singers are encouraged to use some of these familiar warmups from rehearsal:

solfege-hand-signs-1Download
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