The Use of Targeted Pitch Skills for Sight-Singing Instruction in the Choral Rehearsal

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of sight-singing instruction using specific pitch skills emphasizing scale degree and harmonic function. Fifteen pitch skills encompassing scalar, cadential, and chordal tasks were included in the study. Over a 12-week period, two randomly assigned groups of novice high school singers received instruction. Group A (n = 41) received instruction with new melodies written specifically to incorporate the targeted skills. Group B (n = 26) received instruction using familiar melodies that contained the same skills. All participants (n = 67) achieved a significantly higher mean score on the posttest than on the pretest (t = 4.38, 66 df, p < .00004). Each treatment group also obtained significantly higher mean scores on the posttest than on the pretest; however, there was no significant difference between the two treatments. Targeting specific pitch skills in both familiar and unfamiliar melodies shows promise as an effective tool for sight-singing instruction.

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