Tips, Tricks, and Tools Every Singing Teacher Needs To Know About Playing For

Are you a singing teacher looking to enhance your students' vocal sessions? Playing an instrument while teaching singing can be a valuable tool in helping students improve their pitch, timing, and overall musicality. In this article, we will explore some essential tips, tricks, and tools that every singing teacher should know about when it comes to playing an instrument for their students.

The Importance of Playing for Singing Lessons

Integrating instrumental accompaniment is a powerful teaching technique that can greatly benefit students. When a singing teacher plays an instrument during lessons, they provide a solid musical foundation for their student's vocals, allowing them to focus on their technique and expression. It also helps students develop their musical ear and sense of rhythm, preparing them for solo performances and collaborations with other musicians.

Choosing the Right Instrument for Your Voice Studio

When deciding on the instrument to use in your voice studio, consider the needs of your students and the type of music they engage with most. While piano and guitar are common choices, many other instruments can complement vocal training. The choice should depend on your expertise and comfort level with the instrument as well.

How to accompany your singing students: Tips, tricks and tools every singing teacher needs to know about playing for lessons even if you're a terrible pianist (How to [music] Book 2)

by Jeremy Fisher(Kindle Edition)

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2737 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	73 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

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For example, if your students are more inclined towards jazz or contemporary music, a keyboard or electric piano might be a suitable choice. On the other hand, if you teach classical music, a classical guitar or harp can add a unique touch to your vocal sessions. Clarifying your teaching style and genre preferences will help you make an informed decision.

Developing Your Instrumental Skills

Once you have chosen the instrument for your voice studio, it's crucial to invest time in developing your instrumental skills. While you don't have to become a virtuoso, having basic proficiency allows you to effectively accompany your students and guide them through various exercises and vocal warm-ups.

Consider taking lessons or attending workshops specific to your chosen instrument. Regular practice and familiarization with different chord progressions, scales, and accompaniment patterns will make your role as a singing teacher more effective and enjoyable.

Using Technology to Enhance Your Instrumental Accompaniment

Thanks to technological advancements, there are numerous tools available that can take your instrumental accompaniment to the next level. Here are a few of them:

• Backing Tracks: Using pre-recorded backing tracks can provide a professional sound during lessons. These tracks come in various genres and are tailored to specific vocal exercises and songs, allowing your students to feel like they are performing with a full band.
• Loop Pedals: Loop pedals are an excellent tool for creating layered backing tracks on the spot. With a loop pedal, you can record different instrument parts and loops, allowing you to play multiple musical elements simultaneously while teaching or coaching.
• Music Production Software: Tools like GarageBand or Logic Pro enable you to create your own custom accompaniment or backing tracks. You can experiment with different instrument sounds, tempos, and arrangements, giving your students a unique musical experience.
• Online Resources: There are numerous websites and apps that provide free or affordable instrumental accompaniment options. From karaoke versions of popular songs to interactive practice tools, these resources can diversify your teaching repertoire.

Enhancing Your Teaching with Instrumental Techniques

Now that you have the tools and skills, it's time to incorporate instrumental techniques into your vocal lessons. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Using Chords and Arpeggios: Play simple chord progressions or arpeggios on your chosen instrument to provide a harmonic foundation for your students to sing along with. This technique helps students develop their pitch accuracy and ear training.
• Creating Melodic Exercises: Compose short melodic phrases or vocalises that target specific vocal techniques such as breath control, legato, or agility. Playing these exercises on your instrument improves students' musicality and helps them internalize these techniques.
• Improvisation Sessions: Encourage your students to improvise melodies or scat sing while you create a musical background on your instrument. This allows them to explore their creativity, develop their musical ear, and gain confidence in their improvisational skills.
• Collaborating on Songwriting: Use your instrumental skills to collaborate with students on songwriting projects. You can help them shape melodies, create chord progressions, and provide musical guidance, resulting in unique and personal compositions.

Playing an instrument while teaching singing offers a multitude of benefits for both teachers and students. It enhances the learning experience, improves musicality, and enables collaboration between the teacher and student. By choosing the right instrument, developing your instrumental skills, and utilizing technology, you can elevate your vocal sessions to new heights. So why not explore the world of instrumental accompaniment and expand your teaching toolkit today?

How to accompany your singing students: Tips, tricks and tools every singing teacher needs to know about playing for lessons even if you're a terrible pianist (How to [music] Book 2)

by Jeremy Fisher(Kindle Edition)

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2737 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	73 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE

One challenge that faces singing teachers is playing for your students. How do you support your singing students in the best way if you’re not really a trained pianist?
And even if you are a trained pianist and good sightreader, how do you play for the students who sing contemporary commercial music, pop or rock songs when the printed music bears no resemblance to the way it’s played by the band? How do you translate those scores onto the piano?

If you want to feel more confident in your lessons, support your student without losing your focus as a teacher, and even learn some of the piano tricks that the great accompanists use... then this ebook is for you.

How To Accompany Your Singing Students is a guide to help you to use the instrument to provide accompaniment and learning support for the singers in your teaching studio, whatever your level of experience. Even if you're a terrible pianist.

In this Amazon Kindle exclusive ebook, expert teachers Anne Leatherland and Jeremy Fisher cover how to support your students when they're singing exercises or songs.

As a special bonus, we'll also reveal how piano 'noodling' can help you play thousands of pop songs easily.

Here's just a sample of the answers, hints and tips Anne Leatherland and Jeremy Fisher share:

What a singing teacher needs
Should I take piano lessons?
What to focus on if you're not a great pianist
What to play and what to leave out
What your student actually needs from you
What sequence you can use to teach my student melody and rhythm
Finding the most-used chords
Getting the Groove
Piano noodling
Four different patterns you can use to accompany thousands of pop songs
To play or not to play the melody
Advice on playing the piano for aural skills and sight reading
Accompanying vocal exercises
Techie stuff - the pros and cons of a digital pianos, backing tracks, midi files and apps, and how to use them efficiently
Resources section including the most useful apps, backing track sites, contemporary Musical Theatre sites and further reading

Anne Leatherland is a Vocal Process Accredited Associate Trainer, a finalist in the Van Lawrence prize for vocal research, and a singing teacher with more than 20 years experience teaching different music genres including MT, pop, folk and contemporary commercial music. Her training and experience as a school science teacher enables her to break down the problems and offer solutions that work. Anne is experienced at teaching both individual singers and larger groups of all ages.
But she started as a singing teacher with little experience of piano lessons. She learned from bitter experience how to provide the most appropriate support for her students using a combination of piano techniques, music reading and 'busking'. And some coaching from Jeremy! She's taken the journey from terrified pianist to competent pianist with her students. Anne has also written reports and articles for Vocal Process on the use of apps in the vocal studio, so is highly qualified to write about the careful use of webresources, apps and backing tracks.

Jeremy Fisher is a national prize-winning pianist, musical director, opera repetiteur and author of many books on vocal and performance techniques. He studied classical music at conservatoire level (which he thought was everything he needed at the time). But working in musical theatre, coaching actors who couldn't read music, and playing in pit bands was a rude awakening. Playing keyboards to a drum kit's tight rhythm is very different to the rubato of classical solo or orchestral piano. And the written notes in a printed pop song don't match what the band play on the original recording. Having discovered how to give the "feel" of the song without playing what was written, Jeremy now performs in many different genres including classical, operatic, musical theatre, pop, folk, rock and jazz.