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Sight Singing Final Elements -- Tips for Success

Review the material on context-based solfege from Units 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, and 14.
Using the recommended solfege from these chapters, make sure you have a method for every one of the simple intervals, both in ascending and descending motion. Struggling? Find a way to navigate between pitches using a scale or a chord.

There are two methods for singing the diatonic modes. Use the one that is most successful for you:

Start on do, e.g. the Lydian scale would be do-re-mi-fi-sol-la-ti-do.
Start on the relevant degree of the major scale, e.g. the Lydian scale would be fa-sol-la-ti-do-re-mi-fa.

Prepare as we did in the Unit 28 audit using small segments in pitch-class sets to internalize the patterns of whole and half steps.

For best results, use this three-step method:

Say the solfege: Fa-le-ra. Memorize this for instant recall.
Using the do you have been given, find fa by whatever reliable means you have practiced.
Now, sing fa-le-ra. This is simply a major 6/3 triad: the solfege appears complicated because the Neapolitan chord has accidentals in it, but the chord itself is not hard to sing.

Say the solfege (memorize it for instant recall!):

Now find le:

Using the do you have been given, find le by whatever reliable means you have practiced. Practice finding “le” in many keys before you start practicing augmented sixth chords, because this makes this exercise drastically easier.

Build your chord:

If you are asked to build an Italian sixth chord but know you have trouble navigating up to fi, imagine a German sixth (le-do-me-fi) first. Simply remove me and sing le-do-fi.
Remember that the French sixth is built upon a whole-tone scalar collection, which is what gives it its dissonant tone quality.
Many people find it instructive to think of the German sixth as identical in pitch classes (though not in spelling or function) to the Mm7 chord. We are all very familiar with singing “sol-ti-re-fa,” but “le-do-re-fi” has the same pitch classes in terms of intervallic relations.

Refer to previous audit warm-ups for practice.

Remember that a whole step is signified by adding 2, and a half step by adding 1. Therefore, the 0245 tetrachord will require you to sing a whole step, a whole step, and a half step… just like do-re-mi-fa, or a tetrachord straight out of the major scale! If you memorize this, it will be easy to find trichords and tetrachords quickly.
Memorize the patterns of numbers in other common tetrachords and the scale they correspond to: 0235 (WH octatonic or minor scale), 0134 (HW octatonic), 0246 (whole tone), 0123 (chromatic), etc. Always find relatable correspondences that work for you.

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