Sight-Singing Magic

Watch this short video to learn more about this sight-singing series and its creator, Paul Kimball!

Welcome to Sight-Singing Magic!!!

When people sight-sing a melody, they are using the beauty of internalized intervals and rhythms to sound out a musical line. With no instrument to follow, they rely on mindful, musical exploration as they figure out how a melody sounds.

It truly is magic!!!!

The Kodaly Method focuses on quality music taught to children from an early age. The pentatonic scale is naturally in the human brain due to its prominence in the middle of the harmonic series. Songs like "Rain Rain Go Away," "Star Light Star Bright," and "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" are easy to sing and fill children with beauty. Intervals like So-Mi are naturally extracted from these songs and make sight-singing possible.

"Sight–Singing Magic" provides a sequenced set of melodies beginning with the simplest So-Mi/ta ti-ti exercises. The complexity builds as they follow the sequence of patterns, intervals, and rhythms. They work their way through the full pentatonic scale, advancing rhythms, moveable Do, diatonic melodies, letter names, and the beginning of key signatures. Expression marks complete the exercises and make them more musical!

To go through all of the book purposely takes years, and is a gateway to extended musical literacy. I suggest that as you teach, you constantly review so that there is an ease and joy to the process. Children will love the illustrations, the names of the sections, and individual pieces.

I have used these with thousands of children for years in classroom music and choir. They work for people of any age, including inquisitive adults! I am so happy to share them with the wondrous world of music education.

Enjoy the exploration!!

-Paul Kimball