Tom Harvey Baritone

Free Singing Lessons

 What about people who really like to sing but don’t have the money for private lessons?  Is there a place where they can get some free singing lessons? The answer is “Yes”! You have come to the right place if that person is you.

Online vocal training

Online vocal training is not the same as having a private training session with a teacher.  For one thing, a private teaching lesson will cost from $25 to $125 an hour. However, in online singing lessons for beginners, we seek to lay the foundation for good singing techniques.

The exercises and vocalese that we layout for you are foundational and are used for almost all beginning singers.

Are the free singing lessons really free?

The answer is “Yes.  The lessons are really free.”  We provide everything that you will need to be able to learn and practice your singing.

Included are rudimentary lessons in how to read music.  We also include different ranges for each exercise so that you can use the one that fits your voice.  Each exercise will have an MP3 so that you can play the accompaniment as you practice the vocalese.  

One of the difficult things I experienced in my training was having to accompany my own vocalese. It is hard to concentrate on playing the piano and singing correctly.  We have solved that problem for you. Not all singers can play the piano, so the MP3s are especially helpful for them.

What will you need?

The most important thing you will need is a desire to sing.  Along with that, you will need a computer and a connection to the internet.  I assume, since you are reading this, that you have these things already.

In addition, you will probably need a place that is somewhat private.  People like to make fun of us singers when we vocalize. Those who are not serious about improving their singing usually do not see the purpose of vocalizing.  

It would be good to have a notebook in which to make notes as you work your lessons.  You can note particular problems that you may encounter. Feel free to write down your questions and email me to get answers.  

Lesson Number One

Learning to read music

In learning to read music we must understand the symbols.  Here are some of the musical notations we shall use.

This is a staff.

The staff is composed of 5 lines and 4 spaces.  Notes can be located on a line or space.

 

This is a Treble Clef sign

This is a Bass Clef sign

The Piano or Grand Staff

 

Notations

The staffs, or staves, are platforms which inform us of the pitches that we shall be singing.  The notations are located on the staves and define for us the exact pitch and length of the pitch.

 

Following are examples of the notations used in music.

The whole note

The half note

The quarter note

 

The eighth note

Just for a general understanding of notation, let us share this.  If the “Whole note” has a given value we would expect the “half note” to have half that value.  As we step down each succeeding note would have half the value of the preceding note.

Proceeding from the least note, the eighth note, to the quarter note, the value doubles, and so forth.

These are just the basic notes.  There are more variations, but these are the foundational notations on which others are built.

Pitches

Pitch is the term we use to denote how high or how low the relative sound is.  By high or low we are referring to the number of vibrations per second. A high pitch would be a shrill whistle.  In contrast, a low pitch would be a rumble or a roar. Of course, there are an infinite number of pitches in between those definitions.

So how do we define the pitches in music?  Let’s begin with a staff.

In looking at the staff, where do you think the notation for a high pitch would be located?  If you say the top line or top space, you are correct.

In contrast, lower pitches would be located on the lower lines or in the lower spaces.  Let us mention here that notes can be located above or below the staff, also. See the example below.

When we speak of higher and lower pitches in music we are usually speaking relatively.  In other words, one pitch is higher in relation to the preceding pitch. Or it is lower in relation to a preceding pitch.

The following is an ascending in pitch example.

This is an example of descending in pitch.

Time signature

To understand the time signature we must introduce the “measure”.   This is what a measure looks like.

A measure is the space between two vertical lines on the staff.  It will become a little clearer to its purpose as we look at the time signature further.

It is time to introduce our number friend called the time signature.  This is a time signature.

The 4 over the 4 denotes information necessary in defining the value of the notes involved.  The upper number tells us how many beats are in a measure. The lower number tells us what kind of note gets one beat.  In this case, there are (4) four beats in a measure, and the quarter note(4) gets one beat.

The following are some common time signatures.  Can you guess what the stand for?

1   

2

3

4

Here are the correct answers.

1-  2 beats to the measure, quarter note gets one beat

2-  3 beats to the measure, quarter note gets one beat

3-  3 beats to the measure, eighth note gets one beat

4-  6 beats to the measure, eighth note gets one beat

How did you do?

Recap

This is just the beginning of a wonderful adventure.  Learning to sing and sing well will be something that you will enjoy for the rest of your life.  It is an ability that will last for eternity. It is an activity that those who know the Lord Jesus will continue forever.

So, let us begin and with patience run the race of learning to sing.  Though these are free singing lessons they are founded on the solid principles of good vocal pedagogy.

I look forward to working with you and helping you to achieve your goals in singing.

Please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below.  If you would rather, you can email me at tomharveybaritone@gmail.com.

Check out the other sections on our menu and listen to some of our recordings.  You are free to download them or copy them. 

Why not begin your free singing lessons today?

I look forward to hearing from you.

God bless you!

 

 

Tags: improve singing, Strengthen my voice, Vocal training