ChoralEd: Avoiding Rote Teaching – Using Solfège to Introduce New Repertoire

Introducing music using a rote technique has its advantages in certain circumstances. However, possibly more impactful is connecting the sight-reading skills that are required in most state music standards with the learning of new performance repertoire. To begin, have students count the rhythm separately from the music. Concurrently with this step, students can begin to write the abbreviated solfège syllables in their music (solfège is used for the purposes of this blog but can also be implemented using numbers). Writing in solfège syllables aid students in the sight-reading process when the performance repertoire is more complex than the music they typically see during sight-reading. Step three combines the first two steps by chanting the solfège syllables in rhythm. (Advanced ensembles can usually begin the learning process here). Step four is often skipped but asks students to audiate their respective part. Finally, the students sing the music on solfège.

One of the great advantages of this process (compared to teaching by rote) is the ability to have students actively participate throughout the entire learning process. Rote inherently includes wasted time where the teacher must introduce the musical material separately to each voice part. When implementing this sight-reading method, if the teacher needs to work with an individual section, the rest of the class can always be doing something. For example, other sections can count rhythms, write in solfege, write in measure numbers, chant solfège, hum, audiate, or sing while the teacher focuses their attention on another voice part.

For a full discussion of this method watch ChoralEd, Episode 36 on YouTube.