> > I agree--but you don't have to master the piano to be able to do this! > > If you can sight sing well (a far more important skill for a singer than > piano) then you don't need to waste time having someone pound notes for you.
Actually, I must disagree here, sorry. I have perfect pitch and can sighread most anything, however, I still do not like to sight read a new piece in my repertoire. For me, I think it is better vocally to get the song in my ears first by playing it on the piano, along with the chordal harmonies in the piano part/reduction. This does two things - first of all, it saves on vocal energy. Playing piano is something I can do for 5 hours a day, singing isn't. If i have to use my voice every time I want to learn new music (and i learn lots of new music) then this will eat up on time I could be spending on technique (which a lot of us lately seem to agree is important) and polishing other pieces. The other thing that happens is that I get it in my ear and hear the harmonies, and I'll memorize the piece faster on the long run. I guess the other thing too is that I tend to do a lot of music w/ lots of coloratura in it - and I still find it beneficial to hear the melismas before singing them, and this reduces any chances of vocal tension that may evolve from sight singing. A lot of singers also view sight singing as a bit of a difficult chore, and it can be quite vocally damaging to get all tense and try to read at the same time. this is not to say a few minutes each day should not be spent learning to become a better reader - always, always, it is good to be able to sightread, and there are many gigs (choirs included) where if you can read most things, you can make quite good pay!
> If you can't sight sing, another approach is to have a coach record the song, > aria, whatever in what I call "loudfinger"--sketching in the accompaniment > but primarily playing the vocal line--and use the tape to master the notes.
I think if i couldn't play the piano, this would be the way to go for learning my music rather than sighreading. Sure it might cost a little, but if it is a good coach who is accurate and understands what the singer needs to hear in the accompaniment, then it works.
> I never said that playing the piano is not a valuable skill, quite the > contrary. But if time and money are limited, as they are in my case, I > believe that it's a much better investment to become a good reader (shouldn't > take as long, either!)
I have to agree with Judy - it does take some dedication to learn to play the piano. However, I think it is also hard to learn to sight sing too, for some people! So it does depend. Also - it doesn't take thousands of private lessons to play the kind of piano most singers are wanting to attain. A few lessons (to motivate!?) to set you on the right track, and a lesson or so every once in a while to learn the ropes might just do it, for those on a limited budget. One might also be able to trade singing lessons for piano lessons w/ another pianist - just an idea!
Fiona
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