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first baptist church, zachary, la

Lions (1st - 6th Graders) will sing one of the songs they've learned during the 11 a.m. worship service on Sunday, March 7th.

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HOW TO TEACH YOUR CHILD TO SING IN TUNE
I believe that with the right encouragement and a few basic excercises done at home, kids can learn to sing in tune. Before kids learn to sing on pitch and in tune, they have to learn what it means to change pitch. The following two exercises can help them do just that!

1. "The Siren" - With this exercise, kids become aware that they can alternate pitch between the extreme high and low.

• Ask them to make the siren sound of a fire truck. Then, you match their siren sound at the approximate pitch, for no other reason than just to participate with them. After kids are comfortable doing this excercise, go to the next one.

2. "The Airplanes in Formation" This exercise teaches that two sounds whose pitchese are almost the same can create warbles, or as we say in music, "beats," much like the sound created by the engines of two airplances flying together. Since "The Siren" taught the kids how to physically change pitch to the extreme high and low, this exercise will demonstrate how to limit that extreme fluctuation in pitch. They are actually learning how to tune their note to some other note, which is the musician's "bread and butter!"

• Ask them to take a good breath and softly sing a note on 'la' and hold that pitch for about 6-8 seconds. (taking breaths as needed of course!) They are the "lead plane" in the group of two.
• You sing a note close to their pitch and say that you are the "chase plane."
• Raise and lower your pitch slightly so that it sounds like two planes flying in formation. The idea is that the pitch goes slightly higher, then right on, then slightly lower than the pitch they are singing.
• Now, switch; You are the "lead plane" and they are the "chase plane." You sing a note on 'la.' Ask them to 'sing around' your note, i.e. raising and lowering their pitch around your note the same way you did.

I will be demonstrating this in children's choir this week (March 10th), so come in and check it out. If you would like for me to give you a one-on-one demonstration, then give me a call and I will be glad to show you these, as well as other exercises, to teach kids how to sing in tune.

Serving IN Gladness,
John Johnson,

John Johnson (email John) Associate Pastor of Worship