how do you hear choir parts?

[diverse379]

Hello everyone I have three choirs under me and usually when I teach parts I use a song from WOW gospel or some songbook I find

But now I want to branch out and teach songs that I like not just that I have the sheet music for

Sometimes the alto and tenor parts are very difficult to hear I almost always hear the soprano part and sometimes i guess what it is by plyaning three note voicings in my right hand to shadow the melody but sometimes when i go to teach what i think is the note it sounds not all that good

what do I do somebody out their help

[keysoflife06]

I posted a similar question a few days ago and I haven't heard from anyone yet either, but I will tell you what I know. The tenor and the soprano parts are usually the same just at different octaves. The alto part just keeps the melody or balances it out. I usually start by trying to use the 1 (tenor), 5 (alto), then 8 (soprano) ( same as the 1 just and octave higher) of whatever key the song is in. Just play the melody of the song using those notes as a starting point for each part and just tweek it from there.

Hope that helps,
Keysoflife06

[diverse379]

Keys for life
You know what when I first read your post I thought wow that was nice of him to try to help me out

but he does not know what he is talking about because sopranos always carry the melody.

Well I was wrong and that misconception is probably why it was so hared for me to figure out what some of the songs were doing

apparently many chours have the tenors voice the melody sometimes the alto and soprano are singing the same notes and the tenor is voiced a 6th degree under them

I was reading a book today and it explained this very same concept almost exactly what you explained so I aplologixe for thinking you didnt know what you were talking about

and thank you for reaching out to me

See aometimes a little knowledge can keep you ignorant

[kyrstal4christ]

Basicly when I'm at the keyboard I you can usually hear the highest note (soprano) and the lowest (tenor). The altos are always hard to find because they bring the melody.

[diverse379]

I dont know if I agree with that most songs that I have taught (from the Wow song books

And when I used to sing on the Choir
I found the altos very rarely carried he melody.

I also thought like you I used to always put the sopranos on the melody
but I have found that there are many songs
where the tenor carries the melody.and octave lower
and they will drop the alto to pick up the tenor note
and soprano will sing the alto part

If the music is written you simply invert the chord so that the sopranos are now singing the alto part and everything shifts

if thd chord was

GC E

with the E on top and sung by the sopranos

then you will re arrange the notes to be
EGC

Thank you for your input

[Saxman]

I don't know if anyone said this or not, but this is how I find the parts to songs.  Usually I listen to the more dominant part which most of the time it is the sopranos (which most of the time they carrry the melody, but not all the time).  Sometimes you can hear the tenor part as the most dominant; however, the altos are the hardest part to hear.  Usually if you have the soprano and the tenor part, you can figure out the alto.  The alto part makes up the third of the chord. 

Now, to say that a part carries the melody all the time is not correct.  It depends on the song or writer to where he or she wants to carry the melody.  In some cases the tenor carries the melody.

Hope this helps!

Saxman

http://members3.boardhost.com/SAXMAN111/

[diverse379]

yes that helped a great deal because the concept of playing the soprano or the tenor part and figuring them out first it is easier to build the alto parts in they like you said will usually ffill in the triad and sometimes go to a tenison note like 9 or sus or seventh

but not usually so that is good advice dont worry too much about the alto just get the tenor and soprano in hand

great advice

sax players know a lot more then I use to give credit for you guys have to know just as much about chords as we keyboard players do you just play the chords in a l;inear way

[Saxman]

Yes.  I play keyboards.  I can play piano and organ.   It sure does help to know the keyboard.


http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-Saxman

[bishopcole]

Yes.  I play keyboards.  I can play piano and organ.   It sure does help to know the keyboard.


http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-Saxman

 Hey saxman, what part of cajun country are you from? I am from Baton rouge La.    Bishop Cole