HOW TO EFFECTIVELY WRITE PARTS FOR A CHOIR AS A DIRECTOR IN A CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL CHURCH
-First of all you must be musically inclined knowing every form of music aspects etc.
-Consider the type of contemporary gospel whether gospel reggae, gospel funk, worship or praise, gospel highlife etc.
-You need to know how to play the keyboard/piano to aid you in getting the right melody and the voice parts accurately.
-Have a good knowledge about harmony and voice parts i.e. S- Soprano A-Alto, T-Tenor B-Bass
-Knowledge about instrumentation parts including brass, woodwind etc and how to transcribe them in the right key for your band to play.
-Knowledge about modulation and their types including their techniques i.e. minor 3rd modulation, tone modulation, whole tone modulation, fourth modulation etc.
-Identification of melody since it will guide you to divide the various parts for the voices.
-Knowledge of new voice parts arrangements ie swap techniques and others.
*Regular voice approach
S- Soprano
A-Alto
T-Tenor
B-Bass
MODERN VOICE APPROACH
S-Soprano
A-Alto
T-Tenor
Swap technique
T- Tenor
A-Alto
S-Soprano or even
S-1st Soprano [S SA]
S-2nd Soprano A-Alto (this approach normally occurs when you have an environment where there are female individuals without anyone having the kind of male voice in the group .It can also be applied in today’s contemporary gospel)
T- 1st Tenor T-2nd Tenor B- Bass (T T B)
This approach can be applied in an environment where there are male individuals who lack the capacity to sing the female voice. It can also be applied in today’s contemporary gospel.
Unison –where singers share the same notes.
Mainline /Melody – the main idea of the composition or work.
Counterpoint –the process where various voices sing a particular phrase in a melody similar to unison where they sing notes interchangeably having a rhythmic flow.
ITEMS FOR TRANSCRIPTION
Pencil, pen earpiece /headphone, eraser, a ruler, files/ folders, laptop/personal computer with Microsoft word and a PDF reader (Adobe Reader precisely)
USES
Pencil for doing the preliminary transcription
Pen – for doing the final transcription
Files –for keeping or storing transcribed works or musical pieces
Laptop – for transcribing the final work into a format readily available for choristers to learn songs on their phones or any format.
Earphone/headphone – for listening
TRANSCRIPTION
The art of converting a piece of music into sol-fa work or sol-fa work to notes for chorister’s depending on the level of choristers you meet.
*Before you start putting the song for transcription start with prayer and then end with a prayer
*Get a nice booklet /notebook solely for voice transcriptions
*Write the title of the song including:
-The time (Time Signature)
-The Key Signature
-The Composer/Artiste
*Get the right lyrics for the songs
-Indicate in your notebook the ff:
*Where the leader comes in
*Unison parts
*Harmony parts (TAS, SAT, SSA, etc.)
*Write the lyrics including the parts. This should be done in a meticulous approach in your notebook.
*Transfer the work unto your laptop in Microsoft word and convert into Adobe Reader for easy sharing to aid your choristers learn their voice parts in their spare time etc.
* Print the transcribed work have your own work and then give your choristers a copy so that they will insert into their folders or files.
*Share the work via by email, whatsapp, telegram, or any social media to help your singers the song before coming for rehearsal and also to help them have their own personal copy.
NB; Make sure you get a second individual to check if maybe you are on point in your transcription or maybe you left a portion out and also this gives you experience in working with perfection. Also the above steps can be achieved well when one listens well in a meticulous approach.
Finally as a director you pray to God for helping you do the transcription since he is the one who granted you strength and knowledge.
By: Constantine (A.K .A. Mr Piano Keys)
