How to Be a Church Choir Member

Church choir members must be able to match pitch with others.

Become a church choir member by developing the voice and talking to the music director about a possible audition. Most church choirs will gladly accept a new member if she can learn to sing the music quickly by ear and have a desire to learn how to read music. Singing in a church choir provides an outlet and a sense of belonging within the choir. Church choir members are instrumental in guiding the rest of the convocation in the singing of hymns.

Things You'll Need

• Hymn book
• Piano or keyboard

Instructions

Reading Music

1. Learn the names of the notes in the treble clef if you are a female voice, and the bass clef if you are a male voice. The notes change alphabetically from line to space. The first line of the treble clef is an E, while the first line of the bass clef is a G.

2. 

   The pianos black keys come grouped in sets of two and three.

   Identify the keys on the piano and how they correspond to pitch. The piano has double and triple sets of black keys. The white key to the left of the double set is a C. Each white key after C ascends alphabetically and starts over at A after reaching G. The black keys are sharps and flats. The double set note names are C-sharp/D-flat and D-sharp/E-flat. The triple set set note names are F-sharp/G-flat, G-sharp/A-flat and A-sharp/B-flat.

3. Memorize the most common note values in hymn music: the quarter, half and whole note. The quarter note holds for one beat, the half note for two and the whole note for four. A half note with a dot on the end holds for three beats.

4. Borrow a hymn book from the church. Begin to learn the hymns by finding each pitch on the piano or keyboard and playing. Match pitch with each note played and begin to memorize how each melody sounds. Make sure to look in the key signature for any sharps and flats. Rather than listing the sharps and flats on each note, key signatures are used.

5. Memorize four hymns that are commonly sung in your church. Once those hymns are memorized, you can approach the music director about singing in the choir. Memorize each hymn one phrase at a time. A phrase in church music is typically four bars, but you can also tell by the words. Commas or periods usually occur at the end of a phrase.

6. Talk to the music director and explain that you want to sing in the choir and ask if an audition is necessary. You may find that the director will take you on without any experience.

Professionalism

1. Arrive early to all rehearsals with your music already memorized. Memorizing your music is essential to ensure that you can follow the conductors directions.

2. Keep your choir robe or uniform clean and free of dirt and debris. Wearing a dirty robe is unprofessional and will make the choir look bad.

3. Avoid talking and interrupting the service when you are not singing. Remember to set an example of reverence for the rest of the church.

4. Actively recruit additional qualified singers and mentor members that need additional help singing the music.

Tips & Warnings

• Treble clef lines are spelled F, D, B, G and E. Spaces are spelled E, C, A and F from top to bottom.

• Bass clef lines are spelled A, F, D, B and G. Spaces are spelled G, E, C and A from top to bottom.

• The beat is determined by the conductor moving his arms. On the first beat, the conductor will move his arm straight down. When his arm hits the lowest point, he has conducted one beat.

• Pronounce words clearly. Without using a proper diction, your voice will not be heard.

• An accidental refers to when a natural, flat or sharp sign appears in the key signature. A flat sign looks like a lowercase b, the sharp looks like a pound sign and the natural looks like a slanted rectangle with a line extending from the top left and bottom right side.

• A key signature with a B-flat and an E-flat means that all Bs and Es in the piece are flat, unless a natural sign, flat or sharp is used to cancel the flat. In that case, the natural or accidental applies to the entire measure.

References

• Church Music: The Roles and Responsibilities of Choir Members