Taking a “Sing First, Talk Later” approach, The Singing Book gets students singing from the very first day. Combining a simple introduction to basic vocal technique with confidence-building exercises and imaginative repertoire—with 30 new songs—The Singing Book teaches beginners the vocal skills they need to get started, gives them exciting music to sing, and provides the tools they need to develop the voice and keep it healthy. A new recordings disc included free with every new book provides the melodies and accompaniments for all 78 songs for practice and performance. CONTENT Welcome Preface Introduction: Getting Started Part One: The First Steps to Singing Easily Chapter One: Healthy Singing Chapter Two: Preparing to Sing Chapter Three: Selecting Music to Sing Chapter Four: Learning Music Efficiently Chapter Five: Practice Habits Chapter Six: Performing Part Two: Improvisations and Songs Improvisation Ballad (Major Key) Swingin' in Minor Blues Circle of Friends Rock It! Dance Your Dream Come True Traditional Songs, World Songs, and Rounds My Country 'Tis of Thee (America) Banana Boat Song (Day-O) (Jamaica) Let Us Sing Together (Czech Republic) I Am Athirst (England) Babylon (America) Dona nobis pacem (Latin) Kyrie eleison (Latin) Alleluia (Israel) O le le la (Africa) Cherokee Morning Song (America) Four Partner Songs (England) Ah, Poor Bird Farewell, My Friend Hey, Ho! Nobody Home The Wind in the Willows Three Alleluia Rounds Shenandoah (America) The House of the Rising Sun (America) Scarborough Fair (England) Danny Boy (Ireland/England) The Water Is Wide (England) Salley Gardens (Ireland) Western Wind (England) Red Is the Rose (Ireland) Flor, blanca flor (Mexico) Niño precioso (Nicaragua) Santa Lucia (Italy) L'hirondelle messagère (French Canadian) Der Mai ist gekommen (Germany) Edo no Komoriuta (Japan) Arirang (Korea) Amazing Grace (America) Wayfaring Stranger (America) My Lord, What a Mornin'! (America) Hine ma tov (Israel) I've Got Peace Like a River (America) How Can I Keep from Singing? (America) America the Beautiful (America) The Star-Spangled Banner (America) O Canada! (Canada) Popular Songs There's a Fine, Fine Line, from Avenue Q (Lopez/Marx) Someone Like You, from Jekyll & Hyde (Bricusse/Wildhorn) Goodnight, My Someone, from The Music Man (Willson) Not While I'm Around, from Sweeney Todd (Sondheim) Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin', from Oklahoma! (Rodgers/Hammerstein) I Got the Sun in the Morning, from Annie Get Your Gun (Berlin) Over the Rainbow, from The Wizard of Oz (Harburg/Arlen) Sing!, from Sesame Street (Raposo) Somewhere Out There (duet), from An American Tail (Horner/Mann/Weil) I Sing for You, from Camp (Gore/Ahrens) Fields of Gold (Sting) Puttin' on the Ritz (Berlin) Blue Skies, from Betsy (Berlin) When I Fall in Love (Heyman/Young) Skylark (Mercer/Carmichael) Side by Side (optional duet) (Kahn/Woods) Art Songs and Arias Come Again, Sweet Love (Dowland 1563–1626) Donzelle, fuggite (Cavalli 1602–1676) Star vicino (Anonymous, c. 1600) Caro mio ben (Giordani 1730–1806) Panis angelicus (optional duet) (Franck 1822–1890) Wiegenlied (Schubert 1797–1828) Adieu (Fauré 1845–1924) La paloma blanca (arr. Kilenyi 1910–2000) When Love Is Kind (Moore 1893–1969) I Cannot Sing To-Night (Foster 1826–1864) El majo timido (Granados 1867–1916) Evening Prayer (duet), from Hansel and Gretel (Humperdinck 1854–1921) Summertime, from Porgy and Bess (Gershwin 1898–1937) Come Ready and See Me (Hundley b. 1931) Part Three: How the Voice Works Chapter Seven: Muscles and Physical Balance Chapter Eight: Breathing Chapter Nine: Making Sound Chapter Ten: Voice Quality and Resonance Chapter Eleven: Articulation and Expression Chapter Twelve: Maintaining a Healthy Voice Epilogue Appendix A: What's Your Singing IQ? Appendix B: Worksheet for Preparing the Text of Your Song Appendix C: More Vocal Exercises: Warming Up—and Down Appendix D: Introduction to IPA: Pronunciation of Vowels and Consonants Appendix E: Making Sense of a Music Manuscript Appendix F: Interactive Class Voice for Teachers Further Reading and Print Resources Some Recommended Websites Index Recordings to Accompany The Singing Book BONUS SONGS Over 30 Bonus Songs are available as PDF and MP3 files on under For Instructors. Improvisations, Traditional Songs, World Songs, and Rounds Ah, Poor Bird/Shalom (duet) Ah! Si mon moine voulait danser! (Canada) Civil War Medley (America) Dance of Youth (China) Dubinushka (Russia) Ego sum pauper (Latin) Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit (America) The Frog in the Bog (Canada) Gaudeamus igitur (Germany) The Lark in the Clear Air (Ireland) Mi caballo blanco (Chile) Music Alone Shall Live (Germany) Paun I Kolo (Bosnia) Shalom, chaverim (Israel) Suo-gân (Wales) There's Music in the Air (America) Art Songs and Arias The Angler's Song (duet) (Lawes 1596–1662) Auf Flügeln des Gesanges (Mendelssohn 1809–1847) Bitte (Franz 1815–1892) Gentle Annie (Foster 1826–1864) He Shall Feed His Flock (Handel 1685–1759) Ich liebe dich (Beethoven 1770–1827) Ici-bas (Fauré 1845–1924) If You've Only Got a Moustache (Foster 1826–1864) Lungi (Tosti 1846–1916) Modern Major-General (solo/chorus), from The Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert & Sullivan) Oh, better far to live and die (Pirate King's Song), from The Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert & Sullivan) Ombra mai fù (low key), from Serse (Handel 1685–1759) Ombra mai fù (high key) O Mistress Mine, from Twelfth Night (Stanford 1852–1924) Selve amiche, ombrose piante (Caldara 1670–1736) The sun, whose rays are all ablaze, from The Mikado (Gilbert & Sullivan)