Customer Reviews

Basics of Singing

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I used this book during my second year of college Concert Choirand during my first voice class. "Basics of Singing" by Jan Schmidt was our textbook.

It is an excellent book for students who are just beginning with voice - or any singing class, and for those who are advanced students. When I first wrote this review, I had only been in voice for half a semester. I could read and understand music prior to the class, as I love to play piano and have for years, but this book has helped me improve in that, as well as in rhythm - counting beats for measures. All around it is a musicians treasure trove of good suggestions. I believe using this text has been absolutley wonderful in helping me develop my voice, posture, vibrato. But, the thing you also must keep in mind, is I truly believe you must have a good teacher as well as a good textbook, and that I have been blessed with as well.

I still have my copy and refer to it to this day.

If you are looking to begin voice, or you're an advanced student looking for a refresher course, Schmidt's book is the key.

I think "A Reader" from California is well off the track on his/her review. You can't get good technique out of a book. You need a "second pair of ears" (in other words, a competent teacher) to help you sing properly. I have been using this book for a while in my voice classes. I find that there are many songs in this book which are accessible to the beginning singer, especially those who don't read music. There are also some songs which are accesible to intermediate singers, both classical and pop. I think this book has a good mix of both genres. What this book lacks in music reading, I supplement with another book for music reading for the beginning singer. The academic chapters of this book I believe are meant as concept teaching tools. You really want to learn to sing and perform well? Cough up the money for a good private teacher and LEARN TO READ by taking a music fundamentals class at your local community college. Books cannot tell you where your individual faults lie and they cannot tell you how to fix them, because each individual is just that, an individual and the myriad of causes for a bad sound can only be diagnosed by a competent teacher/technician.

as a voice student, my teacher has been teaching me from this book for some time now. There is, of course, no substitute for her instruction, but this is a very helpful anthology of pieces that cover many vocal skills which she is teaching me. I have found it enjoyable to work with the pieces collected in this book, and I have also seen huge improvement in my abilities since we began working from this book.

This book was recommended by my child's Voice Teacher but we had postponed purchasing it because it is priced as a college textbook. We saved at least $20 purchasing it through Amazon--great deal. Her teacher likes it because it has a little of everything (warm-up guidelines, music technique, songs for low and high voices, and a wide range of musical styles (folk, classic, show...) Overall, a nice book. I gave it 4 stars because I still think it is priced a little too high.

The Basics of Singing is pretty good book, with some interesting selection and a broad variety of styles, but I really don't understand why it's so darned expensive - even the used ones! The information in the beginning of the book is a good beginning, but very basic. I think the strongest part of this book is the wide variety of selections, though they are almost entirely english.

Don't buy this book if you are expecting to receive the 2cd accompaniment that it specifically states it comes with! The 2 CD accompaniment is extra and you can't find it anywhere anyway! At the price they are charging for this book, it is rediculous! The first few pages, are about the basics of singing, and boy is it ever BASIC! The rest is a collection of songs in sheet music form. Who needs this? You can print this stuff out on the internet at >99 cents a page! Give me a break! Unless this is shipped with the 2cd accompaniment, you are totally wasting your money! I bought it and returned it twice because I thought that Amazon had made a mistake, (which to be honest, is the first time this has ever happened to me in 10 years!). Total rip off, don't buy it, and to think I ordered it in August of 2006, and it is now the end of May. I waited for a big fat NOTHING!

I had to buy this book for a specific song and arrangment that was not available anywhere else, and was also led to believe that it would include the 2 CDs. HUGELY expensive for no apparent reason, and NO CDs! After reading another review, apparently the CDs are not part of the package, but I will try to contact Amazon and see why. Ripoff.Basics of Singing

I am a college vocal student and have a lot of books. This one is BY FAR the most expensive AND doesn't come with a CD. Really, people. Don't buy this book unless your life is hanging in the balance and this book will save you. I wish I didn't have it because I feel like by buying it I was telling the publisher that the price is right. There are tons and tons of wonderful books out there that come with CDs and are 1/2 the price of this book without the CD. As far as the music in it goes, it's a good selection.

Delivery time was longer than hoped for but was on time. Book was in the condition expected and this seller did a great job.

It is what I needed, unfortunately it didn't have the music CD s with it, but it still worked