Rounds and canons are a great way to get more confident singing in harmony, and holding your own vocal lines against other singers.
Try rounds and canons with others or record yourself singing one part and then sing the other parts over the top. Hear how the different melodies mix together. You can either split the songs into the different parts that are numbered in the score and sing each part separately. Or, you can have each voice start singing one after another where the numbers appear in the score. So, when voice 1 reaches number 2 in the score, voice 2 comes in from the beginning. Use the tracks to help you learn the melodies and then challenge yourself to sing the songs a cappella.
Try writing your own lyrics to these songs – this is a great way to make the songs your own and experiment with lyric writing. You could also experiment with changing the melody lines slightly to make different harmonies.
DONA NOBIS PACEM
This popular canon uses lyrics in Latin which mean 'grant us peace'. This song is beautiful when each part is sung together. It is often attributed to the composer Palestrina, but some argue that it was written by Mozart. It can be quite tricky to learn, and the melody spans a wide vocal range.
Use the track to help you learn the melody, and then challenge yourself to sing it a cappella. Try writing your own lyrics to the song, and adapt the melody to suit your own style.
.png)