Singing in Piano Lessons: Building Aural Skills and Confidence from Day One

Jade Robinson
Aug 6
4 min read

How often do your piano pupils sing?

For many instrumental teachers, singing can feel like unfamiliar territory. We often focus on reading notation, developing technique, and mastering repertoire. But what if we are missing a vital tool in supporting our pupils’ musical development?

Integrating singing into piano lessons is not just about pitch matching. It helps to build internal audiation, develop musical memory, improve rhythm and phrasing, and perhaps most importantly, prevent the fear of singing from taking hold in the first place.

A Lesson Learned the Hard Way

When I first started teaching piano, I was preparing a pupil for her Grade 1 exam. Our lessons focused on the pieces and scales, and I didn't introduce the aural tests until a couple of weeks before the exam. When I finally brought them in, she panicked. Not only did she refuse to take the exam, but she quit piano altogether.

Looking back, could this have been avoided? Absolutely.

I was inexperienced, and I followed the model of my own instrumental lessons. Aural skills were always the last thing we looked at, if we had time. But aural should never be an afterthought. It needs to be embedded into musical learning from the very beginning.

Why Singing Matters in Instrumental Lessons

Singing is a core element of musical development. As young children, we sing before we speak fluently. We copy patterns, feel rhythm, and begin to internalise pitch. According to Williams et al. (2015), regular shared music activities in early childhood, especially singing, are associated with better school readiness, prosocial skills, and attentional regulation later on. This highlights the importance of singing as a foundation for learning.

For piano learners, singing supports the development of aural skills by reinforcing what the music should sound like before they attempt to play it. Musical Futures champions this approach, encouraging pupils to sing a part before playing it in order to internalise musical lines and pitch relationships.

This idea is echoed by Code (2011), who argues that “singing is the most direct path to internalising pitch relationships.” Encouraging pupils to sing motifs, scales, or lyrics before playing gives them a clear internal model of the sound they are trying to produce.

Breaking Down Barriers

One of the biggest challenges is that many children arrive at lessons already self-conscious about singing. They have learned that singing is something to be judged, especially if it is solo. But if we normalise singing from day one, we can stop that fear from taking root.

A 2017 study by Swain and Bodkin-Allen found that group singing significantly improved singing confidence among early childhood teachers. If adults can learn to let go of the fear, we can certainly help children do the same.

Classroom music teachers see how regular singing builds community and confidence. Bringing that same ethos into one-to-one piano lessons helps make singing a natural, relaxed part of learning. A quick call and response warm-up, humming a melody, or improvising lyrics to a chord progression all contribute to a more confident and expressive musician.

Singing and the Brain

Singing supports learning, but it also boosts wellbeing. Horn (2013) explains that singing releases endorphins and oxytocin, which reduce stress and promote social bonding. It also activates multiple areas of the brain at once, which supports memory, coordination, and emotional connection (Society for Endocrinology, 2015; Stoppler, 2018).

Welch et al. (2014) highlight how singing contributes to social inclusion and emotional wellbeing. While piano lessons are typically individual, singing still offers psychological benefits that help learners feel more connected and resilient.

Practical Ways to Introduce Singing into Piano Lessons

Sing before you play - Encourage pupils to sing the melody line or rhythm before trying it on the keyboard.
Use echo games - Simple melodic or rhythmic call and response activities help build listening and confidence.
Use solfa or syllables - Singing with solfa syllables or nonsense words can help children feel the shape of a phrase.
Vocal improvisation - Before improvising on the piano, let pupils vocalise ideas to explore melodic movement freely.
Sing lyrics - If a piece has lyrics, singing them improves musical phrasing and storytelling.
Genre exploration - Use singing to explore musical styles. Is the piece a calypso? A sea shanty? A blues? Listen together, sing along, and talk about the origins and traditions behind the music.

A Shift in Mindset

Singing does not need to be perfect. It needs to be present. Making it a regular part of lessons helps pupils develop their musical ears and feel more at ease expressing themselves. It becomes part of how we learn, not something bolted on at the end of an exam syllabus.

By embedding singing from day one, we help pupils internalise music more deeply, prepare more confidently for exams, and experience greater joy and connection in their playing. We also avoid the kind of mistakes I made early in my teaching career, where a lack of aural preparation undermined a pupil’s confidence.

Singing in lessons is simple. It’s powerful. And it works.

References

Code, D. L. (2011). Aural Skills Guide. Western Michigan University. https://wmich.edu/mus-theo/etg/why.html
Horn, S. (2013). Singing Changes Your Brain. Time Magazine. http://ideas.time.com/2013/08/16/singing-changes-your-brain/
Society for Endocrinology. (2015). Oxytocin. https://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/oxytocin/
Stoppler, M. C. (2018). Endorphins: Natural Pain and Stress Fighters. MedicineNet. https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=55001
Swain, N. & Bodkin-Allen, S. (2017). Developing singing confidence in early childhood teachers. Research Studies in Music Education, 39(1), 109–120.
Welch, G., Himonides, E., Saunders, J., Papageorgi, I., & Sarazin, M. (2014). Singing and social inclusion. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 803. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00803
Williams, K. E., Barrett, M. S., Welch, G. F., Abad, V., & Broughton, M. (2015). Associations between early shared music activities in the home and later child outcomes. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 31, 113–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2015.01.004
Musical Futures. https://www.musicalfutures.org