FREe TASTer FAQs

No, we do not provide sheet music for our arrangements. Learning by ear creates a level playing field for all members. Sheet music can sometimes create divisions, with those who can sight-read being perceived as "better musicians" than those who cannot—though this is not necessarily true. Those less confident with sight-reading can also find complex syncopated rhythms confusing. Reading sheet music actually increases the time it takes to learn, as it adds an extra step between the eyes and brain. In contrast, learning by ear and by rote allows for a more direct and intuitive approach, focusing on imitation and developing a stronger musical memory. Most pop and soul music is learned this way, and over the course of approximately three months per term, we find this to be the most effective method for mastering parts. Our leaders do use sheet music to ensure consistency across all sessions. This means that no matter which session someone attends, they will receive accurate and consistent instruction. Many of our visually inclined learners print copies of the lyrics, and some make notes on melodies and harmonies as they go. However, we always encourage members to trust the process of learning by ear, with lyrics used sparingly—mainly during section run-throughs or full-song rehearsals. Learning by rote often involves repeating small sections multiple times, which helps commit them to memory more quickly. While this may feel unfamiliar at first, we have seen thousands of singers successfully adapt to this approach over the years. Ultimately, it leads to a stronger performance, as we always perform off-book at events. It does become easier with time. We say all this as highly experienced sight-readers ourselves. Sight-reading is most useful when you need to perform material quickly without truly learning it, such as in professional recording sessions. However, in rehearsals, we advocate for a deeper and more musical learning process that takes place over weeks and months. Sight-readers often do not retain the information long-term, which is not ideal when preparing for performances that require us to be off-book. We hope this helps explain why we do not provide sheet music.

No! Contrary to belief, singing is simply the ability to use a combination of your voice muscles (vocal folds) and ears to reproduce melodic and rhythmic sounds. If you have minimal singing experience then it is completely natural to feel insecure about using your voice - we highly recommend purchasing our Community Singer Course which will introduce you to all the basics you need to start your singing journey. Simply sign up for either our free community membership or any other memberships (if you haven't already) and purchase from the dashboard. Please let us know how you got on!

As a free or subscribing member you can click on the WORKSHOPS badge from your member's dashboard. This will take you to the dedicated workshop page where you can book tickets and make a note of the dates in your calendar.

From the dashboard, click on the teal Community Singer badge to buy the add-on. This will be added to your account. Depending on your browser settings, you may need to log out and back in again to see the changes.

No, the joy of choir is the chorusing of voices, many sound much better than one in our opinion. Occasionally we do have small solo opportunities within arrangements to mix up the textures and anyone can audition for these by sending us a recording using their phone once we’ve been learning it for a few weeks. We’ve had so many members who vowed never to sing a solo who now put themselves forward all the time. We also have members who have been with us for years who still have no interest in doing solos, it’s entirely up to you!

All of our choirs are partnered with at least one other choir running in the nearby area (usually 10-15mins away by car) but on a different night. For example, Tunbridge Wells Choir runs on a Monday evening and Tonbridge Choir runs on a Wednesday eve. This gives members the opportunity to attend either or both choirs as and when they need to - for example, you have a one off engagement but don't want to miss out on the learning, or your shift patterns change from month to month. You do not need to let anyone know, just turn up. The same material is learnt across all our sessions every week for consistency and progression. You are also not limited to the nominated partner choir, for example, you could drop into one of our London choirs before commuting back to Kent.

We don't have any uniform at UK Soul Choirs so you are welcome to dress however you like for rehearsals. We recommend something loose and comfortable so you feel relaxed when you sing. For performances we ask everyone to dress in black and purple (without patterns) as these are our choir colours, but this can be as smart casual or as glam as you like. We also always encourage a bit of sparkle!

In most cases the leader will get a good idea of your natural voice part by listening to your talking voice but if you haven’t sung much before or it’s been a while you will find your range has decreased, usually putting you in the altos rather than sopranos (as a female voice). As an alto, when your voice strengthens you may find you will move into the sopranos which might be better suited to your voice. If you have a male voice, you will be sat with the tenors but don’t worry if you don’t have a high male voice, most of our parts sit in a baritone range between bass and tenor, always with options on the high notes!

This will vary between people but as the voice is made up of a series muscles, the more frequently you work on it by listening and practicing, the easier it will become. Be patient, most people start feeling more vocal confidence after the first or second term. Remember, our membership includes dropping in at any rehearsal each week, and since we practice the same material across our sessions, you can dive in for as much choir as you want!

Arrive 5-10mins before the session start and introduce yourself to the leader who will probably be near the piano at the front. They will help find you a seat by asking you a few questions about your voice and introduce you to some people in your part.

Once you have paid and registered as a member, you will be sent an email to confirm and you will be redirected to the members page. You will have access to the choir resources from there.

Absolutely not! Whilst we welcome experienced singers who become an integral part of choir makeup, we also thrive on nurturing untapped ability which we believe 99.99% of people have. The voice is a muscle that needs training and your ear is a sensor that needs training. If you’re keen then anyone can do it! Check out our testimonials from current members!

No, we introduce all the material in the session and if you are on a Free Taster in the middle of a term then whilst there may be some songs others have learnt, there will always be new material for you to try in the session. If you don't manage to join at the beginning of a term then catchup is made easier for you, as,when you sing through songs, others who have already learnt them will have more confidence around you.