My childhood was filled with music; we were always listening to (and singing along with) an eclectic mix of music—The Beatles, showtunes, Mozart, The Cranberries, Nirvana, Enya—you name it! We had no sheet music in the house, though, and when it came time for me to audition for a show or sing in church I was lost! For years after I began to find my voice, I preferred to sing a capella because I didn’t really know how to access it (and it can get expensive if you’re buying one song at a time). Since then, the pendulum has swung and I’ve built up quite the collection of songbooks. Out of hundreds, these are the ones I reach for most often.
- * = Chord names are included; vocal+piano+guitar
- + = Different keys available for various voice types.
- ^ = Multiple editions available for various voice types; selections will vary from one edition to another.
Giant Book of Children’s Vocal Solos*: This is hands-down my favorite songbook for children. It ranges from easy to advanced beginner, and it has a wide range of genres: showtunes, folk songs, midcentury pop and novelty songs, etc. More than once, I have been excited to come across an excellent new children’s solo, only to discover that it is in this book already!
The Disney Collection*: This has some wonderful classics for beginners, including “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “I’ve Got No Strings,” Winnie the Pooh,” “Candle on the Water,” and “Part of Your World.” Many of them are beginner-friendly, and they can appeal to all generations.
The Great Family Songbook*: This is the kind of book that makes you want to gather your friends and family around the piano (or guitar, or any other instrument) and just sing together socially. This was standard entertainment before radio killed the living room star. Let’s bring it back!
The Ultimate Fake Book* and The Broadway Fake Book*: When I want to just sit at the piano and jam out (and I’m not in the mood to practice my “serious” music), I usually pull out a Fake Book, a gigantic book filled with nothing but lead sheets. With over a thousand songs each, these are surefire crowd pleasers.
Joan Frey Boytim Collections^: A veteran voice teacher herself, Ms. Boytim understands exactly what students of all levels require. Her anthologies cover all voice types, ages, and experience levels. View the series index to choose the right books for you.
Contemporary Disney: 50 Favorite Songs*: If you love Disney, this book plus The Disney Collection (above) will have you covered. Note that there is a strong trend towards difficulty in contemporary Disney songs, so many of them may be out of reach for the beginning singer.
The Singer’s Musical Theatre Anthology*^: If you are a teen or adult singer with an interest in musical theatre, this series is a must-have. There are over 40 books in the series (and counting!), but luckily they are broken up by voice part. Check out the series index to find which books are appropriate for you.
The Great American Songbook: Jazz Collection*: This is a wonderful collection book of jazz standards like “Summertime,” “I’ve Got Rhythm,” “As Time Goes By,” and many more.
28 Italian Songs & Arias+: When Parisotti compiled 24 Italian songs, he probably didn’t expect that 250 years later it would still be the standard anthology that all aspiring classical singers work on at the beginning of their career. Some of these songs, like “Caro mio ben,” are simple enough that a precocious child singer can be trusted with them. Others, like “Nel cor piu non mi sento,” are more inherently challenging.
Vaccai: Practical Method of Italian Singing+: This is the other book that is absolutely required for every beginning classical voice student. The songs/exercises are arranged by complexity, and the first set covers all the possible intervals—second, third, and so on, up to an octave. is excellent practice for both vocal technique and music theory practice.
Schirmer Arias for ____ Series^: For the intermediate-advanced classical singer, this series—with 2 or 3 books for each main voice type—is a great next step after the 24 or 28 Italian Songs & Arias. Selections from all of the main “opera” languages are included.
Women Composers+: Several of the songs in this collection are delightful, and it’s a real shame their composers weren’t better known! I recently performed Jane Vieu’s lovely “Belle aux bois dormant,” found in this book.
The Sacred Collection+: When I am asked to sing in a religious context, this is the first anthology I turn to.
100 Most Beautiful Christmas Songs*: This includes nice arrangements of everything from “O Holy Night” to “White Christmas.”
The Big Book of Hymns*: Since I can only sight read melodies and lead sheets, I don’t enjoy play out of the regular hymn book. This is the book I pull out when I want to sing some hymns on a Sunday afternoon.