the gist

It's remarkable how many choir members do not know how to read music.  How much of a hindrance it is for the singer is debatable, but I can tell you this much - if you can read music, you'll definitely have a tool to help you learn music you want to sing.

I go through a fairly set routine when I get a new piece of music in front of me, which I'll refer to as music score, all that stuff with lines and round things with stems and quavers on them.  The routine requires an understanding of rudimentary music theory, which granted is a language unto itself, but which lucky enough is arguably one of the easiest languages there is.

There are a couple concepts that I will teach you first, before we get to actually reading notes.  The first thing to learn is what I call the roadmap.  Unfortunately, some composers write out music score that doesn't read like a book - it doesn't simply go from the start to the end, but contains repeat symbols throughout that guide you back and forth from one section of a song to another.  It's not necessarily a bad thing.  It certainly can cut down on the number of pages.  Although it sure can be confusing, fear not, for it is very teachable.

The next subject will be rhythm.  While many folk look at a music score, and see notes up and down the staff, and only sort of understand that it means to sing higher or lower, it's the rhythm notation that messes people up the most.  I think it's akin to our abilities with arithmetic.  Lets face it, when we were in grade school, some of us got fractions, and some of us just plain didn't.  The truth be known, rhythm notation in music score is all about fractions, which more or less explains why rhythm is kind of tough.  Not to worry though.  We will get through it.