Twelve Steps to Learning

Written by Carolyn Sexton, adapted from SPEBSQA Music and Education, Skills.
Updated for the Sunshine Statesmen by Chris Burcher 2007, and Danny Stevens 2010.

This is a twelve-step program to assist you in learning new music. It is only a suggestion until you learn a system that is best for you. For the novice Barbershopper, having to learn an entire repertoire can be a daunting challenge. Here is a system that helps to simplify and speed up the process.
The success of this program is contingent upon the effective listening skills of the learner…much more than upon one’s musical background or ability to read music.

The TwelveSteps

  1. Listen to the music with your eyes closed. This will familiarise youwith the notes, timing and general flavour of the song.

  2. Watch the notes on the sheet music while listening to the audio a second time. Do not sing yet

  3. Again watch the notes on your music while listening to the audio a third time. Do not sing yet

  4. Watch the words on your music while listening to the audio a fouth time. Do not sing yet

  5. On a seperate sheet of paper, write all the lyrics to the new song. Now, watch your own paper while you listen to the audio. No, not yet…don’t sing yet!

  6. Watch the notes again while listening to the audio. Remember!!..no singing.

  7. Watch the words on your music while you listen to the audio. Be careful, not a sound.

  8. Try to write down all the words again on another sheet of paper without looking at the sheet music. If you have trouble, listen to the audio again.

  9. Hooray!! Finally you can add your voice. Watch the notes on your music while you HUM along with the audio. Hum..hum. Singing is next.

  10. Watch the words on your music while you sing along with the audio. If you have any difficulty, circle the spot(s) on your music (in pencil) as you go through. Then go back and listen (don’t sing) to those parts again.

  11. Now record yourself as you sing the new part all the way through without looking at the sheet music.

  12. A very important step. Watch the sheet music as you listen to the recording you made, to see if you sang the notes and words correctly. Hopefully you did. Should you have any doubt, go back and check your part again on the master audio. Concentrate on listening to the parts you circled earlier to be sure you have made the corrections properly.

Congratulations!!! With all your hard work, you are now the proud possessor of one more selection of music sung with the correct notes, words and timing to add to your repertoire.