Comments on: Sharing shaped notes in Sherman

By: Harvey Palmer

Harvey Palmer — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:33:20 +0000

I learned to read shaped notes when I was 8 years old in a singing class that was held at our Church right before Sunday evening worship. In our Church, we had Mr. Romans that believed the young men were the future praise leaders of the Church and he wanted to teach us. So, he taught whoever wanted to come and learn. Some of us boys bought our own pitch pipe. Most of the Church came to learn. We drilled repeatedly and eventually did our own version of Sacred Harp on simple songs we knew the parts by heart to lock in the lessons. I think that really helped. I labored over learning the round music notes in piano lessons, but learning the shaped notes made sense to me and seemed a lot easier.

Any competent technician or practicioner needs to know their craft to perform well. It is no different when it comes to being a praise leader. It is not necessary that everyone in the Church learn the use of shaped notes, but if you are going to be a praise leader it just makes your job much easier to get the song right and to make on the fly adjustments to pitch. Why would you not equip yourself with the tools you need to make your job easier.

By: Edwin Choy

Edwin Choy — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:02:15 +0000

Hi Keith,
i manage to find the resources I needed from your website – Glorious God, Awesome God and Only God. Excited about these resources. I am the preacher at the Moulmein Rd Church of Christ.

Sze Hern & Poh Dee (Singaporeans now in Australia) spoke highly of your praise and harmony workshop

edwin

By: Edwin

Edwin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 15:20:40 +0000

Yes I am aware you are coming next year. So when will the song books be available? Eager to get it so that we can begin learning before you come.

edwin

By: Keith

Keith — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 11:15:10 +0000

Edwin, We are making powerpoint slides and song books available for the contemporary worship songs that we release. We plan on having a Praise & Harmony workshop in Singapore in the first quarter of 2011. Hope to see you there.

By: Edwin

Edwin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 09:31:00 +0000

I am from a church in Singapore. Can I ask how I can get shaped notations for contemporary worship songs? I young people loved contemporary praises but since we do not have shaped musical notations, some of our older folks do not know how to sing in parts.

edwin

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:01:37 +0000

I love and teach shaped note, convention style music. I even have my daughter try to hear the relative pitches and sing sylables (shapes) when she’s singing along with Hannah Montana and Taylor Swift in the car. Besides practicing sight-reading, I have trained my own ear by hearing pitches and translating them in my mind to shapes. At any rate, I’m glad to know there are still folks interested in learning this wonderful method of learning sacred music!

By: David Hogue

David Hogue — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:17:40 +0000

It seems to me that if the Christian walk is a discipline, and part of that walk is singing, then we should treat singing to the Lord and to each other as a discipline.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:36:12 +0000

Keith,

I can read both shaped and non-shaped notes. However, I much prefer shaped. In fact, I can only sight-read shaped notes. And, I don’t think of them as a, b, c or do, re, mi. I see the relative differences and also use them to “find” my note if I am having trouble. For example: If the bass shape is the same as the alto shape, then I know to sing the same note they are in my octave and can get back on track.

I told the Elders if they ever get new hymnals and get them without shaped notes, that I would have to retire from leading.

By: Roberta

Roberta — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:41:05 +0000

Although I can read music, I never learned shape notes. Over the years I have come to see this as a disadvantage for sight reading. Sorry I missed the Sherman workshop. Would love to attend one.

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:01:22 +0000

My wife & I drove roundtrip from TX to PA this past week…almost wore out your “Glorious God” CD. We found at various times during the day having a song come into our minds, praising God. We pondered how it must be inside the mind of a songwriter…all the lyrics/notes/scriptures floating aroung in there looking to make their way into a completed song of praise. Thanks again for your ministry…will try to travel up to Muskogee, OK for your workshop there.