Tag sale - by Rich Stevens, PVP

Why am I pushing tags at each rehearsal? In this article I hope to sell you on the idea of knowing several tags and knowing them well enough to do them at a moments notice with no coaching or reminders. Reasons to sing tags:

1. Tags are simple. You can remember all the notes and words to several very easily. Comparatively, songs are long and complex and memorizing the notes and words can take quite a while - most tags can be learned well in less than 10 minutes.
2. You can learn different parts from what you normally sing. If a group is short on baritones and long on leads it's a simple matter for someone to switch to the baritone part.
3. Tags are excellent ear training. By limiting the length of the song [tag] you open up the opportunity to say, "Let's go back and do that one again, but this time hold the second word and see if you can get it tuned up better." Or, "This time everyone try, to have a round 0 at the end." By working with a small group you will improve the way you hear and the way you sing.
4. Tags are a perfect way to involve others. A guest or a visitor isn't going to know our repertoire or arrangements or maybe not even the polecats. Sing a hanger tag (where one part has one note and one word) and they're involved!
5. You will learn about harmony. Learn all four parts and teach a tag to a group; you'll learn more about harmony and the role of each part in 10 minutes than you -would in hours of chorus rehearsal.

Maybe you don't like singing tags - maybe you never will - but they're a good way to get into quartetting, to improve accuracy and to improve listening. Tags are a little like salt: overuse will ruin the meal, but used in moderation they can make something bland into something sensational. So why not get four parts and sing a tag. Then stick around and sing a song.

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