As we often use "Learning Tapes" as a means of learning a new song, I decided to partially extract from the SPEBSQSA web site, Sing & Perform Portion, some pointers to make this learning method as productive and useful as possible.

Preparation: Cultivate Familiarity

· Care about doing the best you can do. The intention to do well increases the quality of your attention. Attention to the task is a major determiner of success.

· Listen to the selection all the way through in order to get a sense of the whole. Listen to the song's structure, its melodic line, its harmonic pattern, its word meanings, its word sounds, and its emotional content. Imagine body expression that matches what you hear.

· Find an efficient way of returning to the song's beginning point: one song per tape, counting the rewind time, taping in both directions, etc.

Repetition: Establishing Neural Pathways

· Listen without singing until each note, as it comes, is not surprising but expected.

· See the rise and fall of the notes as you hear them... Watch the music if appropriate.

· When each note is expected before you hear it, start to sing along softly so that the recording predominates. Continue this way until your voice matches the words and notes of the recording. Repeat until every word sound, note and breath is the same.

· Attend to tempo, quality and volume so that the recording is leading your learning and your voice is "inside" the sound of the recording. Follow rather than lead.

· Now start turning the balance control to begin eliminating your part and hearing more and more of the other parts. If your player has no balance control, use a headset and place the earphone away from your ear.

· Work in a time frame of 10-15 minutes stay within your attention span.... You will probably get faster with time.

· Recognize that your brain is working unconsciously You will notice progress between sessions.

· Listen to small sections and memorize them one at a time.

From time to time, sing with the music to give yourself a visual check.

Editors Note: I recommend that you members who are "on line" take the time to explore the SPEBSQSA web site. It is a valuable source of information on almost every aspect of Barbershopping.