Anyone use shape notes?

Subject: Anyone use shape notes?
From: Rumncoke
Date: 27 Aug 06 - 09:46 AM

At the recent Sidmouth Folk week I went to the shape note workshops which use the American Sacred Harp book.

I have tried and tried again to read music, but I do have dislexia and I can't actually look at the normal stave and read all the information - the round notes dance up and down on the stave!!

However, having the notes shaped seems to pin them down, and for the first time ever I have managed to begin to see the dots as music.

Rereading one of the many books on music I have on the shelves I actually managed to translate the Coventry Carol (dreary dirge) and Wildwood Flower (like it) into something which was like the tune (thank you Google).

I wonder if the use of shape notes would help others who fail to cope with the round ones.

For the first time I can blame the interface and not my ability - no second time, as I failed to understand the DX/DT notation in mathematics but when taught using classical notation had no trouble with either differntiation or integration.

It might seem very obscure to say 'there is a semitone below every Fah' but when it opens a door into the whole of written music it is pretty amazing.

Anne

Subject: RE: Anyone use shape notes?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 01:00 AM

A different schema for different learners -- makes lots of sense to me.

I don't have any dyslexia problems, but the shapes definitely help me. I know how to read music, but sight-singing is not my forte (it's much easier to say "that dot there means this button on the instrument" (or whatever) than to translate that into vocal intervals (without lots of interval reading practice). The shapes definitely help me orient my voice on the scale.

~ Becky in Tucson (USA)

Subject: RE: Anyone use shape notes?
From: Haruo
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 01:47 AM

The abandoning of the shaped notes may have been the first step in the process leading to the death of participatory singing.

Haruo
ex cathedra

Subject: RE: Anyone use shape notes?
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 07:12 AM

I encountered shape notes for the first time this week at Whitby. I enjoyed the singing but found it very difficult to sing note names - obviously more practice would help. I am hoping to make the day of Sacred Harp singing in ? damn forgotten where but will find out.

Subject: RE: Anyone use shape notes?
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 07:18 AM

Haworth on 18th November

Subject: RE: Anyone use shape notes?
From: Valmai Goodyear
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 07:20 AM

As it's a related subject, may I draw your attention to Dave Townsend's all-day workshop on Sacred Harp singing at the Lewes Arms, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 2DL UK on Sunday 19th. November? Full details and a booking form will be on the Lewes Arms Folk Club's website www.members.aol.com/lewesarmsfolk
very soon.

Also on Sunday 19th. November, Phil Humphries (trombone & serpent) leads an all-day workshop on Early Music for Folk Musicians for us.

On Saturday 18th. November Dave and Phil together lead an all-day workshop on West Gallery carols for both singers and musicians.

In the evening they perform together at the Lewes Arms Folk Club as The Lost Chord (www.whitecottagewebsites.co.uk/mellstock/lostchord.htm)
offering humorous songs and eccentric virtuoso classical pieces of the music hall era.

Valmai (Lewes)

Subject: RE: Anyone use shape notes?
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 08:39 AM

Participatory singing did pretty well in Scotland (particularly for Gaelic songs) using Curwen sol-fa. I wonder if anyone's tried to translate material between the two?

Phil Taylor's BarFly ABC processor (for the Mac) can generate shape note scores from ABC input.

Subject: RE: Anyone use shape notes?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 03:33 PM

Mrs. Duck,

Singing the names of the shapes takes practice, and though I practice twice a month, a new song is always a challenge, and some songs, even when familiar, are more of a challenge than others.

Just remember, if you sing "la la la" you'll be right much of the time, and even more of the time for the vowel sound! :-)

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Anyone use shape notes?
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 04:36 PM

Will do, Becky and I will take the opportunity to practice as often as I can - sure geoff will join in at least one of the other voices and maybe the kids could try too.

Subject: RE: Anyone use shape notes?
From: Rumncoke
Date: 29 Aug 06 - 01:27 PM

I'd love to be able to do the Lewes workshop, but it is rather too far from Poole in Dorset.

I'm glad to read that others are familiar with the shapes.

I have been going through some of my music books and finding that I can translate the music into tunes. It's a real revelation.

Anne