Learning hints
The quicker and easier it is to learn your part, the greater the likelihood of gaining enjoyment from singing a new piece. The aim of this section is to provide some suggestions as to aids that that choir members have found useful in coming to terms with new pieces. Adam has provided the following notes which apply to Van Basco Karaoke, which is software for playing midi files. Two of these midi files are listed below and instructions are given afterwards.
www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk/Lauridsen/O-Magnum-Mysterium/O-mag-myst.html
http://www.brightonconsort.org.uk/music%20files.htm
Look in the list for "O Radiant Dawn" by James Macmillan
www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk/Lauridsen/O-Magnum-Mysterium/O-mag-myst.html
http://www.brightonconsort.org.uk/music%20files.htm
Look in the list for "O Radiant Dawn" by James Macmillan
Van Basco Karaoke
Learning current pieces: There are midi files for Magisterium by Lauridson and O Radiant Dawn by Macmillan on the John Fletcher website and also a Brighton website The midi files can be played in various voices on Van Basco. Read on for guidance on how to use Van Basco.
Use "Van Basco Karaoke" to play midi files on a PC. Don't worry about the karaoke part; this is a good free programme to play your sop, alto, tenor or bass part separately or together. You can slow the music down or speed it up and go back and easily repeat difficult bits again and again. The timing of the music is accurate.
Van Basco is free and you don't even need to leave your email address or get bothered by any advertising. Free Midi files are available for lots of music.
How to do it on a PC (it doesn't work on a Mac):
Download vanBasco's Karaoke Player from www.vanbasco.com/
Double click on the file and it will load on to your PC.
There are a few choices to make: language and whether you want the programme icon to be on your desktop or task bar. I answered yes because I use the programme a lot and it doesn't get in the way. Six windows appear on your screen. The VANBASCO'S KARAOKE PLAYER is the first one to look at. The song title is or will be in the top line, the clock times in the line below, then some controls (Rewind, Forward, Play, Stop, Previous and Next). Below this is a line with a marker of where you are in the music. You can move it forwards and backwards with your mouse to replay a section or skip a section of the music. Below that are the buttons which open or close the other windows. Click on Piano on the right if you want to show a piano keyboard with keys pressed when music is playing.
First, close the TIP Window otherwise no controls work. (click on the little X at the top on the right)
But of course you need the Midi File to start proceedings.
For the Brahms we were doing, go to Google and type: Brahms Schicksalslied Midi file, press Enter. There is a choice, I go for CPDL. Click on it. The next thing to click on is the loudspeaker symbol next to CPDL #13583. This downloads the Brahms midi file to the Download File on your computer, so now you have it.
Open Van Basco again:
Playlist: Click on the Van Basco window called PLAYLIST if it isn't already open. On the RtHand side is access to your computer files. Click on the little blue UP arrow and find your Download Files or ask someone aged about 18 how to get it to appear in the little window. Click on the down arrow when you can get the DownLoads file to appear. Find the Brahms Midi file in your list of Downloads and click on it. The file will appear in the left hand column.
Double click on it and it will play (turn your computer speaker on if it isn't already).
Look at the Output window. Mine shows four flute parts which are the voices and the two piano parts below. To hear your voice part, click on the grey box for your voice. It will turn blue and your voice will be prominent with other voices and music in the background. Turn on some or all of the other voices as you get stronger. Click on the blue box to turn it off if you don't want that part. If you want the music faster or slower for your practice, go to the Control Window and change the tempo. Very useful for getting you up to speed on fast music. The key stays the same, it just makes the music as slow or fast as you want. Learn your notes slowly to start with and then go faster until it is at the correct sung speed.
Lots of music is available on Midi files so just put the name of the piece and Midi file on Google. Download it, put it on Van Basco learn your part and everything is suddenly much easier. I've used Van Basco and the midi files to learn about twenty different pieces much faster and more accurately than I could possibly have done by trying to just read the music.
Use "Van Basco Karaoke" to play midi files on a PC. Don't worry about the karaoke part; this is a good free programme to play your sop, alto, tenor or bass part separately or together. You can slow the music down or speed it up and go back and easily repeat difficult bits again and again. The timing of the music is accurate.
Van Basco is free and you don't even need to leave your email address or get bothered by any advertising. Free Midi files are available for lots of music.
How to do it on a PC (it doesn't work on a Mac):
Download vanBasco's Karaoke Player from www.vanbasco.com/
Double click on the file and it will load on to your PC.
There are a few choices to make: language and whether you want the programme icon to be on your desktop or task bar. I answered yes because I use the programme a lot and it doesn't get in the way. Six windows appear on your screen. The VANBASCO'S KARAOKE PLAYER is the first one to look at. The song title is or will be in the top line, the clock times in the line below, then some controls (Rewind, Forward, Play, Stop, Previous and Next). Below this is a line with a marker of where you are in the music. You can move it forwards and backwards with your mouse to replay a section or skip a section of the music. Below that are the buttons which open or close the other windows. Click on Piano on the right if you want to show a piano keyboard with keys pressed when music is playing.
First, close the TIP Window otherwise no controls work. (click on the little X at the top on the right)
But of course you need the Midi File to start proceedings.
For the Brahms we were doing, go to Google and type: Brahms Schicksalslied Midi file, press Enter. There is a choice, I go for CPDL. Click on it. The next thing to click on is the loudspeaker symbol next to CPDL #13583. This downloads the Brahms midi file to the Download File on your computer, so now you have it.
Open Van Basco again:
Playlist: Click on the Van Basco window called PLAYLIST if it isn't already open. On the RtHand side is access to your computer files. Click on the little blue UP arrow and find your Download Files or ask someone aged about 18 how to get it to appear in the little window. Click on the down arrow when you can get the DownLoads file to appear. Find the Brahms Midi file in your list of Downloads and click on it. The file will appear in the left hand column.
Double click on it and it will play (turn your computer speaker on if it isn't already).
Look at the Output window. Mine shows four flute parts which are the voices and the two piano parts below. To hear your voice part, click on the grey box for your voice. It will turn blue and your voice will be prominent with other voices and music in the background. Turn on some or all of the other voices as you get stronger. Click on the blue box to turn it off if you don't want that part. If you want the music faster or slower for your practice, go to the Control Window and change the tempo. Very useful for getting you up to speed on fast music. The key stays the same, it just makes the music as slow or fast as you want. Learn your notes slowly to start with and then go faster until it is at the correct sung speed.
Lots of music is available on Midi files so just put the name of the piece and Midi file on Google. Download it, put it on Van Basco learn your part and everything is suddenly much easier. I've used Van Basco and the midi files to learn about twenty different pieces much faster and more accurately than I could possibly have done by trying to just read the music.
