First, why chant the psalms? See: Chanting the psalms?… Why?

How do we start chanting?

There are plenty of help available on internet, in libraries, or in your neighborhood to get started. Below is an excerpt from a fine example. A book by an Episcopalian priest named Cynthia Bourgeault, already quoted above. I copied some of her book below as a “sample”. If you find the sample corresponding to the help you need to get started, please buy the book at the link here: do not be scared by the price on Amazon: there are plenty of good sources to buy the book used for less than $10..

Cynthia Bourgeault’s book then takes you, very gently, through moving musical lines.

Example 1 below: same psalm 34 as earlier, but moving one step up, then one step down.

ON A VIRTUAL KEYBOARD (CLICK) the voice is moving from bD4 to bE4 (from the black key between C4 and D4, to the next black key to the right, between D4 and E4)

Example 2 below: same psalm 34 as earlier, but moving 1/2 step up, then 1/2 step down….

ON A VIRTUAL KEYBOARD (CLICK) the voice is moving from bE4 to E4 (from the black key between D4 and E4, to white key called E4)

If you found the above useful, please buy the full book, and work on it at home, with a keyboard, or a virtual keyboard on your cellphone. Below is a video with complementary exercises (Note: I know the lip flutter exercise did not record correctly. I tried two fixes which did not work… I will fix it. Soon)

Intrigued by the topic of this video? Please follow up with the three videos on that page: 6 intervals are all you need…

Another interesting excerpt of the book can be downloaded here :

NEXT STEP ? Read the January 2020 post here, or try directly to learn some Psalm tones (click on hyperlinks)