What is the time commitment? Exercising 10 minutes a day will allow to read fluently the music of the mass in 4 months (about 120 days of exercises). It can be less by studying in a group with a tutor.

Where to start? If you have not yet seen the 10 slides introducing the Movable Do method, go there to read first. Then come back.

The best is of course to complement these exercises with in-person classes or rehearsals. If it is not possible, note that each of the 24 links in the 4-line staff table has 3 levels of exercises (level 1, level 2, level 3). Of these 24 links, the top left has the easiest exercises, the bottom right the hardest ones. So our suggestion is:

1- Go through all 24 Level 1 exercises on the 4-line staff table (order: top left to bottom right)

2- Move to the 5-line exercises, especially the 2011 ROMAN MISSAL ones, alternating with some PARISH BOOK of CHANT exercises.

3- return to the 4-line staff exercises to continue the Level 2 and Level 3 exercises.

How to proceed with each exercise?

It is VERY IMPORTANT to follow this simple procedure to allow AUDIATION to happen. Audiating is to music literacy what thinking is to reading books. If you are new to the concept of audiation, follow these simple steps:

1- Listen to the audio files while reading the music. More than once if you can. Do NOT sing-along. Just listen.

2- SILENTLY read the music: no recording playing, no singing. (see demonstration below)

3- Now you are ready to sing. By now, you have gone over the printed music at least twice without singing. Singing earlier would have been too early.

4-line staff:

Practice intervals below:
2nd (low)	DO on 4th line – seconds – low	DO on 3rd line – seconds – low	FA on 3rd line – seconds – low
2nd (high)	DO on 4th line – seconds – high	DO on 3rd Line – seconds – high	FA on 3rd line – seconds – high
3rd (low)	DO on 4th line – thirds – low	DO on 3rd line – thirds – low	FA on 3rd line – thirds – low
3rd (high)	DO on 4th line – thirds – high	DO on 3rd line – thirds – high	FA on 3rd line – thirds – high
4th (low)	DO on 4th line – fourths – low	DO on 3rd line – fourths – low	FA on 3rd line – fourths – low
4th (high)	DO on 4th line – fourths – high	DO on 3rd line – fourths – high	FA on 3rd line – fourths – high
5th (low)	DO on 4th line – fifths – low	DO on 3rd line – fifths – low	FA on 3rd line – fifths – low
5th (high)	DO on 4th line – fifths – high	DO on 3rd line – fifths – high	FA on 3rd line – fifths – high

ALSO USE ACTUAL CHANTS AS EXERCISES. EXAMPLE: THE PARISH BOOK OF CHANT 1ST PART , 2ND PART

5-line staff (diatonic scales):

Before starting the 5-line staff exercises, you may want to download this reference”cheat sheet” with A-B-C note names, the Circle of Fifths and examples on how to find your MOVABLE DO from the key signature.

Key Signature:	LINKS to well-known hymns, with the solfege transcription and sound file:
	2011 ROMAN MISSAL (ICEL), LLANFAIR
	OLD HUNDREDTH , DIX, FAITH OF OUR FATHERS , LORD WHO THROUGHOUT THESE 40 DAYS
	SALZBURG , TANTUM ERGO (WADE) , LASST UNS ERFREUEN
	HYFRYDOL, STUTTGART, GAUDEAMUS PARITER
	ELLACOMBE

5-line staff (chromatic scales):

For exercises beyond what is covered here, for example, the intervals above the 5th: 6th, 7th, augmented, diminished, chromatic scale, syncopated rhythms,… We recommend you talk to the music director at your parish and/or get a subscription to the SIGHT READING FACTORY .

A demonstration of a classroom working with sight-reading factory is at this link.

In the video below, a class led by Chris Munce, host of the Choralosophy podcast, uses the Sight Reading Factory (SRF) software and the “Movable Do” method to learn how to read music in modern notation.

It also a great demonstration of the process of audiation (silently hearing the music “in one’s head”). What does audiation look and sound like? See sections:

2:40 to 3:20

9:40 to 10:30

13:50 to 14:30

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What happens when the student does NOT Audiate, and stays with the “Cue” method (hear-repeat):

Do not be like Inspector Clouseau, AUDIATE like Chris Munce’s students…