Topic: a question for readers

[Tikhon.of.Colorado]

this is a question for all readers. 

I am an altar server, and love it.  someday, though, I'd like to move up to reading and possibly being tonsured a reader. 

how can I learn to chant, or "read"?  how should I practice?

thanks!

[Punch]

this is a question for all readers. 

I am an altar server, and love it.  someday, though, I'd like to move up to reading and possibly being tonsured a reader. 

how can I learn to chant, or "read"?  how should I practice?

thanks!

I am in the same boat as you.  My priest is going to make some recordings of him singing in the various tones, and I am supposed to listen to those and try to match them.  This is where the language barrier becomes interesting.  Many of the melodies of the tones were designed for the language that was in use at the time.  Some translate well into English.  Some do not. 

[PeterTheAleut]

this is a question for all readers. 

I am an altar server, and love it.  someday, though, I'd like to move up to reading and possibly being tonsured a reader. 

how can I learn to chant, or "read"?  how should I practice?

thanks!

You have any experienced readers in your church?

[wynd]

this is a question for all readers. 

I am an altar server, and love it.  someday, though, I'd like to move up to reading and possibly being tonsured a reader. 

how can I learn to chant, or "read"?  how should I practice?

thanks!

I see you're OCA. I'll tell you what the reader at my OCA church told me when I asked the same thing:

Start by chanting some psalms every day in a monotone. Once you feel comfortable with that, try to add some ups-and-downs every so often. Also, learn the OCA tones by listening to them in church and online if you can: http://commons.orthodoxwiki.org/The_Eight_Tones