My mother just recently went to the gift shop at Mt. St. Macrina a purchased for me a set of the CDs with all the music from the new green book. My goal is to eventually commit all of this to memory - I'm not a cantor and may never be one but I would like to sing knowledgeably from the pew and knowing the tones will help in private prayer as well.
But there is so much, where to start? My guess would be to go through what will be sung at the next Divine Liturgy during the week before, just as one would read and study the Scripture readings. Would this be a good way to begin learning this music or does anyone else have another suggestion?
Thanks in advance,
Sieglinde

But there is so much, where to start? My guess would be to go through what will be sung at the next Divine Liturgy during the week before, just as one would read and study the Scripture readings. Would this be a good way to begin learning this music or does anyone else have another suggestion?

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This is a good way to start. You can supplement this by looking at http://metropolitancantorinstitute.org/ On the right column, in the Liturgical Calendar block, click on "Divine Liturgy" and you will see the prescribed music for this Sunday. The following week's music is posted here weekly. It's very well done and a wonderful help.

Also at the MCI site you will see the heading "Recordings." Click on this link and you can listen to the recordings of every hymn which is in the green book.
Yoi! You will be busy for hours!

Fr. Deacon Paul

Thank you Fr. Deacon! I had originally tried to listen online but for some reason my computer would always get hung up when loading. I know I will be busy for hours but it's a good use of my time.

Sieglinde,

Give special attention to the Tropars and Kondaks of the 8 resurrection tones. Then when you sing the propers of a feast the music will fall into place immediately.

Thanks....after nearly 2 years singing this way I am beginning, slowly, to recognize the way the resurrection tones 'fit' (for lack of a better term) the various propers. It will take some time, I know, but I come from a long line of singers-in-church and want to do all I can to make the most of the gift God gave me in my voice.

What you can do is take the tone for the week and sing it a lot and carry around a walk-man with headphones or commit it to the ipod and just listen to the tone of the week. Sing it and sing it more. But practice one tone one week at a time, and like I said use the tone of the week. This would include the Vesperal (weekday tones, like in Vespers for instance), the Resurrection tones (Sunday tones as used in Liturgy), the irmos and the prokeimenon. I know for a fact this works.

A little side note to make what I wrote seem less daunting remember some tones are the same in both Vesperal and Resurrection settings!

Then what you can do is learn to set it to written text, for instance a stanza of small vespers, perhaps a verse from the Stichera for that week. That way you can learn how to make the tone "fit" without having the notes written and everything squared away for you.

Have any questions, feel free to private message me and I'll help.

I recommend that you return them for a full refund. Then track down some CDs that are faithful to the Ruthenian Recension. Someday we will have good music again.