Additional Woodshedding Tips

• Since there is never a need to woodshed "in a hurry," it's valuable for all four singers to sing the melody in unison until they are familiar with it. As there should absolutely never be any pressure to "finish a song and move to the next one," it is also highly advisable to spend plenty of relaxed time harmonizing just the first phrase or two of the selected melody. Go over and over each phrase until all participants are satisfied and comfortable. Enjoy the absence of time-limits.

• Woodshedding is best done at moderate or soft volumes. For one thing, this allows the singers to hear themselves and what's going on.

• Every woodshedder should be able to sing melodies when called upon. When we remember that melodies are pitched where they're comfortable to sing, more woodshedders with natural bass range can have the chance to sing melodies. This permits more fellows to swap voice-parts with each other.

• For beginning woodshedders especially, the best melodies to undertake are those originally written in B-flat, A-flat, or C. Beginning woodshedders are advised to initially avoid melodies written in E-flat.

• The serious woodshedder (or anyone who merely wants more chances to sing with a wider range of harmonizers) will seek and learn as many melodies and lyrics as possible. With several notable exceptions, the best melodies for woodshedding were written between approx. 1895 and 1925, with the optimal ones written largely between 1905 and 1919. In the U.S. at least, one can find compatible old songs at garage sales, antique-shops or auctions (don't pay more than about $3 per song, even for a gem!), in the piano benches of grandparents or similarly seasoned citizens, and especially in the heads of long-time Society members! The latter should be exceptionally pleased to oblige. Too often, we overlook the incredible knowledge and experience of our longest-tenured Society mates, and that many such guys have a largely untapped musical wealth that can be ours if we only ask.

Feel free to contact AHSOW, Inc. at any time with inquiries about woodshedding.

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