Square Notation
& Chant History
You don’t need prior music training. You don’t need to speak Latin. You need a guide who will show you, step by step, how to read the ancient notation of Gregorian Chant — and why the Church has sung it for fifteen centuries.
Level I is where every student begins — regardless of musical background. No prior experience is required.
You feel called to this.
But where do you start?
You have heard Gregorian Chant — in a church, on a recording, in a moment of unexpected stillness — and something stirred. You want to understand it. You want to sing it. But every time you have tried to begin, you have run into the same walls:
- The notation looks nothing like standard sheet music. Nobody has explained what those square black shapes on four red lines actually mean.
- You have tried YouTube videos, but they contradict each other, skip over the basics, or assume knowledge you don’t have.
- You have found books and resources, but they were written for specialists — dense, academic, and impractical for someone who just wants to sing.
- You don’t know where chant came from, why it sounds the way it does, or what it means to sing it as prayer rather than performance.
“Most people who feel called to Gregorian Chant never get past this point. Not because they lack ability, but because they have never had a guide who could show them the door.”
I went from zero knowledge and experience in Gregorian Chant to singing the complex offertory ‘Stetit Angelus’ in only two months.
Anthony Hernandez No prior chant experience · USABy the end of Level I,
you can read chant.
For students who engage with the material and commit to daily practice, Level I builds the ability to sit down with any chant, read the square notation, pronounce the Latin text, and follow the music from the page. That is a concrete, achievable skill — and it is what Level I is designed to deliver. Results will depend on how consistently you engage with the lessons and practice what you learn.
You will also understand where this music came from: its origins in the earliest Christian worship, its development through the medieval centuries, its decline, and its painstaking restoration by the monks of Solesmes in the 19th century. Chant is not just music to perform — it is a prayer to be sung. Level I gives you both the skill to read it and the understanding to know what you are singing.
Read Square Notation
The four-line staff, the clefs, the neumes — simple, special, and compound. You will learn to read them the way the tradition intended: not as abstract symbols, but as a direct record of how the music moves.
Pronounce Ecclesiastical Latin
Latin accentuation and pronunciation are woven into the fabric of chant. Integrated from the beginning, they become natural — not an obstacle, but a foundation you carry into every level of your formation.
Understand the Tradition
The History of Chant module tells the story in four acts: Origins, Birth & Development, Deterioration, and Restoration. You will finish it knowing not just how to sing chant, but why it matters and what you are participating in.
Sight-Sing with Confidence
Through listen-and-repeat exercises and ear training, you will develop the ability to hear and reproduce chant accurately — the practical skill that connects reading the page to opening your mouth and singing.
Ready to begin? Everything you need is in Level I.
Enroll in Level I — $97Two modules.
One complete foundation
in square notation and history.
This is where it begins. Starting with the four-line staff, clefs, and intervals, you will build a complete working knowledge of square notation from the ground up. You will learn the simple neumes — the basic building blocks — and then the special and compound neumes that give Gregorian Chant its expressive range. Natural signs, flat signs, and bar lines are all covered. The module is built around active learning: listen-and-repeat exercises using real chants, ear training sessions, solfege exercises and a sight-singing video quiz that tests your ability to hear what you are reading. Optional 1-on-1 lessons with Christopher, for either voice training or live feedback and guidance on your chant journey, is available at any time.
Chant did not arrive fully formed. It has a story — one that spans fifteen centuries of prayer, politics, deterioration, and restoration — and understanding that story changes how you hear and sing it.
Lessons
Level I contains 17 structured lessons across two modules, including video instruction, listen-and-repeat exercises, quizzes, and ear training. All content is self-paced with lifetime access. Optional 1-on-1 lessons with Christopher are available at any time.
What is possible
from where you are.
“Two months earlier, he knew nothing about chant. Now he was singing a complex offertory — confidently and humbly.”
Before Anthony Hernandez began studying from the GCA, he had no prior chant experience, had never read square notation, and had never taken a voice lesson.
After only two months, he could sight-sing and follow the natural flow of a chant. He then booked his first 1-on-1 lesson with Christopher and chose to sing the Offertory Stetit Angelus — a beautiful but rather advanced piece. He sang it. Every note, every rhythm, 99% correct.
He wasn’t aiming for perfection. He was learning to pray through music. That is the quiet transformation this formation was built for.
“I went from zero knowledge and experience in Gregorian Chant to singing the complex offertory ‘Stetit Angelus’ in only two months.”
Anthony Hernandez · USALive, personal guidance
when you need it.
One of the most common frustrations with online music courses is the absence of a real teacher who can hear you, correct you, and guide you forward. At the GCA, that option is always available.
You can book a live 1-on-1 session directly with Christopher — for chant feedback, vocal development, or simply to ask questions. You will be heard. You will be answered. You will improve faster.
Learn About 1-on-1 Lessons →
Private Online
Community
The Cantor’s Cloister
You are not alone in this.
One of the deepest pains in this tradition is isolation — being the only person in your parish who cares about chant. Your Level I enrollment includes lifetime access to the Cantor’s Cloister, a private global community of people exactly like you.
- Monthly live Q&A and group chant practice with Christopher
- Exclusive GCA recordings and a growing resource library
- Live guest interviews with scholars, clergy, and musicians
- A worldwide community of cantors, singers, and sacred music lovers
Do you see yourself here?
If you are a priest, deacon, or member of a religious community, you are welcome to FREE access to all levels of the GCA formation — no questions asked. Simply email [email protected] and Christopher will send you a coupon code personally.
Voices from the formation
Having earned my Master’s in Music Performance, I can honestly say this course is equivalent to a two-semester upper-level university course — yet still accessible to beginners. A sacred music conference would barely scratch the surface of what this provides. It’s worth every penny and more.
Salma Horvath Master’s in Music Performance · Mother of six · USAThis course was a literal gift from God. The depth of Mr Jasper’s knowledge is clear, and this course offers me the reassurance of learning with a depth of understanding that would not otherwise be possible. The price is very generous.
Dr. Ruth Butler Doctorate in Psychology · USAI have only just begun but I’ve already noticed a distinct difference in the pleasantness of my chanting tone and growing proficiency in sight-reading. Thank you for what you have made here.
Edward Jun USAI’ve been a priest for 33 years and taught myself Gregorian Chant — but I was never able to fully master it, until now. You have a gift at clearly conveying your message in an engaging manner.
Fr. Anthony Mary, FSSR Priest of 33 years · New ZealandStill have questions? Check the FAQ below, then enroll.
Begin Level I →
- Studied under Dom Daniel Saulnier — Abbey of Solesmes & Centre d’Études Supérieures, Tours
- Former Benedictine postulant — Monastery of Norcia, Italy
- 25+ years singing & directing sacred music in parishes & cathedrals
- Registered Instructor — Vocal Process Ltd., UK
- Certified Level 1 Instructor — The Singing Athlete
Christopher
Jasper
Christopher Jasper trained under Dom Daniel Saulnier at the Abbey of Solesmes — the living centre of the 19th-century chant restoration — and at Le Centre d’Etudes Supérieures de la Renaissance in Tours, France. He lived as a Benedictine postulant at the Monastery of Norcia, Italy in 2014 and is a current Oblate of the Abbey. He has sung and directed sacred music in parishes and cathedrals for over 25 years.
He does not teach from a curriculum. He teaches from a life formed by this tradition — and that is the difference your ear will hear.
Read the Full Story →Before you decide,
let me address this.
The tradition is waiting.
Begin here.
Every cantor, every schola singer, every person who has ever sung this music in a church began somewhere. This is where you begin.
Due to the significant cost of international sales tax compliance, enrollment is currently available to residents of the United States only. If you are outside the USA and wish to enroll, please contact Christopher directly at [email protected] — he will do his best to find a solution for you personally.
Fifteen centuries of the Church’s prayer.
Four hours to begin reading it.
The door is open.