Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman

Level: Easy

One of the late Glen Campbell's most famous songs is a smooth steady number for a gentle Teeline workout. There are a couple of lines which are hard to catch and a few outlines which are easily confused which is why it's always a good idea to read back your transcription straight away to firm up any unclear or ambiguous outlines while they're still clear in your mind. 

Lyrics

Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence

Level: Medium

Thanks to Teeline Tweets for suggesting this. There are some complicated lyrics here and some words you're unlikely to meet in any exam. There are also several words you almost certainly will. The lyrics are delivered clearly and at a suitable pace to make this a challenging but achievable song. 

Lyrics

Sister Sledge - Lost in music

Level: Hard

After an easy lead-in this disco classic gets pretty demanding but with plenty of word groupings and special outlines it's worth the practice. Thanks to Francesca Gillett for suggesting this one.

Lyrics

Abba - Dancing Queen

Level: Medium

The Swedish popsters are a great choice for Teeline practice with clear, easy to follow lyrics. You'll need to use plenty of shortcuts and word groupings to keep up though.

Lyrics
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Whitney Houston: I Will Always Love You

Level: Easy

An easy slow one with several common words and useful word grouping. This is great for beginners but also a good break if you've been struggling with 100wpm dictations. Concentrate on getting those outlines nice and smooth and neat.

Lyrics

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Green Day: Basket Case

Level: Hard

Green Day's classic song is great for word groupings and special outlines and also dealing with unusual words. The opening lines are full of easy words including 'time', 'listen' and 'all at once' then you're suddenly hit with words like 'melodramatic' and 'neurotic.' You may get one or two such awkward words in the exam. The trick is to roll with the punches; get something written down and carry on. The fact that it's an unusual word will help you recall it afterwards but if you stop to think you'll get left behind.  For example, I've written 'melodramatic' in full in the sample transcription below but I only managed to write 'md' when I first attempted it. That's about as much as you need to recall it if you've got the rest of the sentence down.

Good luck and don't become a basket case.

Lyrics
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Oasis - Cigarettes & Alcohol

Level: Medium

All the songs on Definitely, Maybe the debut album by Oasis are good for Teeline practice. This is fairly slow and short but with enough tricky outlines to make it a challenge.

Lyrics

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Nick Cave - Into My Arms

Level: Medium

Here's a great one for all levels. Some lines are slow and simple others zip past with some tricky outlines but if you get the first letter at least you should be able to read it back.

Lyrics
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