Eers nadat asemhalingsoefeninge klaar is, volg stemgroepe die maatsoort.

Eers nadat means only after.

• nadat = after
• eers nadat = only after / not until after

So eers adds the idea of limitation or sequence: something happens only then, not before that point.

In this sentence, it emphasizes that the next action happens only after the breathing exercises are finished.

Because nadat introduces a subordinate clause, and in Afrikaans, subordinate clauses normally send the finite verb to the end.

So:

• main clause word order is usually more like verb in second position
• subordinate clause word order usually puts the verb at the end

That is why you get:

• nadat asemhalingsoefeninge klaar is

and not:

• nadat asemhalingsoefeninge is klaar

Here, is is the finite verb, and klaar goes with it as part of the predicate klaar is = is finished / are finished.

Normally, yes, the subject often comes first. But Afrikaans is a verb-second language in main clauses.

The sentence starts with a fronted time element:

• Eers nadat asemhalingsoefeninge klaar is

Because that whole part comes first, the finite verb of the main clause must come next:

• volg

Only after that do you get the subject:

• stemgroepe

So the structure is roughly:

• [fronted time clause], [verb], [subject], [object]

That is why volg stemgroepe die maatsoort is correct here.

Yes. Afrikaans, like Dutch and German, very often writes compound nouns as one word.

So:

• asemhaling = breathing
• oefeninge = exercises
• asemhalingsoefeninge = breathing exercises

English usually writes these as two words, but Afrikaans commonly joins them into one compound noun.

Klaar literally means ready or finished, and here it works as a predicate complement with is.

So:

• klaar is = is finished / are finished

In English we often translate it naturally rather than word-for-word. A very literal breakdown would be:

• after breathing exercises finished are

But natural English is:

• after the breathing exercises are finished

So klaar is not a separate tense marker; it simply describes the state of being finished.

Afrikaans often leaves out the article when speaking generally or referring to things in a broader, non-specific way.

So:

• asemhalingsoefeninge can mean breathing exercises in general
• stemgroepe can mean voice groups / vocal groups in general

But die maatsoort has die, which suggests a specific meter/time pattern already known from the context.

Whether an article appears depends on whether the noun is being treated as specific, known, or generic.

The comma separates the introductory subordinate clause from the main clause.

So the sentence is divided like this:

• Eers nadat asemhalingsoefeninge klaar is,
• volg stemgroepe die maatsoort.

This is very normal in Afrikaans writing when a subordinate clause comes before the main clause.

Yes. That would still be grammatical.

But the meaning changes slightly:

• Nadat ... = After ...
• Eers nadat ... = Only after ...

With eers, the sentence more strongly emphasizes that the second action does not happen before the first one is completed.

So eers adds focus and contrast.

Yes, volg is the verb to follow, but in context it can have a slightly more specialized meaning.

Depending on the situation, it may mean something like:

• follow
• keep to
• observe

So volg ... die maatsoort could mean that the vocal groups follow the meter / time signature / rhythmic pattern.

It is still the ordinary verb volg, just used in a musical context.

A helpful breakdown is:

• Eers nadat asemhalingsoefeninge klaar is = only after breathing exercises are finished
• volg = follow
• stemgroepe = voice groups
• die maatsoort = the meter / time pattern

So the full structure is:

• [time clause], [main verb], [subject], [object]

A more neutral main-clause order without fronting would be:

• Stemgroepe volg die maatsoort eers nadat asemhalingsoefeninge klaar is.

That may feel easier to English speakers, but the original sentence is perfectly natural Afrikaans.