Sight reading

Sight-reading is a term that in my opinion needs clarification. Notation, whether standard or tablature is by its very nature a visual representation of sounds that tells the performer what sounds to play, where, how loud and for how long. It also tells the performer when moments of silence occur and how long they last too.

Thus my definition of sight-reading is ability of a player on first sight of sheet music to recognise everything that is going on in the piece [rhythmically, melodically, harmonically and dynamically], understand it, then play it.

In Chapter VIII of his book 'Common sense in music teaching' William Lovelock describes the facility of good sight-reading as "quickness of physical reaction to visual stimuli." He goes on to say that "[written] Music goes in through the eyes and then out through the fingers".

In her article Sight-reading skills - Who wants them? Who needs them? Kristy Meretta, professor of oboe at Eastern Michigan University suggests thinking of sight-reading as a "...game of mental anticipation."

"Good sight-reading skills help us to process key information about a piece, quickly and efficiently, giving us an overview of the musical tasks that lay ahead."
- Prof. Kristy Meretta

Certain skills in music also transcend into aspects of daily life. Sight-reading is no different. The techniques of quick-scanning and trouble spot recognition are analogous with advanced driving skills.
Sight-reading is also a fundamental skill for those who are session players for the television and recording industry, where time is money and money is precious. If a player cannot read fluently, in many styles s/he will not be called back for subsequent engagements.

In the 1995 October issue of Libretto magazine. Suzannah Lawrence, the then marketing manager for the ABRSM puts forward the sound notion that:

".. .Proficiency in sight-reading greatly enhances the enjoyment of playing and making music, facilitating the rapid learning of pieces, and equipping the student with those techniques necessary for playing unprepared pieces, accompanying, singing, or playing in groups." - Sight Unseen, Libretto Oct '95

The performer that is not skilled in sight-reading is unable to accommodate that crowd-pleasing part of many concerts of doing requests for the audience. Unless they have a vast enough repertoire of music under their belt that has been memorised or a confident ear for relative pitch with regard to melody and a solid foundation of chord vocabulary so as to extemporise an accompaniment.

Our eyes work in the same manner as a camera. The eye takes a series of 'snap-shots' of the world around us it is then up to our brains to edit these images into a cerebral 'movie' and fill in the gaps between the stills so that we can comfortably perceive motion as continuous and flowing.

When we read words our eye make brief horizontal movements or spasms that Paul Harris [author, composer, teacher and associated board examiner.] describes as 'jerks' known in biology as 'saccades' These are followed by longer periods of fixation during which the actual perception of the text occurs. This sequence occurs several times a second and is done more or less unconsciously. It is interesting to note that unlike the 'mental movie' described earlier, when looking at a stationary object the eye does not have to 'fill in the gaps' so is free to absorb the details more thoroughly. Reading is simultaneously progressive and regressive, forward looking for words that are new or pronounced differently within the context of a phase and backtracking to reconfirm and consolidate.

When we read music our eyes do essentially the same task although as well as scanning horizontally the sight-reader's eye scans vertically too. Reading music is rather like an electrician studying a circuit diagram or a builder reviewing an architects drawing of a building, in the way that both tradesmen look at each piece of information with regard to how they fit together and relate to each other to form a complete creation.

In language reading T.W.Goolsby [the author of Musical Perception] states that the poor reader makes more regressive saccades than the more experienced reader does. However the reverse is true with regard to music. It is the more experienced reader that backtracks more. The ramification of this research is not fully understood as of yet but worth bearing in mind when teaching.

As a description of the teacher's role in the lesson I like the word that the Japanese use for one who teaches [Sensei - literally 'One who has gone before']. Learning music is a journey or a path. Remembering that we cannot teach what we do not know, to teach sight-reading we ourselves, as teachers must have already travelled that path to acquire understanding. Every teacher will be different and have various strategies that work for them, some more successfully than others.
Paul Harris has two rules that he adheres to when sight-reading, these are: Always count and, never stop. This is loaded with information if you read between the lines. What he means is this. First is the pulse of the music. Start at a tempo that is comfortable to play, a speed that allows the music to be relatively mistake free. Second is not to let mistakes, when they occur to interrupt the flow or tempo of the music.

From here we can begin to realise that there is an order to learning to sight-read. That I call 'Precepts'

1. Scan the music - Absorb all the "structural landmarks" that the piece gives you. These are things such as: Clef, Key Signature, Time Signature [Simple or Compound] what note length designates one beat? How many beats are in each bar?

2. Tonality - Is it Major or Minor or perhaps Modal? Keep aware of accidentals when they occur.

3. Range or Compass - Look for the highest and lowest notes through the entire piece. For the guitarist this will give a big clue as to what position will be most appropriate. If not already stipulated at the beginning of the piece.

4. Length of Phrases - Most commonly these will be 2 bars or 4 bars in length. Do they repeat themselves [Diatonically, Chromatically or Exactly]? The phrasing may not be so clear. Use discretion and remember this is music not mathematics.

5. Form and Repetitions - How long are the sections? Do they repeat? If so how often? Be mindful of second-time bars. Notice if there is a repeat of the first section, does it modulate? Where to? And finally is there a coda?

6. Scan for the 'trouble spots' - These will different for every individual depending on their personal strengths and weaknesses. Typically look for measures with large melodic intervals and/or complex syncopated rhythms.

Do not confront the pupil with music that is too difficult to play on a first reading yet make it challenging, so as to continually enhance the skill. Sight-reading is like a pan of boiling water, if the heat is not maintained constantly it will begin to cool and become inactive. This goes equally for the teacher as it does for the pupil. You shouldn't preach if you don't put in the practice.

It is best to use music at least two or three grades below the music that you know they can play.

The guitar has long time been neglected as far as specifically graded sight-reading material is concerned. It is only within the last twenty years or so that the balance has be redressed. Thanks must go to the great work of players and educators of the instrument such as John Duarte, William Leavit, Joe Puma, Joe Pass and many other too numerous to mention.. .they know who they are.

The answer here is any music can be used for sight-reading. In Scotland we are blessed with a huge array of Celtic music for fiddle, penny whistle and lots of other folk instruments. These make excellent exercises for sight-reading due to the varieties of dances like the Reels, Strathspeys, Jigs and Polkas each with their own intriguing rhythms.

The violin studies of Kreutzer and Kayser are also worth a look. As are the Partitas of J.S.Bach.

Music for the Flute, Saxophone, Trumpet and Clarinet adapts quite nicely too to the guitar. Given their range of notes they are excellent reading between the Fifth and Seventh positions on the guitar.

As teachers still requiring a method to better their own skills I would suggest giving your self a scare and try sight- reading some Bass Clef music, just read it an octave higher. Getting used to reading in Bass Clef will really give vitality to your keyboard explorations, if you do that.

Ted Greene in his book 'Chord Chemistry' extols the virtues of learning to navigate your way on piano as beneficial to all musicians. A fantastic musician and jazz educator Greene suggests as a "real brain-melter" reading piano music in concert pitch on the guitar. He says it gave him a real insight in to how harmony works.