Sight-reading Superstars!

Turn your students into sight-reading superstars!

Why?

• One of the most important musical skills
• Enhances every aspect of music making
• Good sight-reading leads to more accurate performances and enhanced musicianship
• Helps create the complete musician
• Promotes the enjoyment of music
• Example: Studio musicians (time is money)

What should I do?

• “Sell” it to your students – challenge them!
• Integrate into the curriculum on a daily basis, a little each day
• Strategize to help you find your students’ strengths and weaknesses

Required Skills

• Tracking
• Reading
• Technical
• Tactile senses
• Aural: Listening & Responding
• Adjusting
• Synthesis

Application of Skills

• Rhythm reading is usually most difficult aspect of sight-reading
• What activities and musical training can make students better sight readers?
• What other activities do you use?

It’s curricular!

• Where is it in your written curriculum?
• Daily integration – small ideas
• Weekly, Monthly – larger ideas
• Systematic/sequenced
• Assessment

Sequencing

• Clap/Tap to a steady beat
• Say letter names in tempo
• Say finger numbers (strings)
• Pizzicato (strings); Vocalize with syllables (ta/ti)
• Finger with sizzle
• Play

Presentation

• Large group
• Small group or partners
• Individually
• Home practice/drills
• Start small!!  Work your way up to longer & more difficult repertoire

What to look for…

• Notes
• Rhythms
• Time signature
• Key signature
• Tempo
• “Road map”
• Bowings, tonguing, articulations
• Accidentals
• Dynamics
• Style

What are the priorities when sight-reading?

Use mnemonic devices such as the word “STARS”

• S – signatures (time and key)
• T – tempo
• A – accidentals
• R – rests & rhythmns
• S – signs (road map items like D.C. and coda)

Teaching strategies

• Tracking – tap and say notes rhythms simultaneously
• Movement – clapping, stomping, conducting, etc.
• Keep going!!  No stopping!
• Count out loud
• Cover notes being played, forcing student to look ahead
• Counting rests as with an emphasis on their importance
• Skip a particular note or beat each measure
• Pass the melody – measure at a time
• Change the key

Advanced strategies

• Interval training
  • Have a m2/M2 day, etc.
• Triad/Arpeggio training
  • Teach chord construction, alteration

More ways to develop

• Playing by ear and improvisation can improve students’ ear, eye, and hand coordination.   Also removes the variable of sight!
• Students need to develop their ability to render the sound they imagine audible.
• Inner hearing along with the development of technical proficiency.

Audience provided examples

(from FMEA and TMEA 2014 presentations)

• Sight-reading jar – pull out musical snippets
• Student-created rhythms & melodies
• Folders loaded with different pieces, read them little by little
• Reverse rhythm reading
• Rhythmic rest patterns book (101 rhythmic rest patterns)
• SmartMusic sight-reading exercises
• Binders of fun!

 Assessment

• How should sight-reading be assessed?
  • Large group – adjudication first comes to mind
  • Individual
    • Auditions/All-State/Collegiate
    • Classroom assessments

Resources

• Sheet music (most used)
• Supplemental method books
• Alternate method books or exercise books
• Create your own!
  • Finale, etc.
  • Noteflight – cloud-based music notation

Websites & Apps

• Websites
  • www.sightreadingfactory.com
  • www.practicesightreading.com
• iPad Apps
  • Read Rhythm (iTunes store link)
  • Staff Wars (iTunes store link)

iPad screen mirroring via AirPlay is made possible by Air Server software.  www.airserver.com, $15.

Conclusion

• Stress the importance of sight-reading.  Make it an important ingredient to your curriculum
• When sight-reading is infused into your curriculum and daily lessons it can make a huge impact on music making
• Start small
• Be creative!

References

Battey, R. (2011, 07). How to improve your sight-reading skills. Strings, 25, 23-24. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/881977123?accountid=9783

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Coppola, C. (2008). Stages: Collegiate – taking time out for sight-reading. Teaching Music, 16(1), 76. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1520848?accountid=9783

Flores, A. C. (2009). CELLO SIGHT-READING 1, A FRESH APPROACH. American String Teacher, 59(4), 88-88, 91. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/753554752?accountid=9783

Gromko, J. E. (2004). Predictors of music sight-reading ability in high school wind players. Journal of Research in Music Education, 52(1), 6-15. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1095463?accountid=9783

Hall, J. B. (2009). Ten tips on sight-reading. The American Organist, 43(3), 84-85. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1286925?accountid=9783

Johnson, A. (1998). Rehearsal breaks: Using literacy learning theories to facilitate sight-reading and music learning. Choral Journal, 39(1), 37-39. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1030774?accountid=9783

Kostka, M. J. (2000). The effects of error-detection practice on keyboard sight-reading achievement of undergraduate music majors. Journal of Research in Music Education, 48(2), 114-122. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1093989?accountid=9783

Levy, A. (2000, 12). Vision quest: A crash course in the art of sight-reading. Guitar Player, 34, 90-91, 93-94, 96. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1069006?accountid=9783

Miles, P. (2008). Technique tips: Developing better sight-reading skills. The Horn Call – Journal of the International Horn Society, 38(3), 92. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1227309?accountid=9783

Newton, C. K. (2004). Band: Successful sight-reading at your next festival. Teaching Music, 12(1), 26-29. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1518988?accountid=9783

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Parrish, R. T. (1998). Effects of two instructional methods on high school band students’ sight-reading proficiency, music performance, and attitude. Update – Applications of Research in Music Education, 17(1), 14-20. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1577006?accountid=9783

Phillips, M. J. (2013). Making sight-reading fun: Ten ideas for success at the middle school level. Choral Journal, 53(7), 59-63. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1357480176?accountid=9783

Sariti, D. (2005). Three steps to sight reading success. American String Teacher, 55(2), 44-48. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/967854?accountid=9783

Saxon, K. (2009, 06). The science of sight reading. American Music Teacher, 58, 22-25. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/937227?accountid=9783

Watts, D. (2008). Therapy for sight-reading woes. American String Teacher, 58(2), 28-31. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/965544?accountid=9783

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Wristen, B. (2005). Cognition and motor execution in piano sight-reading: A review of literature. Update – Applications of Research in Music Education, 24(1), 44-56. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1577276?accountid=9783