Sight-Reading

It is possible that sight-reading is one of the more ignored skills in young musicians today.  I don't remember who started me on the path of mastering sight-reading or how they went about it, but I do know that I have been a great sight-reader for as long as I can remember.  In fact, one summer, in a Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp audition, a judge outright said, "Finally, someone who knows what they are doing" following the completion of the sight-reading portion of my audition.  Yes, I did just brag about myself - that is one of my favorite brag stories for myself.  Sorry.  Yet when I ask students, mine or otherwise, to sight-read something, it often does not go so well.  For one, they immediately panic and ask how long they have to look over the piece and what tempo I am expecting.

To me, this is just wrong; so wrong.  I truly enjoy sight-reading.  I think it is fun because for a minute or two, I am playing something I have never seen or heard before.  I get a break from the monotonous practicing I have been doing on the same three pieces.  Sight-reading tests your rhythm, your ability to retain key signatures and accidentals, your knowledge of all those pesky non-English direction words (tempo, dynamics, and styles), articulation, and your overall musical pragmatism.  What do I mean by pragmatism?  Well, you are about to play something unfamiliar.  How do you go about it?  For instance, tempo: maybe the direction given to you is allegro or even vivace.  I would recommend finding the measure or moment that will give you the most problems.  Set your tempo from there; you can only play as fast as you can play that measure perfectly (you know, perfectly for sight-reading anyway).  Do you notice the intervals that might cause problems?  Are there symbols you are unfamiliar with?  If you aren't proficient at reading double flats or double sharps on sight, look at that measure.  You want to give a solid performance, but you also have to be realistic with yourself.  Be musically pragmatic.

So, how do you go about finding music to sight-read?  You could ask any of your music teachers for sight-reading music.  You can go on IMSLP and get etudes...as there are books of them on there (at least there were last time I checked).  You can also read duets or trios with friends for fun.  This might be my favorite - I have regular "playdates" which consist of reading through as many duets with fellow flute mom Katie Smyth as toddlers/infant will allow. Said little persons make sight-reading even more challenging!  :)  Finally, if you have solo collections, like the French Music or Baroque Music book, open it up to a piece you aren't looking at.  For that matter, if you are working on a Telemann Fantasia, or a Bach sonata, read one of the other fantasias or sonatas just to further your understanding of that composer and his music.

Come on, admit it.  Sight-reading sounds way less nerdy/stressful and sounds way more fun now right?!

You're welcome.