Sight-Reading Question - MusicianWages.com

This topic has 5 voices, contains 7 replies, and was last updated by Cameron Mizell 253 days ago.

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September 6, 2011 at 4:11 pm #6845
updog14	<p>Hey everyone,</p> <p>I have a question for everyone on this forum who can sight-read good. I wouldn’t say I can sight-read well at all. I usually need several takes before I can nail the chart. It’s mostly the ensemble hits that confuse me. I guess the actual notation is what I struggle with. I’m fine with form charts. For example, the ones that just have repeats, multiple endings, codas, etc. I’m a drummer, so our charts look a little different from a piano player or a guitar player. At least from my experience. Anyway, so I’m just wondering when any of you have to play ensemble figures if you count while playing the hits? Or are you just able to see the rhythm and play it? I’ll be playing in my colleges big band this semester, and I’m really worried about the reading.</p> <p>I hope this question makes some sense, I just feel really lost with the whole reading thing and I always have.</p> <p>Thanks, and help would be awesome! </p>
September 6, 2011 at 8:57 pm #7772
Cameron Mizell	The key to sight reading is recognizing shapes and rhythms. There are only so many ways to put notes together, so the more you can recognize groups of notes as single, common patterns, the easier it is to get it right the first time. Once I got a handout in a music class that had the 14 Basic “Half-Bar” Jazz Rhythms. Basically, every combination of eighth notes, quarter notes, and rests, that could fit in 2 beats: Quarter Quarter Quarter Eighth Eighth Eighth Eighth Quarter Eighth Eighth Eighth Eighth Eighth Quarter Eighth Dotted Quarter, Eighth …and so on. Then, all those “half-bar” rhythms were combined to make the Finally, the 196 One Bar Jazz Rhythms. Finally, the 196 One Bar Jazz Rhythms written out again, but with ties over the bar, so you never play beat 1. We clapped and sang every bar of those handouts several times. I took it home and went over them on my own. Before long, I could recognize any rhythm no matter where it started in the bar. All those eighth note rhythms are easily translated to sixteenth notes. If you sit down and write out 196 bars of rhythm patterns, and think about how they sound as you’re doing it, I bet you’ll be setting up those ensemble hits like a pro in no time.
September 6, 2011 at 9:49 pm #7773
NonchalantSavant	I’ve had a theory about sight-reading, but have never been able to prove it. It’s sounds similar to what you did, Cameron – only less structured. But based on personal experience, I found that once I started transcribing music (started old school – by hand, with phonograph records), my sight-reading skills took off. There was something about hearing a rhythm, figuring it out and then writing it down on paper that really made the rhythmic patterns stick to the brain. It’s like the brain is saying “Oh, I’ve seen this pattern before..” and simply spits it out. At lightning speed. Anyhow – that’s what worked for me.
September 10, 2011 at 5:41 am #7783
Nick Rosaci	Both are great suggestions. Cam, that worksheet sounds like a great way to recognize rhythms! I dig that idea. Two things I’ll add is this: If you have any kind of daily routine, then read it while working on it. You may already have that routine memorized, but if you read it while playing, it will cause you to recognize patterns that you’re already playing. So, you may have no problem playing an eighth quarter eighth rhythm, but right now, you freak out when you see it on paper and can’t sightread it. Instead, practice that rhythm while looking at the notation. You’ve just created a mnemonic recognition. Also, you’re just going into college. No offense, but drummers and guitarists are usually expected to be the weakest readers going into college, so you have nothing to worry about. If you have reading issues by the time you get your degree, then it’s time to worry.
September 10, 2011 at 2:33 pm #7786
updog14	Thank you guys for all the replies, I really appreciate it. Cameron, do you still have that sheet by any chance? And thank you Nick for keeping it honest with me. So, that brings me to another question. If I can’t get the hang of reading by the end of college for some reason, how likely is it i’ll be able to have any sort of career with music? Thanks guys!
September 10, 2011 at 4:25 pm #7787
David J. Hahn	Lots of players are lousy sight-readers – even some of the guys I play with on Broadway. They talk about it all the time. It’s definitely very limiting to be a poor sight-reader, but it’s not required in the profession.
September 11, 2011 at 3:15 am #7789
Nick Rosaci	Ditto on Dave, however, you will be reading every day while in college. When I was in college, I got chewed out when I misread a phrase. I didn’t make that mistake twice. Not saying your professors will go off on you, but you’ll be in an environment where you’ll want to improve. Even IF sightreading won’t be your forte out of college, it will still be much better than it is at this moment. You’ll be fine.
September 11, 2011 at 5:47 am #7790
Cameron Mizell	I’m pretty sure I’ve got that worksheet somewhere, but believe me, you internalize the way the rhythms look much faster if you write them out. Speaking of writing stuff out, Nonchalant is right, transcribing helped my reading improve, too. As far as how much you read after school, to be honest with you, I haven’t had to sight read on a single gig this year. I’ve had plenty of gigs that required reading, but the charts were emailed to me at least 24 hours ahead of time. Otherwise I’m sent MP3s and have to learn by ear. The best paying gigs usually involve some reading. It’s definitely an advantageous and valuable skill.