Sight Reading Tips

INTRO

The key to the successful sight-reading

• Most of the sight-reading failure comes from pressure. You must calm yourself.

• You need to relax but stay focused. Can’t be distracted. Relaxing and focusing are not 2 opposite things.

• The goal is to read 2 bars ahead.
• You must be reading at least 2 beats ahead.

• Draw imaginary lines per subdivision.

First things first

• Go through the entire piece and red-pencil in if necessary.
• Make sure you notice the pulse changes if any, for example, the previous dotted quarter in 6/8 may become half in 4/4.

• Same as Time signature, make sure there’d be no surprises down the load.

• Most of the music is written in even numbered groups. An evenly dividable rule may not apply to modern music and Brazilian songs – watch out. Pencil divisions by phrases if necessary.

• 32 bars standard > 16 bars x 2

• 16 bars > 8 bars x 2

• 8 bars > 4 bars x 2

• 4 bars > 2 bars x 2

• 2 bars > 1 bar x 2
  • 2 bars can be felt 4 pulses, which can be divided into 2 pulses each

• 1 bar > 2 beats x 2

• Flor-de-lis by Djavan
  • One of the typical phrasings in popular Brazilian song. Notice the 3rd line where phrasing is 2 + 4.
    
    

RHYTHMS

1. This is an 8 bars phrase but is not printed in 4 bars each, which could trick you. It may be easier to pencil in a 4 bars marker.
2. See drawing the line makes it easier to feel the phrases.
3. Imagine or pencil in the pulse subdivisions by half note. Doing this, you can catch up after making a mistake or dropping out. Notice the benefit on bar 7.
4. Sing the rest! Singing the rest is very important especially when the rhythm is off the beat. Use syllable “en” to be groovy.
   In this example, I sing only the 8th rest. Do not get confused with the pencil marked lines.
   
5. Know the standard articulation when not clearly marked. Pay attention to bar 5. The quarter note is almost always short in this pattern.

• Complex time signatures
  • Assume the 8th note value is constant in this example below.
• An example to feel the pulse as shown
  • There are a few different ways to see the pulse depending on the music presented. This is just one of them. In this particular example, 3/4 needs to be felt in 2
  • The red line on the 7/8 measure is indicating the 4th quarter beat which you make it half short.
  • When 3/4 is written this way, you need to feel a group of three 8th notes.
    

PITCHES

IMPROVISE ON CHANGES

Let’s take a look at bar 9 and 10. Are all these minor chords Dorian? Is A♭7 Straight Mixo or Mixo #11 (Lyd♭7)? As the composer, I intended first 2 minor chords to be Dorian but F#-7 is Aeolian, and A♭7 to be Straight Mixo despite the fact it looks a subV, but you won’t know that since there is no theoretical basis for this.

• Don’t want to start with
• Don’t want to hold with
• Don’t want to stop with
• Don’t want to jump to

Again, the following chord tones are always safe to play.

• Easy to play
• Helps to memorize the changes
• Your improvising line will sound chord changes to the audience, which you must be able to do so

Playing 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 is usually consistent throughout the majority of the modes. The exception is Phrygian, which is rare if not diatonic functioning iii.

TRANSPOSITIONS

For C instrument player to read B♭and E♭parts

Add 2 flats and read everything 2nd below written. Note that adding 2 flats means 1 sharp becomes 1 flat.

Add 3 flats and read everything as if the clef is a Bass Clef instead of a Treble Clef. Note that adding 3 flats means 1 sharp becomes 2 flats.

Practice Practice Practice!

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