Klarinet Archive - Posting 001205.txt from 1997/10

From: Virginia Scarfino <scarfinv@-----.net>
Subj: Re: sight-reading
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 23:37:10 -0500

Amy made the following comment:
I can't sight read on my own because I can't play the music
unless I know how > it goes!!

I found this an interesting comment. Because in fact, a very
simple definition of a good sight-reader is someone who can play
music that they "*don't* know how it goes".

So how does one become a good sight-reader? Many people have
stated, by doing it! Over and over again. I agree with this
completely - but I think a little more can be said on the topic.

I think that playing in ensembles that do a lot of reading is a
great way - because in an ensemble, you've got a metronome
standing at the front of the group, and you've got to keep going
no matter what happens. Good sight-readers may actually often
miss notes, but they play through them, and manage to keep their
time and place in the music. When sight-reading, staying with
the group (whether large or small) is really key. In one group I
played in we used to joke that the only difference between the
1st chair players and the 2nd and 3rd chair players was their
ability to "fake it" - they played wrong notes and kept their
place in the music, rather than dropping out as soon as they hit
a difficult spot. Once you drop out it can be hard to get back
in - sort of like trying to jump on a moving train. It's better
to just ride out the difficult parts, play a few wrong notes,
and keep on going, you're bound to get back into easier waters
once again.

But what else helps make a good sight reader? Good technique
sure does. As someone stated, if you practice scales and
arpeggios (either directly, or embedded in your etudes), you
will be to recognize patterns in the music and your fingers will
start to do them automatically. This allows you to look ahead
at what is coming up, while your fingers "playing by rote". My
teacher used to always remind me to read ahead, just like you
were driving a car. When you drive a car, your eyes need to be
looking ahead, not focused on the piece of road 2 feet in front
of your front bumper. You've got to looking ahead for the stop
signs, the curves in the road, and for the speed limits (do you
get to speed up, or do you have to slow down!)

Another thing that makes a good sight reader someone who has had
some ear training, and perhaps sung in some choirs. If you can
recognize the intervals coming up and what they should sound
like, you can actually "hear" the line of music in your head
before you actually play it. If you can pitch the note mentally
before playing it, chances are you'll be much better in tune as
well.

And finally, a good sight-reader is also a good listener. When
you're in an ensemble, you have to hear the beat and what others
are doing with it. You need to recognize the person or section
playing quarters, so that you can fit your eighths or sixteenths
in with them exactly (and maybe they aren't as fast as you
thought they'd be!), Of if you have quarters, listen for som
eone playing eighths or sixteenths, so that you can fit your
simpler rhythm in with theirs. There's nothing worse than
*rushing* on quarters or eighths, just because they're easy,
when someone else has to play many more notes in the same space
of time.

Well, in hindsight, this was a pretty long post - but I just
felt there were so many things to be about sight-reading!

Ginny Scarfino
Scarfinv@-----.net

   
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