Klarinet Archive - Posting 001221.txt from 1997/10
From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: sight-reading
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 14:07:18 -0500
At 10:42 PM 10/26/97 -0500, Virginia Scarfino wrote:
>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
>
Outstanding! Should be required reading for all students.
Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.
