Sight Reading Practice

[rkl312]

Does anyone have any suggestions for sight reading exercises?  I mean besides playing songs from songbooks. 

[Cindy]

1 hour ago, rkl312 said:

Does anyone have any suggestions for sight reading exercises?  I mean besides playing songs from songbooks. 

Hi rkl312. Sight reading involves more than just reading through music. Your aim is to be reading at least one or two notes ahead of where you are playing. Initially you won't be able to do that, but that should be your goal. Some people can read an entire measure ahead of where they are playing, but start by *trying* to read one note ahead. It's similar to keeping your eyes looking further down the road when you drive rather than to just look at what is immediately in front of your vehicle. And don't stop to fix mistakes. Try to keep an even tempo and play through an entire song without stopping.

True sight reading involves reading a piece of music for the first time--never having seen it previously. But if you aren't regularly practicing a particular piece music, you can periodically pick it up and just run through it from start to finish.

I have a music education degree. During my instrumental methods class (class to learn how to teach instrumental music), my professor told us what he did to teach his students how to sight read. He held up a sheet of paper over top of the music. As his students would sight read through the piece, he'd move the paper covering the notes the student was to be playing making them look ahead a beat or two. 

Give it a try. It's something you will need to focus on until it becomes second nature.

[Grog]

1 hour ago, rkl312 said:

Does anyone have any suggestions for sight reading exercises?  I mean besides playing songs from songbooks. 

Here's one Idea.....I have a couple sites I use.

 

http://musicards.net/

[rkl312]

Thank you Cindy for the great advice.  I thinks it's awesome that you studied music in college.  

[rkl312]

3 minutes ago, Grog said:

Here's one Idea.....I have a couple sites I use.

 

http://musicards.net/

Thank you for the link Grog.  

[V7#5b9]

@rkl312 You may want to try Music Reading for Guitar THE COMPLETE METHOD by David Oakes. It’s currently not available on the US amazon site, so I’m giving you the Canadian link. 

[rkl312]

6 minutes ago, V7#5b9 said:

@rkl312 You may want to try Music Reading for Guitar THE COMPLETE METHOD by David Oakes. It’s currently not available on the US amazon site, so I’m giving you the Canadian link. 

Awesome!  Thanks.

[Blue Dog]

You can take any music piece and read it to  a set 40 on the metronome , read it forward and backwards  read two bar forward and the next two backwards. that is what the book I have teaches you .I starts out 1/4 notes then up to 16t notes . and you try to read head and say the notes on time .

[Blue Dog]

Here is the link to the book I have it is complete. beginner to master http://www.musiciansfriend.com/books-sheet-music-media/hal-leonard-guitarists-guide-to-music-reading-book-dvd-rom/j05720000000000?cntry=us&source=3WWRWXMP&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=[ADL] [MF] [Non-Brand] [PLA] [US] [Enhanced] [Shopping] - Generic&utm_term=1100506610674&utm_content=PLA - Product Type&kwid=bingproductads-adid^13788109092-device^c-plaid^1100506610674-sku^J05720000000000@ADL4MF-adType^PLA#

Edited January 14, 2018 by Blue Dog

[rkl312]

3 hours ago, Blue Dog said:

Here is the link to the book I have it is complete. beginner to master http://www.musiciansfriend.com/books-sheet-music-media/hal-leonard-guitarists-guide-to-music-reading-book-dvd-rom/j05720000000000?cntry=us&source=3WWRWXMP&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=[ADL] [MF] [Non-Brand] [PLA] [US] [Enhanced] [Shopping] - Generic&utm_term=1100506610674&utm_content=PLA - Product Type&kwid=bingproductads-adid^13788109092-device^c-plaid^1100506610674-sku^J05720000000000@ADL4MF-adType^PLA#

Thank you Blue Dog.