5-Minute Read: Sight Reading Strategies

Ask every college music teacher on the planet what they wish their incoming freshmen can do better.  Though there will be a variety of responses, the majority will likely give you this simple answer: "read music." That's not to say that vast numbers of incoming college music students can't read music.  They just don't read it that well unfortunately.  More complex rhythms, sharp-or-flat-heavy key signatures, accidentals, style markings: handing a young musician a new piece of music that contains these elements will often stop them in their tracks as they attempt to make their way through a first reading.Like all difficult performance areas, practice is the key to improving this facet of our students' musical skills.  Unfortunately, sight-reading is often pushed out of the picture in the daily rehearsal curriculum of many school band programs.  This occurs for a number of reasons, but mostly for one reason: Bands often have less rehearsal time now than they a generation ago, and in our rush to present a finished product, we fear giving up precious time to sight-read.However, there's always time to work sight-reading into your curriculum.  All it takes is some planning and discipline, and you'll see that the time spent developing sight-reading is paid back in spades as your band becomes much more adept at assimilating new music.

Use Rhythm Sheets

Students think they're too advanced to play them, and you often don't enjoy them yourself as the director.  But using rhythm sheets that you clap, count, and play can be the greatest tool for developing rhythm reading in your band.  There are excellent published rhythm methods, dozens of free rhythm sheets you can search for on the web, and you can always make your own.  Focus on actually counting and clapping them before playing them.  Then add scale walking exercises that your students travel through on each note of the rhythm exercises.  If students think they're too advanced to read rhythm exercises, have them play individually at sporadic intervals; they'll discover that there's plenty of challenge in a daily rhythm regimen!

Play in Every Key

Learning to perform and sight-read in sharp/flat-heavy keys relies on playing in every key signature.  So make sure you tackle the "one scale per week" plan with your band (see my post regarding warm-ups in every key), and keep going back to review older scales.  By the time you've rehearsed E major up and down, a sight-reading exercise in Db major is a breeze!

Do it Everyday

Make sight-reading an everyday occurrence.  Remember, one side of the folder can be works you're rehearsing for performance, while the other side can be filled with sight-reading music.  In addition, as I pointed out earlier, some of the sigh-reading works can be compositions that you're evaluating for a performance later in the year.  And remember, you don't have to sight-read the whole piece!  You can choose 1/3rd of a work to sight-read.

Start Small and Easy

If you sight-read everyday, then you can start with small parts of easier works, and slowly work your ensemble into more difficult literature as they progress.  Think of how much music your band could read if they sight-read everyday for six months!  And by starting easier, your students can be held to a higher standard with less initial frustration on their part.

Have a System and Don't Stop!

The best sight-reading bands always have a system in place.  My favorite is the S.T.A.R.S. method outlined in the Essential Elements 2000 method book +:

1. S - Sharps or flats in the key signature
2. T - Time signature and Tempo markings
3. A - Accidentals not found in the key signature
4. R - Rhythms; silently count the more difficult notes and rests
5. S - Signs, including dynamics, articulations, repeats and endings

For every sight-reading piece, set a timer for yourself and your students to work through this system before attempting to read it down.  By the time festival judges see your band sight-read, they'll be absolute pros!

Every New Piece is Sight-Reading!

Every time your band is handed a new piece, treat it with the same sight-reading plan.  Be it marching, concert, or chamber music, be it parade, stands, half-time, or holiday concert works, don't change your approach.  If you follow this plan, you'll find that your students become proud of the amount of literature they can absorb, and you'll experience a lot fewer headaches in teaching your band to perform new works.  Good luck to you!

+Lautzenheiser, Tim, Paul Lavender, John Higgins, Tom C. Rhodes, and Charlie Menghini. Essential Elements 2000. Book 2. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1999.