Traits that make a great sight reader?

GeorgeB

Yeah, I'm guilty.

fels

I agree with Rowuk's earlier comments as a fundamental basis for sight reading. I will add:

Like any other skill -- you have do do it a lot. Accept sub invitations, play pieces you have not seen before.

Take a few minutes to survey the piece and perhaps mark the score. OK, the purists a say that is no longer sight reading. But down beats are down beats and a little visual reminder helps.

Listen to those around you. Accepting the music will help in terms of understanding your part and being able to play on sight.

BigDub

@fels said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:

I agree with Rowuk's earlier comments as a fundamental basis for sight reading. I will add:

Like any other skill -- you have do do it a lot. Accept sub invitations, play pieces you have not seen before.

Take a few minutes to survey the piece and perhaps mark the score. OK, the purists a say that is no longer sight reading. But down beats are down beats and a little visual reminder helps.

Listen to those around you. Accepting the music will help in terms of understanding your part and being able to play on sight.

This is very good. As I read this, I realize these are things I have been trying to do. It has helped, for sure. The point is, I think there are traits that enable some to be naturally better at sight reading than people like myself, who struggle with it more.
Often there is no time to preview a piece. There’s a book full of music, and you don’t always have an idea what is going to come up next, so you might have but a few moments to get an overview of it.
It is like everything else, really. Practice, repetition ( but with different music every time ) and scan ahead a little wherever possible.

GeorgeB

If you are playing a new piece, and if you have the time, scanning it is number one on my list. I'll sing it to myself while making mental notes.
Unfortunately you don't always have the time to scan, Sometimes it's just a quick peek and away you go.

Dr GO

@bigdub said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:

@fels said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:
Often there is no time to preview a piece. There’s a book full of music, and you don’t always have an idea what is going to come up next, so you might have but a few moments to get an overview of it.

Perhaps a course in speed reading may help your sight reading skills!

BigDub

@dr-go said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:

@bigdub said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:

@fels said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:
Often there is no time to preview a piece. There’s a book full of music, and you don’t always have an idea what is going to come up next, so you might have but a few moments to get an overview of it.

Perhaps a course in speed reading may help your sight reading skills!

Sounds like homework.

Curlydoc

@bigdub I use the For Score program on my large iPad . I have all the trumpet parts for all of our community band’s repertoire loaded. I can quickly create or change playlists. The first time I look at a piece, I use my finger to highlight in red the important data such as key changes, codas , etc. If our director makes changes, it is easy to add them or remove them. It is much lighter and less fuss than hauling big folders of paper to practices and gigs. No additional music light is needed. Page turning can be done with a finger tap or a foot pedal. Revolutionary!

Richard III

@curlydoc said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:

@bigdub I use the For Score program on my large iPad . I have all the trumpet parts for all of our community band’s repertoire loaded. I can quickly create or change playlists. The first time I look at a piece, I use my finger to highlight in red the important data such as key changes, codas , etc. If our director makes changes, it is easy to add them or remove them. It is much lighter and less fuss than hauling big folders of paper to practices and gigs. No additional music light is needed. Page turning can be done with a finger tap or a foot pedal. Revolutionary!

LMAO. Yup, old guy used the stupid letters. Anyway, all that sounds great until the thing malfunctions right in the middle of a performance. I've seen it happen to others. "Sorry, folks, were going to take a break while I get my device working again."

I'd love to find a device that shows three pages at the same time so no page turns are necessary. Anybody have one?

BigDub

I am not joking here. I see a possible app or program coming where the player will be able to see a progress bar running below the staff indicating a very close proximity to where one should be in the music.
The tempo would have to be adhered to, naturally. I could see this being possible.
I would definitely like something like that.

Dr GO

@bigdub said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:

...I see a possible app or program coming where the player will be able to see a progress bar running below the staff indicating a very close proximity to where one should be in the music.
The tempo would have to be adhered to, naturally. I could see this being possible.
I would definitely like something like that.

Even better, the player can progress to the bar, order and then consume a gin and tonic, inhabitations then released, go back to the stage and read through the music like a pro at a tempo whatever the player damn well sees fit to play without stifling limitations!

I definitely like something like that.

Dale Proctor

What we really need is an app that just plays the dang trumpet for us...

BigDub

@dale-proctor said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:

What we really need is an app that just plays the dang trumpet for us...
I know you don’t want that

Dale Proctor

@bigdub said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:

@dale-proctor said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:

What we really need is an app that just plays the dang trumpet for us...

I know you don’t want that

Of course I was joking, but I don’t want to follow the bouncing ball on an iPad that turns the pages for me, either...

BigDub

@dale-proctor said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:

@bigdub said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:

@dale-proctor said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:

What we really need is an app that just plays the dang trumpet for us...

I know you don’t want that

Of course I was joking, but I don’t want to follow the bouncing ball on an iPad that turns the pages for me, either...

True.

GeorgeB

Well at 85 I wouldn't mind having an app that played the dang trumpet for me. I just play for the applause anyway.

Dale Proctor

@georgeb said in Traits that make a great sight reader?:

Well at 85 I wouldn't mind having an app that played the dang trumpet for me. I just play for the applause anyway.

I guess you could buy one of those electronic bugles that plays Taps and use it for military funerals, but there would be no applause...