Jimbeaux - Posted - 11/15/2021:  02:23:33

Anyone done this? Do you have any tips?

I would love to learn to sight read. I tried and gave up once. I really prefer to learn by ear and memory, but there have been occasions where sight reading would have been a welcome skill to have in my pocket.

I can work out a melody based on dots, but only if I convert it to tab. It's an arduous process, so I usually rely on my ear only.

Just curios what has worked for others. Anyone know of an app that makes it into a fun game?

carlb - Posted - 11/15/2021:  04:12:14

The skill is fun to have. I can't give you advice for adult learning as I starting learning how to sight read when I was about 9. I think of it as a somewhat schizophrenic activity. I'm actually reading a bit ahead of what I'm playing and it's a continuous process.

When I retired, I could now spend time playing genres of music that I couldn't do when I was working. I play tin whistle for Irish music where there are many easily accessible transcriptions of tunes. My sight reading skills have allowed me to play up to speed from a notation while listening to a recorded version. I notice that about the 4th or 5th time through, I am starting to play the tune by ear and no longer really reading the music, though it takes longer for the tune to really stick.

I really can't say how hard it is to learn this skill as an adult, but I hope my description is of some use.

Swing - Posted - 11/15/2021:  04:16:29

I would suggest that you take a few tunes that you already know and find the dots for them and sight read.... it really is about becoming familiar with assigning a note (sound) with what you are seeing....it will take a little time, but if you dedicate 5 minutes every time you practice then you will get it... having both skills is important.

Play Happy

Swing

farmerjones - Posted - 11/15/2021:  05:03:35

I'm so "ear-bound" listening to an aural example skews the whole endeavor.
I suggest getting into the Fiddler's Fakebook. Finding a tune you don't know, and simply sus it out. Record what you think is your finished product. Then compare it to another aural example.

I have in the past done this. It's interesting how one picks it up. But! You got to use it or loose it.

TuneWeaver - Posted - 11/15/2021:  05:08:45

I'd suggest that you get some 'beginner' fiddle books and try to learn from them first..I taught myself to sight read.. Believe me, if I can do it YOU can do it.. I didn't start sight reading until I was about 30 years old..You have plenty of time, just plug away. It gets easier over time.......My ten year old grandaughter played the Suzuki "EAR ONLY" method for six years and just recently started sight reading.. and she is excited about it..Don't tackle difficult pieces first.......and MAYBE get some instruction..

pmiller510 - Posted - 11/15/2021:  05:48:42

Time and repetition is my suggestion. Not quite sure how to describe it other than that. I have learned to read fiddle music simply by working at pieces that I needed to learn. There always seem to be notes in fiddle tunes that I can't figure out by ear due to the speed played or my own particularly bad ear. It was often something that really made that particular tune unique. I got frustrated and started checking out online transcriptions where I would find the notes transcribed. I also ended up purchasing the Milner/Koken collection, Marion Thede, R.P. Christensen, etc. etc. and some others.

I picked a tune I wanted to learn and slowly worked my way through it. Eventually the tune, or the phrase, I was working was memorized and I left the paper behind. Then I would do the same with another tune. After a few years of doing this, possibly as many as five, I could say that I knew how to read fiddle music. Still not hugely fast, but I can do it. Main resource still, by far, is listening; but when notes are needed I use them.

Never did this as a specific routine by the way, just as I wanted/needed to learn tunes I was working on.

UsuallyPickin - Posted - 11/15/2021:  06:08:43

I have started again and again to learn to read music. First time attempting to learn to read lines for playing a trumpet at age ten or so. So far I am an abject failure. I know that it requires a daily input of information from practicing the skill. It's just that now when I sit down to play I want to play not suffer the grind of poorly following the dots. At sixty-nine years of age I am getting to the point of just giving up the process and depending on my ear and the ASD software. Yet I recognize the truth of having a competent reading skill in my pocket....... I understand all the various symbols but .... < sigh.

NCnotes - Posted - 11/15/2021:  10:16:01

Well, when I was learning classical guitar, it was inspiring because one of my friends/fellow students had started lessons when he retired at age 70. He learned quite well to read guitar sheet music and even wrote some of his own music adaptations. (In his younger days, he was a "playing in a bar and strumming cowboy chords" kind of guitar player.) I think secret of his success-
- lots of time to practice (since retired)!
- having a teacher to help out and assign music graded from easy/beginner and gradually getting harder

That said, I'm not sure reading sheet music is that helpful for getting better at fiddling? Having things written down can tend to "set the music in stone" and that's something I'm actually trying to get away from!

Maybe one way if you want to practice, is to play a tune you know quite well, while following along on the sheet music for it? The written notes should begin to connect with the sounded notes in your brain, eventually...

Woodcutter - Posted - 11/15/2021:  11:40:18

Jim, here are a few things to consider.

There was another thread this past week started by Tuneweaver about playing from the heart rather than just memorizing the notes (for those that can sight read) or a particular bowing (you will eventually find that several different bowing patterns will all give very satisfactory results).

Remember that there were many many great fiddlers that couldn't read a single note and didn't rely on tablature because it didn't exist (that I know of) back in their era.

I started fiddling (as an adult) and could read music since childhood --- so that became my method of learning. Long story short --- it soon became obvious that nobody played the tunes note for note from the books I learned from. And these people sounded really good. So I took the fiddle books, put them back on the library, and haven't used them since.

I guess what I'm saying is that, IMHO, your time would be far better spent:
a). listening to as much OT music as you can stand,
b). listening to as many different versions of the same tune as you can find,
c). practicing scales in the key of D, G, A, and C until you're comfortable with where the fingers fall on the fingerboard and your intonation is where you want it to be (easier said than done), and
d). play with as many other fiddlers as you can along with backup musicians when possible.

pete_fiddle - Posted - 11/15/2021:  11:50:04

Never did learn to sight read like a pro. Those folk can just real tunes off the pages, up to tempo, and even with feeling. That is a massive plus in anyone's playing skills. ..Ask em to play what they just played a few minutes ago without the dots and see what happens... But that doesn't detract from the awesome skill of sight reading up to tempo.

But i'm glad i learned to "Read" enough to be able to analyse and interpret different versions/settings of tunes. And a fragmentary remembered version of the dots, (usually only 2 bar phrases or so), sometimes helps me to play it how i like it to sound.

Lonesome Fiddler - Posted - 11/15/2021:  11:56:02

I was fortunate enough (or is that unfortunate enough?) to suffer through formal piano lessons as a child, so I got pretty fair with reading standard notation. In any event, however excellent my good fortune might have been, when it comes to fiddle playing, standard notation is pretty much a slam dunk. You're only doing one note or at most two notes at any one time so there are no vertical towers of notes to deal with. Once you suss out what key they want you to play in (via that damnable collection of flats & sharps at the beginning of every line), it's just a matter of following the dots up & down. The amount of time spent on each note is wonderfully logical & clear once you get the gist of it. Don't fear the page!

boxbow - Posted - 11/15/2021:  12:09:18

I had learned as a kid and had to relearn as an adult some 30+ years later. I don't think that's the same as learning from scratch. What I wanted to say, though, is that reading sheet music is just one more great tool. I find the major drawback is that it uses a different part of my brain. It's much harder to improvise on a tune I've learned by memorizing the dots than on a tune I've learned by ear. I'm happy to use both methods. I just have to practice the tune memorized from sheet music a whole lot more. Often they sound best when I learn them and then ignore them for a year or so. When I pick them up again I'm often very pleased with how they've aged in my head over the interim into "by ear" tunes. As an OT fiddler, most of my tunes are pretty reasonable to learn by ear. Part of the process is to get them to lay in the hand well. It seems to me that playing off sheet music adds a layer of processing between player and tune.

pete_fiddle - Posted - 11/15/2021:  12:21:20

There's a guy that i have played with a few times, (he plays mando and various other fretted instruments). He's like a human piano roll once he has located the correct dots in the massive amount of paper work he carries around with him. by then the tune has usually gone three times round though. I always want to vamp on a single chord while he rustles around, and finds the elusive page. Then start the tune all over again! Because he is such a fine player to play with once he has located the dots.

TuneWeaver - Posted - 11/15/2021:  12:33:30

There are many fine tunes in print that do not have audio recordings on a computer somewhere.. Being able to learn a tune without having heard it can be a priceless experience..

pete_fiddle - Posted - 11/15/2021:  12:52:57

Odd thing is that i almost never listen to a tune if i have the dots, before i have what i consider to be a "working version", from said dots. Then i'll go and have a listen to other folks interpretations. Sometimes it's uncanny how similar they are. Or surprising how different they are.

i am liking interpreting really obscure late 16th to early 19th century English tunes in juicy flat keys, with weird time sigs lately.

buckhenry - Posted - 11/15/2021:  16:10:06

I began reading music notation in my mid teens, I had a book of easy folk songs and a toy xylophone with each note named. I applied what I knew from high school music class and learnt to play a few tunes, must of been ok because my father recognized the tunes. Soon after I began playing drum kit and learnt to read rhythmic notation well. Then came the classical guitar and I learnt where the notes are on the instrument, I also took basic music theory classes. When it came to fiddling I was pretty well there with reading, but 'sight reading' took a special effort. I had a book of fiddle tunes and I would go through it marking tunes I could just play or would like to learn. I would memorize some easy tunes and kept reading and trying to play the harder ones. Due to the quantity of tunes I couldn't memorize all the easy ones, so I continued to read them. I didn't realize at the time but through that process my sight reading skill continued to improve. So I guess what I am trying to say is... play what you can read straight from the page, if necessary begin with easy children's songs, then gradually increase the difficulty of the tunes, beginner violin books are presented in increments of difficulty. Before sight reading you need to know the name of the notes and where they are on the violin, and you need to know the rhythm. That can/should be done before you attempt to play the tune from sight. Always read from the music notation without marking the sheet music, design a separate reminder sheet for reference.

Edited by - buckhenry on 11/15/2021 16:24:32

doryman - Posted - 11/15/2021:  16:37:03

There are legions of adult beginner piano players who learned to read music as adults, so it can be done. And those folks have to read for two hands and two different clefs! So it can be done!

TuneWeaver - Posted - 11/15/2021:  16:50:46

quote:

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Originally posted by doryman

There are legions of adult beginner piano players who learned to read music as adults, so it can be done. And those folks have to read for two hands and two different clefs! So it can be done!

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AMEN!!

Flat_the_3rd_n7th - Posted - 11/15/2021:  16:51:34

Learning to read notation is no harder than learning math, or charts. The thing is, you have to immerse yourself in it for awhile. There are rules, such as incidentals cancelling at the bar, but you can easily find online stuff about that. I suggest finding tunes you know by ear and finding them in notation and playing along. The printed key may be different, so you will have to work through that.

Folks shouldn't think that notation reading is hard, it simply isn't. No more difficult than reading the calendar.

As a musician that started with notation, then developed ear, I hold that everyone would benefit with both skills.

TuneWeaver - Posted - 11/15/2021:  17:35:11

I think that some people see all of the nomenclature and get intimidated.. Basic tunes use basic nomenclature and if one were to just stick with that at first they'd be ok. Jumping into sheet music that shows things like rests, long slurs, and cross measure slurs ....can make a beginner feel overwhelmed.. Again.. Don't be afraid to ask for help... Millions have learned to read music...If e 'knuckleheads" like me  can learn to read sheet music so can beginner Hangout members..

Edited by - TuneWeaver on 11/15/2021 17:35:56

Snafu - Posted - 11/15/2021:  18:42:32

Want to learn to sight read? Get a violin method book, preferably one that uses a genre other than old time or bluegrass, something that is new to you and your ears. I strongly suggest the Doflein series since it is targeted at adults. And no matter how many years, or decades, you have under the bow, get book one and start on page one.



If you are familiar with a public domain source like imslp.org then I suggest downloading the Wholfhart Op 38 - his elementary method. He wrote everything in that book himself so you can be sure that it is new to your ears. Also, once you have a month or so of sight reading experience then get Wholfhart’s Op 45 book of etudes. The etudes are designed to exercise sight reading skills and develop the link between your fingers and what you see.



I sight read new violin music/etudes almost every day. That said, I must admit that some days I would have to really think if quizzed about the note name of some random note on the page I’m playing from but I will know exactly what finger and string and place to put it on the soundboard. Being able to read sheet music “out loud” like it was a book is a very low priority skill to develop (in my opinion). But you need to develop the link between what you see (where a dot is positioned on the staff) and where your finger goes and the bow position to play that note.

Edited by - Snafu on 11/15/2021 18:45:44

Snafu - Posted - 11/16/2021:  08:56:10

quote:

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Originally posted by Snafu

Want to learn to sight read? Get a violin method book, preferably one that uses a genre other than old time or bluegrass, something that is new to you and your ears. I strongly suggest the Doflein series since it is targeted at adults. And no matter how many years, or decades, you have under the bow, get book one and start on page one.



If you are familiar with a public domain source like imslp.org then I suggest downloading the Wohlfahrt Op 38 - his elementary method. He wrote everything in that book himself so you can be sure that it is new to your ears. Also, once you have a month or so of sight reading experience then get Wohlfahrt's Op 45 book of etudes. The etudes are designed to exercise sight reading skills and develop the link between your fingers and what you see.



I sight read new violin music/etudes almost every day. That said, I must admit that some days I would have to really think if quizzed about the note name of some random note on the page I’m playing from but I will know exactly what finger and string and place to put it on the soundboard. Being able to read sheet music “out loud” like it was a book is a very low priority skill to develop (in my opinion). But you need to develop the link between what you see (where a dot is positioned on the staff) and where your finger goes and the bow position to play that note.

Edit to correct spelling of Wohlfahrt

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Edited by - Snafu on 11/16/2021 08:56:49

Brian Wood - Posted - 11/16/2021:  11:06:23

I taught myself to read fiddle tunes as an adult. It allows me to know vastly more tunes than just memorizing would. The end goal is usually memorization but having tunes written out lets me have access to lots of tunes. Reading tunes I've been playing for a while becomes quite easy as I become familiar with them until I can play them without music. There are several tunes I like to play that I'll probably always need music for too, and that's okay.



One thing that is important for me is finding sheet music that is not cluttered with a distraction of symbols like phrasing ties and bowing instructions, and too many other details. It is also much easier for me to read tunes written in 4/4 using eighth notes than 2/4 using 16th notes.



To that end I started transcribing tunes I wanted to learn several years ago. As I've mentioned before those tunes are all available online. I'm not selling anything.

fiddletunes.net

alaskafiddler - Posted - 11/16/2021:  14:39:32

Place a piece of paper in front of you and perform it cold, and nail it? Probably not really much need to ever do that for most fiddlers.

However, the ability to read, can be useful. The ability to that fairly quickly is useful.

As Brian mentioned.... Writing/transcribing helps reading skills (similar to language). A notation program like MuseScore (free) allows you play back MIDI and hear mistakes.

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I can work out a melody based on dots, but only if I convert it to tab.

Some folks use standard notation like tab. As mentioned "the link between what you see (where a dot is positioned on the staff) and where your finger goes". For example fiddle in standard tuning, in first position; the spaces represent even fingers, 0 (open), 2 or 4; the lines represent odd fingers 1 and 3.  As well there are tricks involving seeing sequential intervals, such as space to space, or line to line are third/fifth/seventh. That said, that can be a bit limited; and a common issue folks have is going note by note.

A perhaps better approach to reading is looking at more the big picture first.

One way can approach reading (and writing), similar to how many by ear players... is kind of top down process; first pass focus on getting the main elements, frame work of the basic tune. Next pass, and successive passes, get more of the details.

But perhaps more helpful, including to the above is recognizing how the tunes are structured and organized. This involves understanding music theory... which applies to any instrument. (as well as useful for playing by ear.)

For example, "why" is it in say key of D, and 6/8. Understanding meter and understanding the key... not simply as the math; number of #/b... but that identifies tonic, fifth, thirds, sixths...; as well has expectations of how and when notes are used... including harmonic flow, and typically conform to meter strong beats.  One example is chords, chord tones, phrases going from chord tone to chord tone; and typical chord arpeggios for key. (and embedded arpeggios) Can look at how notes link linear, from chord tone to chord tone. As well, how phrases begin, end and where chord changes likely to happen, cadences. There are other things learn to be looking for and quickly recognizing those makes reading easier. With this can start look at overall phrases contour and not just any notes but have certain expectations how contour will fit the key and meter.

Again, might start with transcribing phrases you know.

Edited by - alaskafiddler on 11/16/2021 14:42:19

RinconMtnErnie - Posted - 11/16/2021:  17:38:55

I think it would be easier to learn to sight read in general via singing, like in a choir. Because then you have a bunch of other people singing reading the same notes too keep you in tune.

Chances are you won't want to do that, though.

There are fiddle books that have accompanying CDs. You could listen to the CDs while reading the notes. That way you would be internalizing the tune and learning to read better at the same time.

RinconMtnErnie - Posted - 11/16/2021:  17:44:56

Reading the original post more carefully, I think I over-simplified. You can read, but you can't sight- read. I am a good sight reader on fiddle. But I was a bad sight reader on banjo. I had to convert everything to tab. In part that was because I used a lot of different tunings.

You might try playing slow airs. They're so slow you have lots of time to think things over. There are several collections out there. Chorales (for example church hymns) can also be like that.

Flat_the_3rd_n7th - Posted - 11/16/2021:  18:51:42

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brian Wood

To that end I started transcribing tunes I wanted to learn several years ago. As I've mentioned before those tunes are all available online. I'm not selling anything.

fiddletunes.net

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Upon which you do a top-notch job.  I have learned several tunes from your notation that I could not find elsewhere.

When it comes to folk music, I believe in learning the bare-bones melody of a tune, and then dressing it up with your own personal embellishment.  I think trying to learn something from a recording just makes you a wind-up toy reciting that person's style.

tboudre - Posted - 11/17/2021:  17:54:13

I have the book "Of Course You Can Learn To Read Music for the Fiddle" by Gordon Stobbe. It's for fiddle players of all levels it says. It's how I taught myself to sight-read at about 52-53. There are exercises on pg.'s 5 and 6. I made photocopies of them and using a pencil I did them during my lunch hour at work. When I completed the pg. I erased it and did it again (and again, etc) to get my speed up. I highly recommend it.

Jimbeaux - Posted - 11/23/2021:  01:48:46

Thanks everyone. I'm still on the fence about it, which means I won't do it till I'm more determined, I guess.

The main reason is that, here in Germany, people frequently bring sheet music to jam sessions. My idea is that, if I were really good at sight reading, I could attend Irish and Bluegrass sessions and be able to look at the dots like the person next to me likely would be doing.

I really appreciate all the responses!

Lonesome Fiddler - Posted - 11/23/2021:  12:58:01

It takes more than a reasonable amount of time & practice to get to the point where you can open a page and just start playing one of the tunes you see without a hitch...or even a couple of hitches. Fluency ain't easy.

Flat_the_3rd_n7th - Posted - 11/23/2021:  13:17:04

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lonesome Fiddler

It takes more than a reasonable amount of time & practice to get to the point where you can open a page and just start playing one of the tunes you see without a hitch...or even a couple of hitches. Fluency ain't easy.

---

Yes--it's easy to learn notation, but difficult to process unfamiliar music using it while at tempo.  Conversely, we can speak written words as fast as we can read them because we kind of anticipate what the next phrase is, but I find my speed at playing while sight-reading has a limit.

Notation (and tab, too, really) shines in helping memorize or document the piece.

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 11/23/2021:  15:59:02

If you want to learn to sightread, a violin teacher can give some great guidance and provide the feedback you need. If you want to get better, play in an orchestra, even if it’s a small community one. You’ll have to do a decent amount of sightreading there and you’ll advance much faster than you would on your own. Sometimes drinking from the firehose is the best way to accomplish the goal.

NCnotes - Posted - 11/23/2021:  18:19:27

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jimbeaux

The main reason is that, here in Germany, people frequently bring sheet music to jam sessions. My idea is that, if I were really good at sight reading, I could attend Irish and Bluegrass sessions and be able to look at the dots like the person next to me likely would be doing.

---

Jealous! I can sightread fast, especially if in first position. But at every jam/session I've been to here, the rule is no sheet music, everybody plays from memory. It's a good rule, I'm not complaining.  :-)



Sightreading just takes practice...just be sure to start with slow simple tunes (i.e. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star level) and maybe tunes you already know, and work your way up slowly...



Here's a start...the first thing I learned when reading music was "Every Good Boy Does Fine".

Because starting from the bottom line and going up, the lines of the treble clef are these notes: E, G, B, D, F 

Snafu - Posted - 11/24/2021:  08:59:54

I get the desire to start sight reading with simple, known tunes but after the first couple of plays you unconsciously move to playing from memory, especially if you have some playing experience. Once at that stage, learning to sight read all but stops. No wonder so many fiddlers attempt to learn to sight read but give up. It’s the mental equivalent of “no pain, no gain” for building muscle strength. That’s why I recommended learning sight reading by playing new simple tunes that are completely new to your ear.

So what about the Suzuki violin method series? Even the Suzuki violin book begins with twinkle and then moves on to some drills composed by Suzuki himself. But then he soon moves on to very familiar classical pieces. These were all intended to be memorized by kids and played from memory. The Suzuki method was not designed to teach sight reading, at least in the first couple of books.

fiddlenbanjo - Posted - 11/29/2021:  22:44:02

Considering the fact that it takes very little time to learn the note names in standard notation, I can't see any reason other than laziness not to do it if one sees any benefit from being able to read a little. The hard part for me has always been the rhythms, the different rests that are used, etc. But most fiddle tunes are pretty straightforward, mainly using eighth and quarter notes. Simple fiddle tunes are actually a great way to learn to read notation.

TuneWeaver - Posted - 01/24/2022:  09:48:46

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jimbeaux

Anyone done this? Do you have any tips?



I would love to learn to sight read. I tried and gave up once. I really prefer to learn by ear and memory, but there have been occasions where sight reading would have been a welcome skill to have in my pocket.



I can work out a melody based on dots, but only if I convert it to tab. It's an arduous process, so I usually rely on my ear only.



Just curios what has worked for others. Anyone know of an app that makes it into a fun game?

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I learned to site read as adult.... I recommend that you get a skilled person to break it down for you.. Simple things like 'repeats' slurs, and the difference between two barred notes and two flagged notes,   grace notes can be confusing.. Once you learn that language it is much less intimidating..A quick look at a music theory for dummies will be helpful.. Get a helper...please..

Peghead - Posted - 02/02/2022:  17:49:30

Sight reading single line melodies won't be difficult at all, especially if you already can play. I haven't looked into it but there's probably dozens of on-line methods to choose from. It's like typing!

Dick Hauser - Posted - 05/21/2022:  09:11:00

First learn the chromatic scale, diatonic scale, and basic chord theory. That way, you will be aware of why you play certain notes.

Practice scales. I recommend getting a recording where an excellent fiddler/violinist, plays one and two octave scales for the keys that are most frequently played. Playing along with the recording will educate your ear and familiarize you with what each note sounds like. Be aware of which note you are playing. Play slowly. That make your intonation mistakes easier to detect and to correct. Some beginners have told me that playing along with the recording also helped their rhythm.

At first, play the simplest tunes you can find. The tune is not important. Your learning to see the notation and play the correct note(s) is the main thing. Play as little ornamentation as possible.
Note recognition and being able to play the note is your first goal. Deal with one new thing at a time. After you can play what you see, start learning bowing patterns and dynamics. And these things can vary depending on the type of music you play.

Playing some other stringed instrument will NOT help with bowing. Get Gordon Stobbe's DVD "12 Things Your Right Hand Should Know". Get started bowing correctly and being able to apply dynamics to your fiddling. It will also teach you some essential bowing patterns, and how to apply the proper bowings dynamics. That way, what you play will sound like music, not typing.

Swing - Posted - 05/21/2022:  14:44:12

All have made very good very good suggestions on learning to read music... I totally agree with using Gordon Stobbe's 12 Things You Right Hand Should Know...in fact it is on YouTube in an abbreviated format but worth viewing and bookmarking, and most important, USING.

Play Happy

Swing

gapbob - Posted - 05/21/2022:  20:16:37

Remember that two different parts of the brain are being used when you learn by ear and by sight. Unless you are really into sight reading, i would suggest learning it well enough to play tunes slowly, then record yourself, then listen to it, so you can learn by ear. Learning by ear is easier and allows for you to recall tunes more easily, which is a big impediment to playing.

Creole - Posted - 05/23/2022:  11:05:43

So what exactly IS Sight Reading? Yes I looked it up but still cornfused. Is it like watching a UTube Vid and mimicking?  I a trying to laern to read Music after playing tab and learning the fret notes etc.  Feel like this is a good way but would  Sight reading be helpful??

Edited by - Creole on 05/23/2022 11:07:14

Lonesome Fiddler - Posted - 05/23/2022:  12:50:50

Creole -- Sight reading is the art/practice/method of looking at a page of traditional music notation and actually, physically playing that music on your instrument. You see the notes in front of you. Your fingers follow what the notes tell you to do.

Edited by - Lonesome Fiddler on 05/23/2022 12:51:18

buckhenry - Posted - 05/23/2022:  16:44:44

Play or sing from the notation at 'first sight'; not having seen it before.

Creole - Posted - 05/24/2022:  04:54:53

Sounds like I have a ways to go. :) I have the Learning Essentials book I am just starting out to read music. Feels like a necessary step with Violin even though I can mimic a few tunes by ear and finger position. Played Guitar now for several years so it is helping I suppose. At 60 I thought it would be a fun new thing. Once I got over the going back into slow motion feeling over with anyways haha. Thanks for the info from Ya'll.

alaskafiddler - Posted - 05/24/2022:  15:10:27

quote:

---

Originally posted by Creole

So what exactly IS Sight Reading? Yes I looked it up but still cornfused. Is it like watching a UTube Vid and mimicking?  I a trying to laern to read Music after playing tab and learning the fret notes etc.  Feel like this is a good way but would  Sight reading be helpful??

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Many folks idea of sight reading is being able to perfectly execute a performance of unfamiliar music unrehearsed, just from sight on the spot. How useful depends. Not many situations call for that skill.

That said, many folks use reading notation in various ways, some might seem like that sight reading, but it's not quite. Can be useful.

Some folks more about being quick readers. Helps to quickly get the basic gist... more of starting point. Don't need to sort out the notes... someone already has. Still need to rely on aspects of familiarity of sound, interpretation, still need to take that and work out aspects. Often involves rehearsing it.   Would it work in a live situation such as jam, of unfamiliar tune? Probably not to lead... but could use to follow.

As well, while might see using notation when performing, it's more of reminder of what they already worked out and practiced. Might not be literally be paying attention to each note... just overall glance, or that one bit. (kind of like having lyric sheet/chord chart in front of you)

There are some situations, might have some notation, or just lead sheet, using it for reading the structure (rhythmic and harmonic), may just chords, or bass line; or simple melodic line; as some structural guidance to improv over.

Brian Wood - Posted - 05/24/2022:  15:53:25

I don't sight read very fast, but I do read. I can keep a lot more tunes organized in a binder than I can keep in my head. As I learn tunes I need the sheet music less and less for ones I get to know well, although I might look them up in my tunebook to remind myself when I can't remember how they start. So the ones I know well, I look and am reminded and go on to play from memory. The ones I know half well I half read, etc. It's not all or nothing. While "sight reading" can be defined as reading unfamiliar material at "first sight", the term is often used loosely. Whatever you call it it's about finding the way that works for you.

Lonesome Fiddler - Posted - 05/27/2022:  12:59:50

I know I've mentioned this previously, but when it comes to sight-reading the fiddle has got to be the easiest instrument of them all. Ninety-percent of the time you're only playing a single note at a time. If you are playing folk/bluegrass/old-time music, chances are much better than even that your noting hand will never need to get out of first position. For me, at least, the most difficult thing when it comes to playing fiddle music off the page is scrunching my middle finger backwards to properly intone a C Natural on the A string. To be sure, when you've got the fiddle tuned for cross or black mountain, things can get a bit tricky, but I don't think I've ever seen a cross or black mountain tune that was actually written down.

TuneWeaver - Posted - 05/27/2022:  13:15:17

There is sight reading and there is sight reading..Supposedly, a good sight reader can look at new music and play it right off.. Most of us aren't that talented, I suspect.. However, being able to take new sheet music and after a short time be able to get what I want out of sheet music is what I call sight reading..

It may take a few (several) times through to 'get' what the notes are saying.. Sight reading is Normally not a goal in itself but a means to an end..Once I've gone over sheet music enough, I don't need it anymore..I seldom play music as it is written but had I not been able to work with the sheet music would have made learning a lot harder..

I could be wrong but I THINK that some classical musicians  when in training are Challenged to read sheet music by sight... I'd find that Very stressful.

Learning to 'sight read' was one of the best things I've done musically.. I started teaching my self  to read music when I was 30.. struggling with sheet music..Now, 46 years later.. I still have to THINK before I play sheet music, but generally it is pretty easy to understand what the sheet music is trying  to tell me...Learning to read music was well worth the effort..

Edited by - TuneWeaver on 05/27/2022 13:26:54

buckhenry - Posted - 05/27/2022:  16:25:33

quote:

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Originally posted by TuneWeaver

There is sight reading and there is sight reading..Supposedly, a good sight reader can look at new music and play it right off.. Most of us aren't that talented,

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That's correct Lee, this is the true definition of the term..."Sight Reading", if you're doing anything else it's just defined as ..."reading music".

And I'm not sure there is a 'talent' for sight reading music, it actually takes very much practice to develop and maintain the skill.

But, it will be needed in a situation like this.....

The main reason is that, here in Germany, people frequently bring sheet music to jam sessions. My idea is that, if I were really good at sight reading, I could attend Irish and Bluegrass sessions and be able to look at the dots like the person next to me likely would be doing.