Sight Reading & Sight Singing

Sight Reading and Singing are the terms used for the ability to read and sing a piece of music previously unseen and unrehearsed. Relating the look of the notes on a score into their recognised audible sounds. Many vocalists sing by ear and never find the need to learn to sight read, but 'Session' and 'Classical' Singers will need to be able to read sheet music on first sight. A competent sight reader can use their skills to learn songs faster, deputise with any band and gain session work with producers and studios so it's definately worth learning and regardless of the form of singing you choose, learning to read and sing music can be fun as well as useful! There are many freeware and shareware music games and programs available for learning to read music, some of which are provided below. Happy Note's games are suitable for all ages and the Music Tutor for teens upwards. Those of you with a piano or keyboard available can use it to learn sight reading/singing by writing the note names onto a piece of sheet music and repetitively striking the proper note (e.g. "C") in it's various locations (the number depending on how many sets of octaves your keyboard has) then naming (or singing) it out loud as it is struck.

C,C#,D,D#,E,E#,F#,G,Ab,A,Bb,B,C

In each 'Octave' there are a total of seven white keys (C,D,E,F,G,A,B). C is the note to the left of the groups of two black keys. The other notes are placed successively after C. The black notes denote sharps and flats and the pattern of two black and three black keys is the key to recognizing the position of any given note (e.g. the note D is easily seen as that note which lies between the groups of two black keys). Learn Piano Chords on the Virtual Piano!

Some easy to remember sayings to help remember the lines & spaces. Lines in the Treble “E G B D F” - Every Good Boy Deserves Favour Lines in the Bass “G B D F A” - Good Boys Deserve Favour Always Spaces in the Treble “F A C E” - As it reads Face! Spaces in the Bass “A C E G” - All Cows Eat Grass Another method which is commonly used is known as Solfege which is a system used to sing

melodies.

10 Free Sight Reading Tips Ten amazing free secrets help to sight-read any sheet music notation for piano, by Howard Richman the author of Super Sight-reading Secrets at Sound Feelings. This free information provides self-study tools and solutions on reading music like a professional. Sight reading takes time to improve, as with any self-improvement program, but these helpful tips will show you how to get there faster than you ever believed possible! 1 Develop Your “Relative” Sense of Touch. Acquire the skill of playing so that you don”t need to look down at your hands. Without looking at the keyboard, glide your hands so you feel the two and three black keys (like Braille.) When you need a C, D, or E, feel for the “2s.” When you need an F, G, A, or B, feel for the “3s.” 2 Develop Your “Absolute” Sense of Touch. Always sit in the same place. Middle “D” is recommended because it creates a symmetrical pattern in both directions. 3 Practice Finger Technique Without Looking at Your Hands. A creative way to do this is to play your scales and arpeggios in the dark. This will add confidence to your sense of touch. 4 Learn the Four Groups of the Lines and Spaces: Lines in the Treble “E G B D F” Lines in the Bass “G B D F A” Spaces in the Treble “F A C E” Spaces in the Bass “A C E G”

5 Practice Only the Rhythmic Information. In a composition you are working on, ignore the correct pitches. 6 Practice Only the Pitch and Fingering Information. In a composition you are working on, ignore the correct rhythm. 7 Play Easy Pieces up to Tempo. Force yourself to keep going no matter what. Don”t worry about mistakes. This helps you to look ahead. 8 Play Difficult Pieces Super Slowly. Don”t dare make even one mistake. This helps to develop accuracy. 9 Look For Patterns in Music. Don”t be afraid to look way ahead for a second just so you can anticipate what will be easy or difficult. Patterns are easy. If you detect a pattern then you can devote your concentration to other things. 10 Study Music Theory. Professional sight-readers never read every note! They get a sense of the overall chord and “fill-in” the blanks. With a solid knowledge of music theory, this becomes natural and immediate.