Sight Reading for the Classical Guitar by Robert Benedict

Try

Sight Reading for the Classical Guitar Daily sight reading material with emphasis on interpretation, phrasing, form, etc.

by

Robert Benedict

ml

[Alfred!

LEVEL I Before Playing look at the Time Signature

-

Clap the rhythm.

Look at the complete line of music before beginning to play. Play slowly, and read ahead. For the first two levels, it is especially important to count out loud. Notes on the first string. 1 1— °

p < ••

3 «

1

—e

«»

1

9

—— | V

—e

1

gB—4

I1

r°

'

°

o

£-e

,pn

1

9

1 p

i

j r

r 1 "— i H

FORM: Eight measures make up a musical period, usually divided into two four-measure phrases. The first is called the "antecedent phrase" and the second is called the "consequent phrase". It is very natural for a period to be divided into two equal parts, as in the following.

Q A or : rfr^

p

19

1

o

—e

1

n

y

.

9

-f

3

1

]

Er

"•••s

f1 2—— i °

n 1

i Feel the pulse of four beats per bar; accent counts 1 and 3. A_ -3

fe

4

E

-

Make an effort to play from the beginning to the end of a line without stopping.

Before Playing look at the Time Signature

-

Clap the ittythm.

Here we have a typical period, shaped musically with two crescendos. DYNAMICS: Dynamic markings .r n—• indicate inflections of vokuneLThe use of dynamics will help to bring alive the simplest pieces.

* ji4 " fin \5l/ *

-y

y

1 i —i —i —i \—"

>J

—'* ri ri ri ri — -— f -—

~

=

"

1I II

Memorize this chart of dynamic markings.

0

P

/fRn J4 i M

pp

p

mp

pianissimo very soft

piano soft

mezzo-piano 'medium' soft

P

T-*

—I

•

n lezzo-forte 'm edium' loud

j

«-

•

forte loud

ff fortissimo very loud

i

"

nH

Feel the offbeat, or syncopated, rhythm. (Syncopated rhythms generally recur throughout a piece.)

r r fir r Notes on the second string.

1

dH-^ rft \ o

1

3

^

^N

f*

*.*

i

*.*

B

~T °

Learn to recognize phrases when they are not indicated on the music. Read ahead.

Syncopation.

ftlr

i

^3

19

1

•

P

\"'

1

v

Children especially have a need and ability to express music with dynamics. With the teacher's help, this aspect of a student's performance can easily be encouraged.

v

n

II 1

Before Playing look at the Time Signature

r

13

- Clap the rhythm.

ir

Q

Here the time signature of ? is introduced. Feel the pulse of three beats per bar (rather than four) - accent the first beat of each bar.

r r ir i Some of the more unusual phrase lengths, such as three or five measures, create lovely musical effects.

i P

Watch for patterns of repeated notes. Read ahead.

r r r J J J

r 41

n't.

1i

Y

17

Before Playing look at the Time Signature

- Clap the rhythm.

Do not let your eyes linger on the longer note values. Read as far ahead as possible in single-line pieces. Feel the changes of rhythm in the second line. Play slowly.

42 decresc.

cresc.

r T r if r

P3?

rit. -

decresc.

Listen to the lower part, which is the melody of this little piece.

J:

r f 'r r !r rJr r 'f r f

J:

44

f

r

i

J:

r

r

r

rit.

Try to dynamically balance pieces written in two parts. Listen carefully to your playing.

r

18 INTERVALS

An interval is the distance between two notes; when the notes are played at the same time, the interval is referred to as "harmonic", and when the notes are played one after the other, the interval is "melodic". In Level Three for the most part we will be sight reading either melodies with accompaniment, or contrapuntal pieces, the fingers taking the upper part and the thumb playing the lower part. Because we are playing with the thumb and the fingers together more in Level Three than in the previous levels, it is very important to recognize both harmonic and melodic intervals at sight. One learns to recognize specific intervals quickly by seeing them as a space, or a distance, rather than reading each note individually. The ability to read these intervals comes through practice, naming the interval distances (thirds, fourths, fifths, etc.) used in each exercise before beginning to play. Often a piece or fragment will use particular intervals throughout, to create a certain musical effect (for instance, the open sound of fourths, the powerful effect pf fifths).

In order to prepare for Level Three, learn to play and recognize the following intervals, based on the notes of the C major scale.

unison second

VT

rfourth r

•&•

third -y A. ftf\

fifth

r

seventh

r

sixth

r

-j

f

] «

i

ninth

3

=±

octave

zt

r

r

I

t9"

tenth

Jt

1

19

RHYTHMS ,2, Although in this level eighth notes and the time signature '4' are not used in the musical examples, they are included in the following rhythms, in preparation for Level Three. Clap, or play on an open string, the following rhythmic patterns, counting out loud.

j j j i j. i n n j i j. j n J i J rj J i J j i j. i 3 ) } J J J J|J

4>1J

J

J IJJ1J

J|

IJJ1J J I J

J J1J IJ

JI

2DJJJ JIJJ

j j ij j «5j j ij n n ij i

23) 5 j J

» 1 J JJIJ1.TJJ I J J J 1 J I J J J I

25) } J

J J"]IJ J J IJ J1IJ J I IJ

I

JIJJ1JJIJJ JI

IJ J

I J JI J I

n ij n ij j i J

J

J I J1J J I J

J J|J J

JIJ1J

J I

JIJ1JJI

j I

12)1.

J IJ1J J1U.

22) 1 J J J I J J

j u nn\i \ j ij

I

W ) 1 J J1J J^IJ J J IJ]J J1J . I

I

0

ji

IJ"3 J~JIJ J IJ

nj

j

»> i J J~3 1 J

j ji i j. JI In J I

J IJ J JJIJ1J1J J|

is) i J J J IJ3J1J IJJ1J J1IJ J I

ij n in n j n \ j i inn\ni \nn j j u Jrju j jiuij j j.

1 J. J1IJ1J J IJ.

iJ 32) 5 j 33) I J J

j j in n n j i .nj n j. i J | J J J |J]JJ3J|J

J|