Sight Reading question for Chris.

[jpgilbert]

Recently a friend gave me a Real Book. As a result I have started getting into sight reading because i want to attend Berklee in two years. I'm having a lot of trouble getting better at it and i want to be as proficient as possible at it. So my question is, what are some basic skills,besides being able to read music and know the notes on the neck, should i have in order to become the best i could possibly be? Does it just take patience and effort or is there something i'm missing?

Thanks
-Raul

 

[Chairman Kaga]

I think it just takes a ton of practise. Get a bunch of manuscripts of music and practise reading it. It's easiest if you start with songs in the key of C, then after that G, then D and etc. You basically go from there.

 

[Chris_Broderick]

Recently a friend gave me a Real Book. As a result I have started getting into sight reading because i want to attend Berklee in two years. I'm having a lot of trouble getting better at it and i want to be as proficient as possible at it. So my question is, what are some basic skills,besides being able to read music and know the notes on the neck, should i have in order to become the best i could possibly be? Does it just take patience and effort or is there something i'm missing?

Thanks
-Raul

Hey Raul,

it does take patience and effort but I would also add that working on your reading with purpose and in an efficient way is very helpful. This means you have to understand the value of reading to give you the push to see it through. I recommend:
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Studies-Guitar-William-Leavitt/dp/0634013351/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196486989&sr=8-1[/ame]

it looks intimidating at first but try not to see it as how well you can play what is written (who cares there are no songs in this book), but how well you can translate what you see on the staff(a challenge).

Good luck Chris.

 

[Chairman Kaga]

For sight reading I use The Royal Conservatory Of Music Books to get better at it.

 

[shredtastical]

sight reading is like stretching for an athlete; you hate doing it, but unless you do it everyday, you will never get better. However, everyone can get proficient; take 5-10 min a day, just read a piece or two, it will get better. the important part is to keep up with it. guitar players (classical) have it hard; we're reading bass lines and treble lines (although not as hard as pianists etc ). just take it slow etc etc you know the drill