Sight Reading

[Steve]

I am learning classical guitar and piano. Does anyone have recommendations
for software or books that I should get to improve my sight reading?

Thanks.

Steve

[sycochkn]

Start out with single line stuff, then move on to more complex things.

Bob

Post by Steve
I am learning classical guitar and piano. Does anyone have recommendations
for software or books that I should get to improve my sight reading?
Thanks.
Steve

[e***@yahoo.com]

Post by Steve
I am learning classical guitar and piano. Does anyone have recommendations
for software or books that I should get to improve my sight reading?
Thanks.
Steve

Steve,

Aaron Shearer's Method Vols. 1 & 2 (Warner Brothers, Franco Columbo).
Best to start reading studies. Volume 2 takes you up to the 15th fret
on all strings.

Also, start here, the results of a search of RMCG.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.music.classical.guitar/search?q=sight+reading&start=0&scoring=d&

Ed S.

[r***@comcast.net]

Steve,

There is a book called Sight to Sound that is filled with measures of
progressively harder patterns. The idea is that your eye will come to
recognize these patterns.

I am fortunate enough to have studied with Robert Guthrie and once
asked him how he can read so well. I have seen him sight read a piece
that I know he hadn't seen better than the student who had prepared it
for a masterclass. I've seen that level with other players during their
masterclasses. Guthrie said it developed naturally over years of
teaching these classes.

I think the anchor is understanding rhythm. Study rhythm notation very
throughly.

Hope this helps. Robert

[Matthew Fields]

Post by Steve
I am learning classical guitar and piano. Does anyone have recommendations
for software or books that I should get to improve my sight reading?
Thanks.
Steve

Ottman--music for sight-singing. Sing it all.

I forget the name of the dude who compiled "Music for score reading", but
you get to start with combining alto clef with other things, then alto and
tenor clef, then three-staff music... good exercises, and on the side, you
can also try orchestrating 'em for various ensembles.

[Nightingale]

Post by Steve
I am learning classical guitar and piano. Does anyone have recommendations
for software or books that I should get to improve my sight reading?

I don't know about books, but what helped me most was being part of a
church choir that included many good musicians, and did a lot of music
with not much rehearsal time. At first I was spending hours at home
learning notes, but it did not take long for my reading to get pretty good.

[betsey]

steve--

aaron shearer's books are great, as is segreras book (books 1-3 in one
book). not only do they get progressively harder, but segreras
excercises all sound so pretty to play!

the best excercise is of course, just to keep doing it, and doing it
and doing it....

betsey

[David Martel]

Steve,

I think Betsey has the best advice. You don't indicate at what level you
are now playing but reading and playing music at that level will improve
your reading and playing skills. If you live close to a university go to
their music dept. library, it should have some guitar music. Frederick
Noad's books have a lot of good "beginner" pieces.

Dave M.

[Steve]

Thank all of you that responded. Your advice and
recommendations will be very helpful.

Steve

[Marc Sabatella]

Post by Steve
I am learning classical guitar and piano. Does anyone have recommendations
for software or books that I should get to improve my sight reading?

No need to get anything specifically just for that. Any book of music to
read through will be beneficial. Just pick something that has plenty of
pieces that are not or a little below your technical level, and read through
a page a day.

---------------
Marc Sabatella
***@outsideshore.com

The Outside Shore
Music, art, & educational materials:
http://www.outsideshore.com/

[David Raleigh Arnold]

Post by Steve
I am learning classical guitar and piano. Does anyone have recommendations
for software or books that I should get to improve my sight reading?

Don't worry about sight reading, just reading. Counting is
not some of it, it is all of it. First find the beat, then
divide the beat.

1 and 2 and etc
1 trip let 2 etc
1 ka ta ka 2 etc

Much better to have all these different syllables so that
you can easily combine them. Count out loud, because otherwise
you might not do it. As long as you do this, your reading will
improve at a very rapid rate. daveA

[David Raleigh Arnold]

Post by Steve
I am learning classical guitar and piano. Does anyone have
recommendations for software or books that I should get to improve my
sight reading?

Don't worry about sight reading, just reading. Counting is not some of
it, it is all of it. First find the beat, then divide the beat.
1 and 2 and etc
1 trip let 2 etc
1 ka ta ka 2 etc
Much better to have all these different syllables so that you can easily
combine them. Count out loud, because otherwise you might not do it. As
long as you do this, your reading will improve at a very rapid rate.

and don't miss my easy pieces or easy duets. daveA

[Louie LaRue]

Hello Steve, There is an excelent article concerning sight reading on
the Edmonton guitar society page. One of the points made is that you
must know the neck of the guitar competely. I made myself flash cards
for this with the notated note (Finale Primer) on one side of the card
and all the geographical locations of the note on the other side of the
card. You can make up various exercises with these cards; all the
notes on one string, notes in a position, notes above the staff, notes
below the staff...etc
Also know your rhythms to. I used books by Bruce Arnold for this but
there are others also; Robert Starer's books comes to mind. These are
just two things to do. Anything you do to increase your knowlege of
music will help.

good luck, Lane

Post by Steve
I am learning classical guitar and piano. Does anyone have recommendations
for software or books that I should get to improve my sight reading?
Thanks.
Steve

[David G. Brown]

Post by Louie LaRue
Hello Steve, There is an excelent article concerning sight reading on
the Edmonton guitar society page. One of the points made is that you
must know the neck of the guitar competely. I made myself flash cards
for this with the notated note (Finale Primer) on one side of the card
and all the geographical locations of the note on the other side of
the card. You can make up various exercises with these cards; all the
notes on one string, notes in a position, notes above the staff, notes
below the staff...etc
Also know your rhythms to. I used books by Bruce Arnold for this but
there are others also; Robert Starer's books comes to mind. These are
just two things to do. Anything you do to increase your knowlege of
music will help.
good luck, Lane

This is John Sloan's famous RMCG sight reading article. You can read it at:

http://edmontonclassicalguitarsociety.org/art004.htm



David