What are the secrets to skillful sight reading? Are there any special hints or techniques which string players can develop at home, before they are put on the spot in public situations? I am often asked these questions, since I have spent a good deal of my musical life sight reading under pressure.
Practice. My first suggestion is the obvious one: practice! The more you sight read, the easier it will become, and the less overwhelmed you will be under public scrutiny. But how does one practice sight reading? Since it is a skill like any other, day to day repetition will improve the ability, and a gradual increase in the difficulty of material will develop facility. Even a few minutes spent sight reading at the end of each practice session will reap rewards.
The earlier the student begins to learn sight reading as a technique, the easier it will be. Just as other musical skills are best learned as children, sight reading can be taught in the private lesson, or can be experienced in the youth orchestra or young chamber music group. If a string player waits to learn to sight read until he or she is preparing to audition for an orchestral position, the process is going to be more stressful and less successful.
Adult amateurs can also develop their sight reading ability, also by structured practice. Since many of them play chamber music for pleasure, and ‘reading quartets’ is a favorite pastime, the ability to keep one’s place in sight reading is a valuable skill. (Adults often become more anxious and embarrassed about their inability to sight read well in a public situation, because their expectations of themselves are higher. Thus they become more self-aware and less involved in the process itself).
Repertoire. The string player has a vast body of repertoire from which to choose sight reading material: etudes, sonatas, concerti, chamber music and orchestral compositions. All of these make good sight reading practice. The entire individual part should be studied, note by note, bar by bar. Do not skip over the ‘easy parts’: it is necessary to train concentration while exposing the performer to all the demands, simple to complex, being put upon him or her. Even the bars of rest should be counted out, if a total exposure to the material is desired. Begin with less difficult work and each day increase the challenge.
Metronome. The best aid to discipline for the at-home sight reader is the metronome. It substitutes for other musicians and serves as a constant reminder of the forward movement of the music. In addition, it reins in the tendency to rush in anxious players, and it pushes the recalcitrant player rhythmically. If you pay attention to the metronome, it is a humbling but excellent teacher. If the passagework is too difficult at the appropriate tempo, slow down the beat and repeat the passage. Gradually increase the tempo setting, and you will develop facility. Train yourself to pay attention to the metronome—you would not ignore other players in an ensemble, would you?
Scanning the page. Rather than diving in head first into a new composition, take the time to look at the printed page a bit. First, read the title, title of movements, and composer’s notations at the top of the music. This will give you some indication of the style, speed and intent of the music. Try to imagine what the ‘Scherzo Allegro’ will sound like or ‘Andante ma non troppo’ as a slow movement indicates. Determine the overall structure of the movement you are about to play, and note if there is a da Capo or dal Segno at the end. Locate the return point. If there are internal repeats, where does the repeat begin? If there is a Coda, where is it located on the page?
Next, scan the page for the fastest moving note values, and try to imagine how they will fit into the tempo indication. If you have time, spot which passages seem awkward and look for patterns or underlying chord changes as guides to the many notes. If the fastest notes are not under slurs, anticipate what bow stroke you will use (off or on the string, for example). Do you think the sound of the music will be light, bouncy and airy, or will it be slow, sustained and serious? Will you need to look ahead to save bow on long notes for slow sustained passages?
Key signature. Before you begin to play, LOOK at the key signature. You must digest this information before you play one note. Otherwise, you may be embarrassed as you blithely launch into a major key when a minor, sad affect is correct. As a string player it is helpful to note, before you begin, which of your open strings will not be appropriate for the key of the movement you are sight reading. Also, you should determine which positions will be more comfortable for you (for example, second position for B flat and E flat on the viola).
Time signatures. Before you begin to play, LOOK at the time signature. Starting on the wrong track, playing the wrong number of beats in the bar, can wreak havoc with your concept of the work. Beginning immediately ‘in the groove’ settles you. If you spot a change of meter within the movement, figure out how that will feel as you are playing, and what difficulties you might encounter. For example, will there be more or fewer beats in a bar? Will the pulse change at that point?
Page turns. One last item to check before you begin. If you are in a social setting (say, for example, sight reading string quartets), prepare your page turns, and if you are going to have a problem with them in the course of the reading, speak up. Fold the corner of the page if you think it will help. If you have time, practice the page turn—the fewer surprises, the more comfortable you will be. In fact, practice page turns in general. Determine whether you are more comfortable holding the bow in your right hand or left hand when you grab the page. Practice reaching under the violin or viola to turn with your left hand while you hold the bow with your right. Each person will develop a technique that works best and fastest, but, again, it must be thought about and practiced in order to be finely honed.
Eye movements. As you begin to sight read, DON’T STOP. Keep your place, keep going, no matter how tangled up you become. Keep your eye moving across the page at the tempo of the music. If the music is moving along at a swift tempo, your eyes must also move ahead swiftly. Don’t look back at the mistake you just made, don’t leap forward, skipping material you are just about to read. But do keep your eye ahead of the notes you are playing; as you increase your experience, you will find it easier and easier to read ahead. Try to grasp an entire measure in one glance without changing your focal point. Don’t take your eyes from the page to look at other players even if they are in trouble, or to look at your bow, or at someone new entering the room. Even if you are absolutely alone while practicing, don’t stop. Train yourself to gather information from the printed page. Concentrate!
Keep the big picture. Stay cool. As you play, listen to the music, don’t think about the mess you are making of your part. If you have several bars of repetitious accompanying material, listen to the melody, the bass, other parts to help you hear how your part fits into the whole. Feel the phrase structure. For example, the typical 4 bars + 4 bars group into symmetrical 8 bar patterns; note how they are repeated. Note also if the phrase structure is irregular, and anticipate that it might happen again. Try to gain a visceral grasp of the music as it moves through time, and participate in the process.
Advanced goals. As you gain skill in sight reading, try to incorporate more information in your first performance. For example, read those dynamics and choose bowings which best project those dynamics. Think about stylistic differences and change your approach to Baroque or Classic music, even in sight reading. Train yourself to hear more of what the others in the group are doing; if they falter, don’t let it influence your procedure, but be sensitive to what they might need to keep the music going without halting.
Mental attitudes. You will make mistakes sight reading. You may make many mistakes sight reading. Let them go by. Forget them. Above all, no matter what your level of expertise, don’t panic. Remember that the notes, while new to your vision, are the same notes, usually in the same combinations and predictable patterns that you have encountered before. Unless the composition is very sophisticated contemporary music, you can begin to understand the musical language from the first bar. Try to anticipate what the next musical gesture will be, and enjoy the experience. The proper attitude for sight reading is alert interest; look upon sight reading as an adventure.
Recapitulation. Practice sightreading as any other technique, and use all repertoire as subject matter. Use the metronome as a discipline and guide. Before you begin to play, scan the page, determine tempo and overall structure, notice key and time signatures, meter changes, and page turns. Keep your eyes moving across the page at the speed of the music, see as much as you can in a glance. Concentrate, stay cool, be aware of the other parts and the overall impression of the music. Enjoy learning about a new composition.