As a description of the teacher's role in the lesson I like the word that the Japanese use for one who teaches (Sensei - literally 'One who has gone before').
Learning music is a journey or a path.
Remembering that we cannot teach what we do not know, to teach sight-reading we ourselves, as teachers must have already traveled that path to acquire understanding.
Every teacher will be different and have various strategies that work for them, some more successfully than others.
Paul Harris has two rules that he adheres to when sight-reading, these are: Always count and, never stop.
This is loaded with information if you read between the lines.
What he means is this.
First is the pulse of the music.
Start at a tempo that is comfortable to play, a speed that allows the music to be relatively mistake free.
Second is not to let mistakes, when they occur to interrupt the flow or tempo of the music.
From here we can begin to realize that there is an order to learning to sight-read.
That I call 'Precepts' 1.
Scan the music - Absorb all the "structural landmarks" that the piece gives you.
These are things such as: Clef, Key Signature, Time Signature [Simple or Compound] what note length designates one beat? How many beats are in each bar? 2.
Tonality - Is it Major or Minor or perhaps Modal? Keep aware of accidentals when they occur.
3.
Range or Compass - Look for the highest and lowest notes through the entire piece.
For the guitarist this will give a big clue as to what position will be most appropriate.
If not already stipulated at the beginning of the piece.
4.
Length of Phrases - Most commonly these will be 2 bars or 4 bars in length.
Do they repeat themselves [Diatonically, Chromatically or Exactly]? The phrasing may not be so clear.
Use discretion and remember this is music not mathematics.
5.
Form and Repetitions - How long are the sections? Do they repeat? If so how often? Be mindful of second-time bars.
Notice if there is a repeat of the first section, does it modulate? Where to? And finally is there a coda? 6.
Scan for the 'trouble spots' - These will different for every individual depending on their personal strengths and weaknesses.
Typically look for measures with large melodic intervals and/or complex syncopated rhythms.
In the lesson Do not confront the pupil with music that is too difficult to play on a first reading yet make it challenging, so as to continually enhance the skill.
Sight-reading is like a pan of boiling water, if the heat is not maintained constantly it will begin to cool and become inactive.
This goes equally for the teacher as it does for the pupil.
You shouldn't preach if you don't put in the practice.
It is best to use music at least two or three grades below the music that you know they can play.
The guitar has long time been neglected as far as specifically graded sight-reading material is concerned.
It is only within the last twenty years or so that the balance has be redressed.
Thanks must go to the great work of players and educators of the instrument such as John Duarte, William Leavitt, Joe Puma, Joe Pass and many other too numerous to mention...
they know who they are.
Learning music is a journey or a path.
Remembering that we cannot teach what we do not know, to teach sight-reading we ourselves, as teachers must have already traveled that path to acquire understanding.
Every teacher will be different and have various strategies that work for them, some more successfully than others.
Paul Harris has two rules that he adheres to when sight-reading, these are: Always count and, never stop.
This is loaded with information if you read between the lines.
What he means is this.
First is the pulse of the music.
Start at a tempo that is comfortable to play, a speed that allows the music to be relatively mistake free.
Second is not to let mistakes, when they occur to interrupt the flow or tempo of the music.
From here we can begin to realize that there is an order to learning to sight-read.
That I call 'Precepts' 1.
Scan the music - Absorb all the "structural landmarks" that the piece gives you.
These are things such as: Clef, Key Signature, Time Signature [Simple or Compound] what note length designates one beat? How many beats are in each bar? 2.
Tonality - Is it Major or Minor or perhaps Modal? Keep aware of accidentals when they occur.
3.
Range or Compass - Look for the highest and lowest notes through the entire piece.
For the guitarist this will give a big clue as to what position will be most appropriate.
If not already stipulated at the beginning of the piece.
4.
Length of Phrases - Most commonly these will be 2 bars or 4 bars in length.
Do they repeat themselves [Diatonically, Chromatically or Exactly]? The phrasing may not be so clear.
Use discretion and remember this is music not mathematics.
5.
Form and Repetitions - How long are the sections? Do they repeat? If so how often? Be mindful of second-time bars.
Notice if there is a repeat of the first section, does it modulate? Where to? And finally is there a coda? 6.
Scan for the 'trouble spots' - These will different for every individual depending on their personal strengths and weaknesses.
Typically look for measures with large melodic intervals and/or complex syncopated rhythms.
In the lesson Do not confront the pupil with music that is too difficult to play on a first reading yet make it challenging, so as to continually enhance the skill.
Sight-reading is like a pan of boiling water, if the heat is not maintained constantly it will begin to cool and become inactive.
This goes equally for the teacher as it does for the pupil.
You shouldn't preach if you don't put in the practice.
It is best to use music at least two or three grades below the music that you know they can play.
The guitar has long time been neglected as far as specifically graded sight-reading material is concerned.
It is only within the last twenty years or so that the balance has be redressed.
Thanks must go to the great work of players and educators of the instrument such as John Duarte, William Leavitt, Joe Puma, Joe Pass and many other too numerous to mention...
they know who they are.