Sight&ReadingTips&byHiroaki&Honshuku&anonemusic.com/sites/default/files/SightReadingTips/SightReading... · By Hiroaki Honshuku Hiroaki Honshuku: more @ !! This!seminar!is!focused!on!jazz!music,!and!

Sight Reading Tips by Hiroaki Honshuku

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Sight Reading Tips Slide 1

Sight Reading TipsBy Hiroaki Honshuku

Hiroaki Honshuku: more @ www.anonemusic.com

This seminar is focused on jazz music, and assumes audience has adequate proficiency on their instrument

When you write a chart, you must always put yourself in the sight-‐reader’s chair. Consider the relevance and the relationship.

Sight-‐reading skill is to translate brain to hand. You must be able to handle your instrument without thinking the fingerings, hand positions, etc.

It is the same as book reading. You must be fluent in the language to be able to perform book reading in public.

INTRO Slide 2

INTRO¡ The key to the successful sight-reading¡ Relaxing


Relaxing Most of the sight-‐reading failure comes from pressure. You must calm yourself.


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Slide 3

INTRO¡ The key to the successful sight-reading¡ Relaxing¡ Focus


Focus You need to relax but stay focused. Can’t be distracted. Relaxing and focusing are not 2 opposite things.

Slide 4

INTRO¡ The key to the successful sight-reading¡ Relaxing¡ Focus ¡ Reading ahead


Reading ahead The goal is to read 2 bars ahead.

You must be reading at lest 2 beats ahead.

Slide 5

INTRO¡ The key to the successful sight-reading¡ Relaxing¡ Focus¡ Reading ahead¡ Subdivision


Subdivision Draw imaginary lines per subdivision


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First Things First Slide 6

First thing first¡ Read the time signature and time change if any


Read the time signature and time change ahead if any Go through the entire piece and red-‐pencil in if necessary.

Make sure you notice the pulse changes if any, i.e., old dotted quarter in 6/8 becomes half in 4/4.

Slide 7


¡ Read the key signature and key change if any


Read the key signature and key change ahead if any Same as Time signature, make sure there will be no surprises down the load.

Slide 8



¡ Guess the phrasing groups¡ 32 bars standard > 16 bars x 2


Guess the phrasing groups Most of the music is written in even numbered groups.

Evenly dividable rule may not apply to modern music and Brazilian songs – watch out.

Pencil divisions by phrases if necessary.


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Slide 9




¡ 16 bars > 8 bars x 2


Guess the phrasing groups 16 bars into 8 bars each

Slide 10








Slide 11










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Slide 12







¡ 2 bars > 1 bar x 2


Guess the phrasing groups 2 bars can be felt 4 pulses, which can be divided into 2 pulses each

Slide 13







¡ 2 bars > 1 bar x 2

¡ 1 bar > 2 beats x 2


Guess the phrasing groups 2 beats per measure

Slide 14

Flor-de-lis by Djavan


Flor-‐de-‐lis by Djavan One of the typical phrasings in Bossa Nova music.


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TOPICS Slide 15

TOPICS¡ Rhythm¡ Subdivision


Rhythm By subdividing, you will be able to comeback when dropped out. The worst thing is getting lost.

Slide 16


¡ Group per pulse


Group per pulse In 4/4 and 6/8, pulse is 2 beat each – subdivide a measure in half.

In 3/4, the pulse maybe each quarter beat or one measure if fast tempo.

Slide 17


¡ Group per pulse

¡ Odd meters


Odd meters Feel the pulse.

• 5/4 can be pulse group of 3+2 or 2+3.

• 7/8 is usually 3 pulses plug a half.


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Slide 18


¡ Group per pulse

¡ Odd meters

¡ Know typical syncopation patterns

¡ ♪ - ♩ - ♪ in jazz (4/4)

¡ Anticipated kicks


Know typical syncopation patterns You must be familiar with the style of the music to catch the typical patterns such as offbeat patterns in jazz and Brazilian music.

Slide 19

TOPICS (cont.)¡ Pitch¡ Too many leger lines?

¡ Not your usual clef?


Pitch If you are not comfortable with reading pitches then you must practice separately.

Slide 20

TOPICS (cont.)¡ Pitch¡ Too many leger lines?

¡ Not your usual clef?

¡ Accidentals


Accidentals You must memorize the first occurrence so you do not forget the carryover within the measure.


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Slide 21

TOPICS (cont.)¡ Changes¡ Skip analysis

¡ See the chord tones in the air

¡ See the bad notes in the air


Changes You are sight reading. There is no time to analyze. Granted, you should be able to see the usual progressions such as II-‐V motion, V-‐I motion, subV to pull out a cool ricks, but in general you need to see the safe notes without analyzing.

Slide 22

TOPICS (cont.)¡ Transpose¡ Must be able to read concert part.

¡ Good to be able to read at least B♭and E♭parts


Transpose If your instrument is transposed, you must be able to read C part.

If your instrument is in C, it is always good to be able to read at least B♭and E♭parts.

RHYTHM Slide 23

RHYTHM¡ Example 1¡ This is an 8 bars phrase but is not printed in 4 bars each,

which could trick you. It may be easier to pencil in a 4 bars marker.


Example 1 This is an 8 bars phrase but is not printed in 4 bars each, which could trick you. It may be easier to pencil in a 4 bars marker.


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Slide 24

RHYTHM¡ Example 1¡ This is an 8 bars phrase but is not printed in 4 bars each,

which could trick you. It may be easier to pencil in a 4 bars marker.


Example 1 See drawing the line makes it easier to feel the phrases.

Slide 25

RHYTHM¡ Example 1¡ Imagine or pencil in beat subdivision


Example 1 Imagine or pencil in the pulse subdivisions

Doing this, you can catch up after making a mistake or dropping out.

Notice the benefit on bar 7.

Slide 26

RHYTHM¡ Example 1¡ Sing the rest


Example 1 Sing the rest!

Singing the rest is very important especially when the rhythm is off the beat.

Use syllable “en” to be groovy.


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Slide 27

RHYTHM¡ Example 1¡ Know the standard articulation when not clearly marked


Example 1 Know the standard articulation when not clearly marked

Pay attention to bar 5. The quarter note is almost always short in this pattern.

Slide 28

RHYTHM¡ Example 2¡ Complex time signatures

¡ Assume the 8th note value is constant in this example below


Example 2 Complex time signatures

See the pulse and sing the rests.

Slide 29

RHYTHM¡ Example 2¡ An example to feel the pulse as shown

¡ In this particular example, 3/4 needs to be felt in 2

¡ The red line on the 7/8 measure is indicating the 4th quarter beat which you make it half short.


Example 2 An example to feel the pulse as shown.

There are a few different ways to see the pulse depending on the music presented. This is just one of them.

When 3/4 is written this way, you need to feel a group of three 8th notes.


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PITCH

Slide 30

PITCHThe best way to practice accidentals is Omnibook


PITCH The best way to practice accidentals for modern American music is Omnibook.

Slide 31

PITCHSing the pitch to memorize the position


PITCH Sing the pitches along the lines and the spaces to memorize the position.

Slide 32

PITCHSing the pitch to memorize the position

Same goes when ledger lines


PITCH The same goes when the ledger lines. Sing up for above the stuff, and sing down for below the stuff.


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Slide 33

PITCHNow the bass clef


PITCH Now the bass clef

Slide 34

PITCHNow the bass clef

And its ledger lines


PITCH And its ledger lines

Slide 35

PITCHWhy Tenor Clef?

Trombone range is up to B♭above middle C


PITCH Why Tenor Clef?

Trombone range is up to B♭(or even 2nd D) above middle C, and tenor clef is used above G.


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Slide 36

PITCHAnd the ledger lines for Tenor Clef


PITCH And the ledger lines for the Tenor Clef

Changes Slide 37

ChangesThis is the first 8 bars of one of my compositions called “Dan Dan Dan”, ©2002 A-NO-NE Music


Changes This is the first 8 bars of one of my compositions called “Dan Dan Dan”.

As you can see finding the proper chord scales may not be easy on sight-‐reading situation.

Slide 38

ChangesLet’s take a look at bar 9 and 10. Are all these minor chords Dorian? Is A♭7 Straight Mixo or Lyd♭7?


Changes Let’s take a look at bar 9 and 10. Are all these minor chords Dorian? Is A♭7 Straight Mixo or Lyd♭7?

As a composer, I intended first 2 minor chords to be Dorian but F#-‐7 is Aeolian, and A♭7 to be Straight Mixo despite the fact it looks a subV, but you won’t know that sine there is no theoretical basis for this.


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Slide 39

ChangesTake a look at F#-7 at bar 10

Draw a keyboard up in the air


Changes Take a look at the F#-‐7 at the bar 10.

Draw a keyboard up in the air.

All these 4 notes are safe to play no matter what.

Slide 40

ChangesLet’s take a look at the following Ab7.

See the bad notes to be avoided


X

X

Changes Let’s take a look at the following Ab7.

Because it’s a dominant chord, many non diatonic notes can be considered as altered tensions, while there are a few that cannot be a part of it.

See the bad notes to be avoided. What is avoid note?

• Don’t want to start with • Don’t want to hold with • Don’t want to stop with • Don’t want to jump to

Slide 41

ChangesLet’s view them in a sequence

A-7 → E♭-7 → F#-7 → A♭7


Changes Let’s view them in a sequence.


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Slide 42

ChangesThe Coltrane way – and it’s safe.1 – 2 – 3 – 5


Changes The Coltrane way

1 – 2 – 3 – 5 is consistent through out the majority of the modes. The exception is Phrygian, which is rare if not diatonic functioning iii, and Locrian, which is obvious and you know what to do.

Transpose Slide 43

Transpose¡ Reading a B♭part¡ Add 2 flats and read everything 2nd below written


Transpose Reading a B♭part

Add 2 flats and read everything 2nd below written.

Note that adding 2 flats means 1 sharp becomes 1 flat.

Slide 44

Transpose¡ Reading a B♭part¡ Add 2 flats and read everything 2nd below written


Transpose And this is how it will be.

This skill also helps you reading Tenor Clef.


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Slide 45

Transpose¡ Reading a E♭part¡ Add 3 flats and read everything as if the clef is a Bass

Clef instead of a Treble Clef


Transpose Reading a E♭part

Add 3 flats and read everything as if the clef is a Bass Clef instead of a Treble Clef.

Note that adding 3 flats means 1 sharp becomes 2 flats.

Slide 46

Transpose¡ Reading a E♭part¡ Add 3 flats and read everything as if the clef is a Bass

Clef instead of a Treble Clef

¡ Notice in the 2nd bar, F# → A Natural


Transpose Reading a E♭part

Add 3 flats and read everything as if the clef is a Bass Clef instead of a Treble Clef.

And add 3 flats.

Notice the F# on the 3rd measure. Because one of the added flat matches that position, applying a natural to raise the pitch. This takes some practice to get used to.


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Thank you for participating! Slide 47

Practice Practice Practice!¡ Book recommendation

¡ ISBN-10: 0846441578, ISBN-13: 978-0846441571


Practice Practice Practice! Book recommendation:

Modus Vetus

¡ ISBN-‐10: 0846441578, ISBN-‐13: 978-‐0846441571

Documents

Sight&ReadingTips&byHiroaki&Honshuku&anonemusic.com/sites/default/files/SightReadingTips/SightReading... · By Hiroaki Honshuku Hiroaki Honshuku: more @ !! This!seminar!is!focused!on!jazz!music,!and!