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Authors Laura Farnell and Mary Jane Phillips share their successful system of teaching sight-reading to beginning sight singers simplistically and systematically using:
• Separationofrhythmandpitchwithoutnotation
• Reproductionoftonalpatternsusingnotation
• Reproductionofrhythmpatternsusingnotation
• Readingrhythmandtonalpatternsinunisonmelodies
• Readingrhythmandtonalpatternsintwo,thenthree part melodies
A resource for directors of beginning sight readers• • • - - - • • • • • • - - - • • •SOS
Simplifying Our Sight Reading
Written and Composed byLaura Farnell and Mary Jane Phillips
SOS: Simplifying Our Sight Reading8.5” x 11” Book — 48 pages — (BLB009)
50 Supplemental Flash Cards forSOS: Simplifying Our Sight Reading Treble Clef — (BLB010)
50 Supplemental Flash Cards forSOS: Simplifying Our Sight Reading Bass Clef — (BLB011)
(PDF)
SOS
Simplifying Our Sight Reading
Supplemental Resources:
Rhythm ReaderSupplement toSOS: Simplifying Our Sight Reading Octavo sized — (BL836)
Downloadable Bass Clef melodies found in SOS: Simplifying Our Sight ReadingFREE Bass Clef Supplement
2
1
Rhythm Practice No. 1
Each quarter note (q)
receives one beat of sound.
2
Each half note (h)
receives two beats of sound.
3
Each whole note (w)
receives four beats of sound.
4
Each box
contains
four beats.
5
A bar line
separates
music into
measures.
= 4 beats per measure
The top number of the time signature (at the beginning of
the music) tells you how many beats are in each measure:
6
= 3 beats per measure = 2 beats per measure
In time, each
measure has
four beats.
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
4
2
4
4
4
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
ú ú ú ú
w w
œ œ œ œ ú ú w w
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ú ú w
œ œ œ œ œ œ ú œ œ ú w
BLB009
4
Page 4 from SOS: Simplifying our Sight Reading (BLB009)
3
1
Pitch Practice No. 1
2
3
4
5
Note to teachers – Whole notes serve as place markers for pitch and do not re-
present actual rhythm values. It is not necessary to hold each pitch for four beats.
6
&b
&b
&b
&b
&b
&b
ww
ww
w
ww
ww
ww
w
ww
ww
ww
w
w ww w
w w
w
w w
w w
w w
w ww w
ww
w
BLB009
5
Page 5 from SOS: Simplifying our Sight Reading (BLB009)
4
Rhythm Practice No. 5
= quarter rest
(one beat of silence)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
1 2 3 4 (1)
(2) (3) (4)
Œ
1 2 3 4 (1) (2) (3) (4) 1 (2) 3 (4)
œ œ œ œŒ Œ Œ Œ
œ œ œ œŒ Œ Œ Œ
œŒ
œŒ
w
ú ú œ œ œ œ œ œŒ Œ
w
œŒ
œŒ
œŒ
œŒ
ú ú ú ú
œ œ œ œ œŒ
œ œŒ
ú .
œ œ œ ú œ œ œŒ
ú œ
ú . œ œ œ œ œŒ
ú .
œ œ œ œŒ
œ œŒ
œ ú
BLB009
12
Pitch Practice No. 5
A ledger line is an extra line used when notes need to be
placed above or below the 5 lines and 4 spaces of the staff.
1
Notice that this example does not begin on the tonic.
2
3
4
5
6
4
4
&
&b
&b
&b
&b
&b
&b
œ
w w w w
w w w w
w w w w w w w
ww w w w
w w w w w w w w
ww
ww w w w
BLB009
13
Page 13 from SOS: Simplifying our Sight Reading (BLB009)
5
1
Sightreading No. 2
2
3
Notice that this example does not begin on the tonic.
4
5
All examples on this page may be performed together.
6
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
&
#
&
#
&
#
&
#
&
#
&
#
œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ w
úú
úú
úú
w
ú úú ú
ú ú w
ú œ œú œ œ
úú
w
œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ w
œ œœ œ
œ œœ œ
œ œœ œ
w
BLB009
21
Page 21 from SOS: Simplifying our Sight Reading (BLB009)
6
Sightreading No. 13
Find and practice this skip found in the examples below:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
4
4
3
4
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
&b
&b
&b
&b
&b
&b
&b
&b
œœ
œ
œ œ úú
ú ú œ œ w
œ œ œú
œ œ œ œú .
œœ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œú .
œ œ œœ œ œ
œ œ œ œ úú ú
ú
œ œú
œ œú œ œ œ œ ú ú
œ œ œ œú
úœ œ œ
œ ú ú
œœ
œœ
œ œ œ ú œ œ œœ œ œ
ú
BLB009
32
Page 32 from SOS: Simplifying our Sight Reading (BLB009)
7
Practice moving your eyes quickly to the second line as you perform these 2-line examples.
1
Sightreading No. 28
2
3
4
All examples on this page may be performed together.
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
? #
? #
? #
? #
? #
? #
? #
? #
œ œ œ œ œ ú ú . œ úœ œ w
ú œœ œ œ œ ú œ œ œ œ œ w
œú . œ œ œ œ ú
ú .œ œ œ ú
ú œ œœ œ œ œ ú œ
œœ œ œ w
Ϝ
œ œ œ ú œ œ œ œ œœ ú ú
œ œ œœ
ú œ œ úœ œ œ w
œœ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ ú œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ
ú . œ œ œ œ úú
œ œ œ w
BLB009
47
Page 47 from SOS: Simplifying our Sight Reading BASS CLEF Downloadable PDF
8
A Guide For The Effective Use Of This BookThe authors of this book have chosen not to endorse a particular system for rhythm counting or pitch syllables. They recommend thatyouasateacherestablishasystemforrhythmcounting(Ex:1te2te3te4te)andforpitchsyllables(Ex:DOREMIFASOL)thatworksbestforyouandyourstudents.Ifyouusesolfege,theauthorsadvisethatyoualsoutilizetheCurwenhandsignswithsightreading.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN:
• The ability to keep a steady beat is a prerequisite for reading written rhythm exercises. Some examples of how to teachsteady beat include tapping or clapping the beat to a recorded piece of music as a class or having students echo your claps or taps on simple rhythm patterns.
• The ability to match pitch is a prerequisite for performing writtenpitchexercises. Someexamplesofhowtoteachpitchmatchingincludeexploringthedifferencebetweenspeakingand singing voice, finding a pitch a struggling student canmatch and moving out from that pitch to other parts of his/hervoice,findingfalsetto/headvoicebyechoingsirensandyawn-sighs,andechosingingsimplepitchpatterns.
• The authors believe audiation is important for successful sight reading.Practiceaudiationbysingingapitchpattern,havingstudents“thinksing”theechoofthatpattern(withhandsignsifyouusethem),thenimmediatelyhavingstudentssingthepattern aloud.
• If using Curwen handsigns with solfege, consider teaching students to move the handsigns in the same direction as the pitchesforkinestheticlearning.Agoodruletofollowis“Doiswaisthigh,MiisshoulderhighandSolisheadhigh.”
BEGINNING TO SIGHT READ:
• Daily sight reading practice in small amounts is effective. Daily reinforcement produces strong musical reading skills. Establish a clear procedure for daily sight reading:
w Determinemeter,key,tonicchordandstartingpitch.
w Studentsshouldsingtonictriadandbeginningpitchpriortosinging each exercise.
w Thedirectorshouldcountoffthestudents(verballyorwitha conducting pattern) before they sing the exercise.
• Rememberthespeedatwhichthetrainedadultmusiciancanprocess sight reading is not the same as a beginning student; therefore,aslowsightsingingtempowillcontributetostudentsuccess.Quarternote=60-76isagoodgeneralruletofollow.
• Do not feel bound to use only the printed keys in this book. Useabeginningpitchthatfitsyourstudents’changingvoices.
• Teach your singers to apply the skill of audiation you established before beginning to sight read. Have students “hear theexercise in theirheads”prior to readingawrittenexercise,eitherduringindependentsilentstudyorasagroupwhileyoutap,claporsnapthebeat. Asachoir,audiateorchantdifficultpassagesbeforeattemptingtoreadthem.
SIGHTREADING SUCCESSFULLY:
• Thisbookwascreatedinthecurrentformat:studentswillread1-2rhythmand1-2pitchexamplesperday,pages1-21.Itisnotrecommendedthatyoureadanentirepageofrhythm,then
an entire page of pitch for several days. Plan to do a little of botheachdayuntilyou reach thepageswhere rhythmandpitcharecombined.Whenyougettotheendofapage,tryreading the entire page without stopping to build studentconcentration and endurance.
• Rhythm reading almost always moves faster than pitchreading. Studies show that the general population has ahigheraptitude for rhythmoverpitch.At thebeginning,donot be concerned that your students are moving faster on rhythmreadingbecauseeventually,pitchreadingwill“catchup”. Rhythms for additional practice can be found in thesupplemental Rhythm Reader (BL836).
• Teaching your students to sing phrases (by not allowing abreathaftereverynotethatislongerthanonebeat)willaddmusicalitytotheirsightreading.Startbysingingtwomeasurephrases, and gradually increase to singing four measurephrases. Taking a breath after each longer note often causes students to rush the tempoandmakes itdifficult todiscernmelodic and harmonic patterns.
• Repeat exercises when necessary for mastery. Be creative!Readthesameexerciseforwardthenbackwardtomaximizeuse of materials.
• Use this book to help you establish a time frame for your teaching.Decidewhereyouneed tobeatacertain timeofyear and plan accordingly.
SIGHT READING WITH TENOR-BASS OR MIXED CHOIRS:
• Theprintedkeys in thebookmaynotworkwhen teachingboyswithchangingvoiceswhilepracticingunisonlines.Theauthors suggest changing the starting pitch to B≤,AorA≤ or anykeythatbestfitstherangesofyoursingerswhensingingunisonlineswithboys.Experimentuntilyoufindakeythatiscomfortable.The“comfortablekey”willlikely changewiththe ranges of the exercises and also should be adjusted if your singers’voiceschange.
• ThePDFiswritteninbassclef,availablefordownloadatwww.brileemusic.com(clickonResources),matchthelinesfromthebookandmaybeusedsimultaneously.Forexample,inamixedchoirsetting,thegirlscouldsingfromthebookandthe boys (or basses) from the PDF bass clef pages.
• Withboys’changingvoices,somelineswillworkbetterinatenorrange,whilesomewillworkbetterinabassrange.Donot be discouraged if all your male students cannot sing every line because of range issues. Teach them to mouth and audiate placesthatarelowerorhigherthantheirrange.Whenusingthe combinable line exercises toward the end of the book,examinetherangesasyouassignexercisessincesomewerewrittenwithSop/TenrangesandotherswrittenwithAlto/Bassranges in mind.
• Sinceboysmustbeabletosightreadinbothtrebleandbassclefs,theauthorssuggestalternatingbetweenthePDF’sandthebookwhensightreadingwithboys.