Sightreading For Church Musicians

Sightreading for Church Musicians

One of the most important skills for the church orchestra player is the skill of sightreading. The combination of limited rehearsal time plus new music each week makes it incumbent upon each player to develop this skill. How can players improve in this area? 

I like to compare sightreading to driving an automobile. Before embarking on a journey, the thoughtful driver will first check his directions to make sure he knows where he is going.  On the road, he will look ahead for directional signs, and for any obstacles in the road ahead. He won’t look just in front of the hood of the car, but will look farther down the road in order to be prepared for any changes in the route. 

Likewise, a thoughtful musician will begin by checking the key signature and time signature of a piece, looking ahead for the “road map” (repeats, D.S. al Coda, etc.), and anything which looks unusual or different in the music, such as a key change or tempo alteration. While playing, he or she will learn to look a measure or two ahead, not just at the measure being played at the moment.  

The first level is to play the right notes and rhythms, but beyond that, it’s great to follow details in the music such as dynamic changes and articulations, and to read those immediately. Players should learn to see patterns in the music and listen to the other players in the ensemble to ascertain whether their part is similar or different from the others. It helps immensely to know all the scales, especially the more difficult ones. A little tip I call “Winkler’s rule of key signatures” is to notice the last accidental in the key signature, because that’s the one you’ll be most likely to miss! For instance, in the key of A-flat, you might miss the D-flat, and in the key of A, you might miss the G-sharp.

A great resource to aid in developing skill in every key is my book titled Well-Tempered Warm-ups (there are two volumes available). Each volume contains a scale and chorale in all twelve major keys and in six minor keys. As a director, I often use two or three of these to begin a rehearsal. It provides an opportunity for everyone to play together from the start, and to work not only on reading in the different keys, but also to strive for a good blend and balance.  The books are also good for use by individual players.

What are some of your favorite tips for learning to sightread well?  Send me a message and let me know!

www.DavidWinkler.com