This is a snapshot of project information archived on 2 September 2022. Please contact the project team for most recent updates.
Sight-Reading for Guitar
Subject: Music
Book Language: English
Audience: Individual guitarists, music teachers and their students
Book Cover: https://press.rebus.community/app/uploads/sites/81/2018/03/SRG-Book-Cover-Draft-3-350x525.jpg
Video: Sight-Reading for Guitar: Introduction - YouTube
Created date: November 5, 2019
Updated date: November 10, 2021
Target Release Date: 2020-04-02
License:
- Attribution
Needs:
- Followers
- Adopters
- Contributors
Description:
Book Description
Sight-Reading for Guitar: The Keep Going Method Book and Video Series
teaches guitar players from all musical backgrounds to understand, read and play modern staff notation in real-time. The Keep Going Method is designed to impart the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for sight-reading with efficiency, fun and encouragement. The skill of sight-reading is difficult to develop, primarily because it is traditionally taught inefficiently, which this book seeks to address. Further, students encounter high levels of emotional discomfort in the beginning stages of skill acquisition. All types of guitars apply: electric, steel-string and nylon-string.
Each unit contains brief descriptions of musical symbols, play-along duet exercises and compositions, encouragement for the learner and methods for self-assessment. The series contains 20 units that start at the beginner level and progress to the intermediate/advanced level. At the completion of the series guitarists will be able to sight-read most rhythms, pitches and other notations relevant to guitar notation. The series also features 30 original duet compositions, of varying styles, created exclusively for this series!
Approach
Sight-Reading for Guitar
will teach 6-string guitarist players from all musical backgrounds to understand, read and play modern staff notation in real-time. To sight-read literally means to read and play music from a score without preparation, and without stopping. Sight-reading skills are mandatory for professionals in the western classical tradition and are useful (albeit less necessary) in most other musical traditions.
The skill of sight-reading is a difficult to develop, primarily because it is traditionally taught inefficiently. Further, students encounter high levels of emotional discomfort in the beginning stages of skill acquisition. My method is designed to impart the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for sight-reading with efficiency, clarity and encouragement.
Sight-reading involves honing a real-time link between seeing notes on the score, processing the information and reacting to the information quickly enough to keep up with the constantly progressing rhythm. My method hinges on a unique idea that I call the “keep going” method. It has been employed in my AUC Guitar Ensemble to a high degree of success. I believe that students learn to sight-read most efficiently by playing duets with more experienced musicians. The more experienced participant will not stop playing when a mistake is made. In essence, the two players must “keep going” even if mistakes manifest. It is human nature to stop after making a mistake. However, this instinct is problematic because players who stop the rhythm to fix a mistake never develop the crucial skill of seeing, processing and reacting to information in real-time.
This project has multiple components. The primary components are a video series and a method book. Each video segment will correspond with a unit in the method book, which is 20 units long. Each video segment/unit in the method book will feature the following:
Brief descriptions of the symbols used in music notation (knowledge).
Short duets composed to convert the abstract understanding of musical symbols into the practical, real-time skill of sight-reading (skills). The duets will be represented via modern standard notation both on-screen in the video series (using Sibelius 7 software) and printed in the method book. Students will be encouraged to print the scores from the method book (even though they can read the scores via the video) and play the Guitar 1 part live along with the pre-recorded Guitar 2 part performed by me (the Guitar 2 part will be available via video and/or audio mp3s).
Encouragement for students to embrace the “keep going” method and reminders that the desire for perfection inhibits the acquisition of this skill (attitudes). Attitude is extremely important when learning the skill of sight-reading. Other methods do not deal with the attitude needed for mastery of the skill. The tone of the encouragement may vary from serious to quirky.
Methods for self-assessment (skills). (I am not a pedagogical specialist in self-assessment and would be grateful for ideas in this area.)
Related research:
Joyce Eastlund Gromko, “Predictors of Music Sight-Reading Ability in High School Wind Players”,
Journal of Research in Music Education
52 (2004).
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2307/3345521
Marjaana Penttinen and Erkki Huovinen, “The Early Development of Sight-Reading Skills in Adulthood: A Study of Eye Movements”,
Journal of Research in Music Education
59 (2011).
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0022429411405339
Short Description:
Sight-Reading for Guitar: The Keep Going Method Book and Video Series
teaches guitar players from all musical backgrounds to understand, read and play modern staff notation in real-time. The Keep Going Method is designed to impart the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for sight-reading with efficiency, fun and encouragement. The skill of sight-reading is difficult to develop, primarily because it is traditionally taught inefficiently, which this book seeks to address. Further, students encounter high levels of emotional discomfort in the beginning stages of skill acquisition. All types of guitars apply: electric, steel-string and nylon-string.
The introductory video above is an excerpt from the book’s Introduction.
Take a look online
, and keep reading and playing!
Outline
Early Release Note
What is an open textbook?
Praise for this Series
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Open Strings, Basic Rhythms & the 4/4 Time Signature
More Open Strings, Rhythms & Time Signatures
Notes on the First String & Tempo
Notes on the Second String, Articulations & Voicings
Notes on the Third String & Dotted Rhythms
Notes on the Fourth String, Ornaments & the Tie
Notes on the Fifth String, More Navigation & Ornaments
Notes on the Sixth String & Dynamics
Simple vs. Compound Meter
More Notes, Accidentals & the Eighth-Note Triplet
More Notes, Color & Navigation
More Notes, Repetition & Fingerings
More Notes, Sixteenth Note Rhythms & Dotted Eighth Note Rhythms
More Notes, Expression & Tuplets
More Notes & Meter
More Notes, Key Signatures & Cut Time Meter
More Notes & Extended Techniques
More Notes, Thirty-Second Rhythms & Swing
Playing in Positions
Intervals, Chords & Strums
More Enharmonics
Refining Your Practice
Appendix
About the Author & Composers
Adoption Form
Licensing & Attribution Information
Review Statement
Accessibility Assessment
Version History
Resources
- The Early Development of Sight-Reading Skills in Adulthood: A Study of Eye Movements
- Predictors of Music Sight-Reading Ability in High School Wind Players
- Unit Outline
- Project Summary
- Review Guide
- Beta-testing Guide
- Online Survey for Beta-testers
- Sight Reading for Guitar
- Outline of Units
- Adoption Form
