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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)

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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.