Saxophone beginners Should I be able to sight read this?

[taiwanpaul]

Do you need to sight read, or can you practise it? My sight reading is poor, but I sight read big band parts without the sax, learn to hear the piece and rhythms first, then starting slowly play it up to the tempo that the band leader wants. In the big band I play in, nobody expects you to sight read and play perfectly the first time (even though most of them can!)

 

[Pete Thomas]

Do you need to sight read, or can you practise it?

This is the main answer to the question “Should I be able to sight read this?”

If you need to sight read it, then yes, you should be able to.

 

[Gandalfe]

The hardest part for me, an intermediate player, is finding where the repeat at the end goes back to. Hmm ...

 

[wakyct]

Thanks for the comments everyone!

Normally I don't have to sight read anything. But the situation here was at the start of my last lesson the teacher suggested we play this piece as a duo.

 

[Pete Thomas]

The hardest part for me, an intermediate player, is finding where the repeat at the end goes back to. Hmm ...

Repeat at the end?

 

[mizmar]

Thanks for the comments everyone!

Normally I don't have to sight read anything. But the situation here was at the start of my last lesson the teacher suggested we play this piece as a duo.

Which would have been pertinent context in the first post.

My online flute teacher occasionally does a "try this.." just to introduce a technique or something to start learning; knowing full well I wouldn't get it straight off.

But, as an intro to duets, it seems on the hard side - not least.of all, too fast - to me.

 

[rhysonsax]

The hardest part for me, an intermediate player, is finding where the repeat at the end goes back to. Hmm ...

That confused me too, but I think it isn't actually a repeat bar, rather it is the end bar with a quarter note (crotchet) rest immediately next to it that makes it look like a repeat bar to nowhere in particular.

Rhys

 

[Dr G]

The hardest part for me, an intermediate player, is finding where the repeat at the end goes back to. Hmm ...

Are you talking about a D.S.?

That’s the type of thing that an experienced reader looks for when scanning the pages before playing. Other points of interest include key changes and time changes. We used to call these “land marks”.

 

[PiccoloPirate]

It's a quarter rest, at the end of that piece.
As stated, when sight reading, look over everything first.
It was an important part of auditions, for going beyond your local school's band/orchestra program, and entrance to a high school music conservatory or summer camps, like Interlochen
It was something you practiced and did at most every hour long lesson.
Most important for auditions, play it correctly, with feeling and expression, even if a bit slower than the given tempo.
When I spent a year, taking weekly lessons on Flute, after almost 20 on single reeds, with a symphony/studio flute/picc only player, most of the lesson, was sight reading duets and orchestra music.
Paying attention to intonation, especially going pianissimo, when trying to keep up, going a bit flat, I was shown how to move the jaw forward a bit, to keep the slower air column, on target.

 

[PiccoloPirate]

I might add, that after looking over that Bossa, at a lesson, I would have said, why don't we write a duet for a Jobim tune, rather than play this gator poop. 😜

 

[PiccoloPirate]

Sight reading on Sax, also included playing literature for other instruments, and quickly playing written notes, that were out of range, to fit the sax.
Look ahead, as was stated.
Often we'd stop, discuss this, decide if it made sense, adjust or move on the the next page, and give that a go.
Study like this, from age 12-18, was one of the highlights of weekly lessons.
Arranging and composition, are useful skills for improv.

 

[Gandalfe]

Are you talking about a D.S.?

That’s the type of thing that an experienced reader looks for when scanning the pages before playing. Other points of interest include key changes and time changes. We used to call these “land marks”.

Look at the last measure... oh wait... that's a rest, my bad.

 

[Colin the Bear]

If you know how it goes, it'll be a doddle to read. 😎

 

[Tenor Viol]

Sight reading is a skill that can be improved by doing more of it. As a general rule, in UK music exam grade terms, you can usually sight-read a piece about 2 grades below current ability level, so if you are a grade 5 player, you should be able to sight-read grade 3 pieces, ymmv.

When looking at a piece for the first time, quickly scan it for the obvious things: time signatures and does it change, key signature and does that change, tempo and does that change, any ralls/rits, repeats and other navigation issues such as a DS or DC al Coda

 

[Pete Thomas]

Are you talking about a D.S.?

That’s the type of thing that an experienced reader looks for when scanning the pages before playing.

Look ahead, as was stated.

When looking at a piece for the first time, quickly scan it for the obvious things: time signatures and does it change, key signature and does that change, tempo and does that change, any ralls/rits, repeats and other navigation issues such as a DS or DC al Coda

All very very good advice and crucial if there is time to do so. Of course it could be argued if you want to be pedantic, then it’s no longer sight reading if you get a chance to glance through it first.

Actual 100% sight reading would mean a situation where (for example on a live performance) you have a music stand with possibly several hundred charts and have a band leader who gives you just about enough time to find the music if you are lucky before launching into it.

These are situations where the main crucial thing while actually reading is to note any D.S. signs or repeat start bars. All while also looking ahead a bar or two and obeying dynamics and tempo changes.

I’m quite glad to have been able to no longer do those sorts of gigs.

 

[mizmar]

Again, wakyct said this was a suggestion, by their teacher, who knows Thier musical and playing level, in a lesson.
I suppose they didn't slap it on the stand, pick up their horn and go "one and two and ...." Dah dah da dahhhh

My advice would be to look through the piece and say everything you see and think, out loud. Key, speed, key changes, repeats... Whatever. Ask if there are bits you don't understand (like the D.S. bit). Discuss, maybe, high/altisimo notes you don't feel confident in etc. what bpm you might feel comfortable starting at.
That will help the teacher (re)calibrate where you are.
Then, maybe, chunk / phrase by phrase work through, maybe solo with (slow) metronome or a count in. Then a phrase or two with whatever the teacher does.
I'd think if you could get through the first line or two, slowly, with the teacher, you'd be really enjoying it.

 

[Pete Thomas]

I suppose they didn't slap it on the stand, pick up their horn and go "one and two and ...." Dah dah da dahhhh

I would also suppose that, unless sight reading was a specific part of their learning plan. But the teacher would, or should know, what the student is able to do or not.

I’ve never had to teach sight reading, my gut feeling is that nobody does. You just teach a student the basics of reading note pitches and rhythms, and the student then gradually gains fluency by keeping on doing it until they can read at sight.

 

[mizmar]

...my gut feeling is that nobody does.

None of us were in the room.
Could be the teacher went "play that". Could be they went "let's work on this now" rather than "here's your homework". And that might feel like "sightreading" for some value of sightreading different to what a seasoned session musician thinks.
Context.

 

[Dr G]

All very very good advice and crucial if there is time to do so. Of course it could be argued if you want to be pedantic, then it’s no longer sight reading if you get a chance to glance through it first.

Actual 100% sight reading would mean a situation where (for example on a live performance) you have a music stand with possibly several hundred charts and have a band leader who gives you just about enough time to find the music if you are lucky before launching into it.

These are situations where the main crucial thing while actually reading is to note any D.S. signs or repeat start bars. All while also looking ahead a bar or two and obeying dynamics and tempo changes.

I’m quite glad to have been able to no longer do those sorts of gigs.

Pedantic for the win!

 

[turf3]

Are you talking about a D.S.?

That’s the type of thing that an experienced reader looks for when scanning the pages before playing. Other points of interest include key changes and time changes. We used to call these “land marks”.

" Road map". Figure it out before you start.