My Tips and Tricks for Sight-Reading

It’s that time of year… Contest Time! As I travel around Oklahoma right now, the most common topic I hear about is sight-reading. When I was an educator, this was always the scariest and most anxiety-inducing activity for me.

Over the years, I have streamlined my approach to preparing a concert band for the OSSAA Sight-Reading Contest. Here are some quick tips and tricks I’ve "stolen" throughout my career.

1. Stick to a Routine: I began using the JH and HS versions of Habits of a Successful Musician for the first 30 minutes of every 60-minute rehearsal. You can scale this down depending on your schedule, but don’t deviate from it as you get closer to the performance date. Your band will have more fun with this consistency, and your "back of the section" players will have a better chance of mastering difficult material.

2. Utilize the Whole Book: I use the scale sections for technique and key signatures, the rhythm sections for conceptual teaching, and the sight-reading sections (both books have two).

3. Start at the Foundation: I begin wherever the weaker members of the ensemble are currently performing and build up from there.

4. Embrace Unison Playing: Unison/Tutti playing is the quickest, easiest, and least stressful way to improve your group's overall sound.

5. Talk Less, Play More: Set parameters for yourself regarding how long you speak between repetitions. Give only one instruction at a time. This is challenging for any director! Try limiting yourself to 20 seconds; have an assistant time you or record your rehearsals. It will be an eye-opening experience.

6. Dedicated Daily Sight-Reading: Of those 30 minutes of "Habits" time, devote 10 minutes specifically to sight-reading every day. Always count the lines using a consistent system. Ensure all students are participating at the correct volume. I also recommend singing the lines on "dah" or "tah" to help players internalize the pitch. Always use a metronome to reinforce the pulse.

7. Build Endurance: The Habits books offer progressively challenging lines. At Collinsville, we would count and play one new page a day while keeping a previous page in "run-through" mode. This significantly helps build endurance.

8. Friday "Game Days": Beginning in January and ending after the state contest, Fridays are OSSAA-style sight-reading days. We put a timer on the director and treat the session like a real contest. Students count through the piece at the correct volume and "air play" their parts. I try to treat it like a game, acting as the "game show host" (think Pat Sajak from Wheel of Fortune).

9. Level Up: During Friday sessions—after several weeks of playing at or below your expected grade level—try playing one or two grade levels higher. Make that your new expectation. You will be amazed at how this boosts the group's confidence.

10. The Secret Sauce: I’ll say it again—unison playing is the secret to improving any band. Use short instructions, talk less, and play more in unison.

I’ve gathered these strategies over the years by observing others and studying resources online. I learned much of what I know today from watching Mark Casperson during my time at Ponca City High School. He truly was a master with students in the sight-reading room.

Hopefully, you'll find these tips helpful! If I can be of any assistance or if you have questions, please feel free to reach out at rod@palenmusic.com.