Sight reading tips?

[Gyoon]

I have an opportunity to get a steady gig in a showband. My primary job would be able to sight read the music with very little to no rehearsal. My reading is quite good, but I would like some tips on taking it to the next level.

Glenn

[Snarf]

Here's something that works for me: keep your eyes a beat or more ahead of where the music actually is.

[Lorenzini]

Nice thread.
First thing's first - Make sure there are NO symbols or words on the sheet music you don't understand. Define every term completely. It may seem trivial, but it's not - your reading will open up.

If you already know all the terms, just practicing sight reading of all different kinds is all I can recommend. When I say different kinds, you know, Bach Cello pieces, disco 16th note stuff, jazz charts, etc... As you will need to be well rounded.

Previous suggestion of looking ahead, I totally agree with that. You don't want to get caught on passage that just kills you.

I am not a stellar bass playing reader but it's a very strong point as a pianist so I hope this is useful info.

[DocBop]

I would say work on scanning charts quickly for tough or unusual parts. Take advantage of the little time you have when a new chart is handed out and use the bass in your head to work things out.

I usually carry a couple pencils one red and both with erasers. Good to have since they tend to make changes or corrections. Red is good to make reminder marks for yourself, like making small DS and coda signs or meter or key changes.

Then work on reading ahead. Good reader usually can reada bar or two ahead of what they are playing. Stories go some of old studio guys like Howard Roberts could read a line at a time.

As they say studio work is 80% boredom and 20% sheer terror.

[janekbass]

reading is something you have to do al the time to get better at, much like any other aspect of your playing.

I get hold of any written music I can get my hands on. in all four clefs, Bb Eb parts to practice transposing at sight. Just anything I can get my hands on.

There's really no easy way to get it to the next level except for doing it.

Easy,

Janek

[LowMain]

Just an addendum to what everyone else has contributed: Before you play the piece, break it down. Make sure that you note things like tempo changes, key changes, codas, dal segnos, etc. so there are no surprises.

Sight reading is basically pattern recognition. The better readers don't bother to parse notes; they recognize the patterns that the notes fall into. It's like the difference between having to spell out words one letter at a time and reading whole sentences or paragraphs. The Robert Starer book on rhythmic solfege is dry, boring, difficult, and terrific, but any material will do for learning to read note patterns. Bach is one of my faves, but as trick as he sometimes gets harmonically, the patterns are familiar and repetitive.

That having been said, it still takes a lot of grunt work to become a proficient reader. Another challenge is having a sense of where your left hand is at all times, and reading ahead far enough that you don't find yourself having to make many awkward shifts. That's easier on a 5- or 6- string, since you can stay in the middle of the fretboard for a great deal of material and not have to shift much. Breaking away from the page to check your hand will sabotage your ability to read.

Learning other clefs or working on arbitrary transposition will also help, but those skills are more directed toward improvisational ability and fretboard intimacy than straight reading. Having played French horn for eighteen years, those were survival skills, but I find that on the bass those same skills help keep my mind flexible without contributing directly to my reading chops. But everything helps!