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Originally Posted by Wil Davis Exactly! When she was asked to play an unfamiliar piece, my flute teacher would never buy a record to hear how the piece sounded - she said that she didn't want to be influenced by the recording, but she wanted to make her own intepretation of the piece. Also, I've been caught out by thinking that I know a piece, and finding that I'm playing something which is different from what is actually written down (the Real-Books are notorious for this!). The only way to become really good at sight-reading is to sight-read unfamiliar pieces. No short-cuts! Lots of hard work! (but worth it!) 
- Wil |
Although I can see the benefits from doing this your way Wil, I'm hesitant to say that it's the "only" way. Diff'rent strokes...
Yes Real books are often wrong about many things, but among other things, musicianship also includes being able to know how to reinterpret things. And especially as a Jazzer, being able to identify what the 'common' keys tunes are usually played in and to be able discriminate when a tune differs from the norm. Wrong/varying/unneccessary chord changes, embellishments, and differing heads included. I remember hearing that most don't actually even play the changes that a standard is originally written in anyway.
I remember when I was learning to sight-read, and how I WOULD make alot of mistakes when playing songs that I had never heard. Try reading for separate hands on a piano, it's challenging to say the least. However, I had an easier time when I have briefly heard the tune before. I totally remember this when learning rags like Maple Leaf or the Entertainer. Even before learning to improvise, I would rely on my ear alot and hearing a tune made it easier. My intention was not to create my own interpretation (that came later), but to duplicate exactly what is written. Sight reading for the DB is pretty much a breeze compared to piano.
When I sight-read an unknown tune, the mistakes I made would often be pointed out to me only during a lesson with the teacher. I often reinforced playing the wrong notes because I would practice it wrong alot and would have a hard time correcting later on. Today my rhythm & note reading is much better and am much more comfortable sight reading an unknown piece. For myself, getting away from an influence isn't such a problem nor is intentionally playing something different than how it's written. I just think that this is a situation where using crutches in the beginning is very beneficial, IMO. Neither way is wrong but everyone is different. We'll just let Seb decide for himself.
Sorry for the longer than neccessary post.
