Does sightreading skill help to to increase theoretical knowledge?

[Jim Carr]

Fast and accurate reading of music, in treble and bass clefs, opens things up for any musician. Otherwise, theory books are closed to you, even if you open them and turn the pages. You need to be able to hear, not just play what you see on the page.

Then again, there is Theory, there is Practice, and there are Music Fundamentals. It's sometimes called basic theory, but it isn't theory, it's just the fundamentals needed to understand theory AND practice. Notation in general, keys signatures, rhythms, etc. are part of fundamentals. So too are intervals, scales, triads, seventh chords, modes, extended Jazz chords, etc. All these are required in order to move into real Theory (and Practice).

If you mean real Theory, not just fundamentals, that includes voice leading and harmony as it relates to form, styles, analysis, genres, etc.

Then there are the practical skills part of theory and practice. These include voice leading and harmony (again), figured bass, counterpoint, improvisation, composition, instrumentation, arranging, orchestration, etc.

I suspect what the OP means by theory is the former group of Music Fundamentals. If you can't read well, you can't read.

 

[mambo4]

I played trumpet from elementary school, through high school. We learned to sight read from the start....At no time, did I ever have any "theoretical" knowledge of what I was doing.

Sight reading a chart with no chord symbols will not reveal the harmony to you.

[sight reading] in itself need not promote deeper understanding unless you choose to look beyond the score.

It seems like those who learned to sight read well before encountering theory believe reading and theory are quite separated. But they have no idea what it's like to learn theory while illiterate - which is how I started. I learned loads of theory well before seriously pursuing reading. When I finally got after it, I was quite struck by how intimately standard musical notation and western diatonic theory reflect each other. The first time I wrote out a harmonized major scale was a "light bulb moment" for me. When I look at notation, I can see theory, in a way that illiterate me could not. But perhaps that's because I was looking for it.

 

[stringthrough]

Not in the least. No more so than, will improving my technique help increase my knowledge of music theory.

 

[Snarf]

Yes. Reading music trains your eye to see the distance between intervals, and their relationships to other intervals in a chord structure. This leads to being able to hear those things in your head as well.

 

[Spin Doctor]

Fast and accurate reading of music, in treble and bass clefs, opens things up for any musician. Otherwise, theory books are closed to you, even if you open them and turn the pages. You need to be able to hear, not just play what you see on the page<snip>

You'll have to pardon me if I don't agree with this statement. Especially not the fast accurate part. I don't read any of my bass parts other than lead sheets and I have a pretty strong theoretical understanding of music and enough books to fill a library. I can either easily figure out, or directly understand what they say in all of them.

 

[MonetBass]

*SNIP* An example would be to give a classically trained pianist, some complex piano sheet music, and then will probably be able to play it competently. Ask them to improvise and chances are they will struggle with it.

Give sheet music to, let's say blues harmonica great Little Walter, and he probably could not play what is on there. Ask Little Walter to improvise on a harmonica solo, and he knows enough theory to play something that is musically sound theory-wise and sounds great!

An excellent example. I have a friend who is an excellent pianist and can sight-read anything in minutes. But during one music class in college when he was asked to "make something up" (aka improvise) on a piece, he was completely lost. It honestly boggled my mind.

 

[JimmyM]

An excellent example. I have a friend who is an excellent pianist and can sight-read anything in minutes. But during one music class in college when he was asked to "make something up" (aka improvise) on a piece, he was completely lost. It honestly boggled my mind.

That is certainly not a universal result, as I know many many many pianists who can both sightread their asses off and improv. However, I do believe that being able to read well doesn't necessarily mean that you can use theory to play some good improv. If anything, I think the exact opposite.

 

[Spin Doctor]

That is certainly not a universal result, as I know many many many pianists who can both sightread their asses off and improv. However, I do believe that being able to read well doesn't necessarily mean that you can use theory to play some good improv. If anything, I think the exact opposite.

To be a good improviser, you have to practice improvising. It's like anything else. Being a good sight reader doesn't grant you any abilities, knowledge, perfect hair or super powers. Sight reading means you can sight read.

I don't get this huge mystique over it. It's just something you can do if you work on it.

 

[JimmyM]

To be a good improviser, you have to practice improvising. It's like anything else. Being a good sight reader doesn't grant you any abilities, knowledge, perfect hair or super powers. Sight reading means you can sight read.

I don't get this huge mystique over it. It's just something you can do if you work on it.

Agreed.

 

[tb4sbp]

I can read music but not sight read as if being in a pit. I know music theory and a good amount of techniques. I have not been in a situation that required sight reading. I have a few friends that can and they say it is like reading in a different language. So the more you read the more you know. So it can help just like reading a novel can help expand your mind. I do know a few piano players that do not even know what notes they are playing just was the sheet music tells them what to play.
I feel just like anything sight reading can have benefits but there are many ways to learn.
On its own sight reading will not make understand theory but it is a tool that can help you out.

 

[Fergie Fulton]

That is to say does increased sight reading skill, in turn, increase one’s grasp of theory? Just throwing that out there, if anyone wants to field it.

Yes it improves every part of your playing as an associated skill.

You may not ever realise it does, but that is for you to learn.

 

[SLO Surfer]

I sight read music (well) for 10 years before my first theory class. I really knew nothing about theory until that class, so sight reading alone did not give me any theoretical knowledge. But once I started learning theory, being a good sight reader made it relatively “easy” to learn.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

That is to say does increased sight reading skill, in turn, increase one’s grasp of theory? Just throwing that out there, if anyone wants to field it.

If you really have good sight reading skill, you already have a good grasp of theory.

 

[Jim Carr]

You'll have to pardon me if I don't agree with this statement. Especially not the fast accurate part. I don't read any of my bass parts other than lead sheets and I have a pretty strong theoretical understanding of music and enough books to fill a library. I can either easily figure out, or directly understand what they say in all of them.

OK, but I'm not addressing the issue of reading bass-parts or lead sheets. I'm addressing the question of whether or not sight reading will help improve your knowledge of theory.

All I'm saying is that if you don't read well, then printed musical examples in theory books may was well not be there. I stand by
that. If one can only plod through by approximating what is offered by one's books, how strong is your understanding of theory going to be really?

I'm not disrespecting your skills or musical understanding. All I'm saying is that when one looks at a printed example in a theory book, say of a multi-voice score or modestly complex piano part, if you can't read it fluently, your learning is impeded.

I have been a music teacher since 1978, and though retired, I practice and study every day. There is absolutely no end to the challenge that music presents, as I'm sure you would agree.

If a musician does not read, as a great many don't, that is fine. They are still musicians, and may be great, mediocre, or somewhere in between. If one desires to go beyond music funamentals, a good way is to understand music on a deep theoretical level that is supported by ones ear's. To do that within the short span we are all around, good sight-reading is pretty much essential, IMHO.

 

[MVE]

I'm going to vote, Yes.
Everyone is different, of course, but I've reached a point in my own learning where not being able to sight read proficiently is becoming a nagging handicap.
So I am working on it.
I am trying to learn as many standards as possible and frankly there just isn't enough room between my ears to commit every head to memory the first time I hear it, so learning to sightread is a must to accomplish my goals. Forget about trying to analyze and learn things from any famous solo without being able to read. - Unless you want to spend a few months on a single song committing every note to memory.
- But again, everybody is different. Many people, more gifted than me, might be able to listen to a Parker solo once and then play it back by ear. - I'm just not one of those guys.

 

[Neon Scribe]

You can learn music theory without being able to read standard notation at all, but you will find that most of the books about music theory use standard notation and assume the ability to read standard notation and play small examples on a keyboard as a prerequisite.

A separate issue is "reading" music vs. "sight reading" music. "Reading" music means you can look at a page with dots and beams and clefs and lines and puzzle it out in your own time, and once you have done that you can refer to that page to guide you through playing the music you have learned. "Sight reading" means that you can look at a page of music you've never seen before and play it right then and there without any further preparation. "Reading" is a prerequisite to "sight reading", of course. There is in fact a continuum of skill between "I just learned all the rules for how to read music and I can barely figure it out" and "You can put any piece of music in front of me and I can just play it."

You can learn theory (theoretically!) without reading music notation, but you can also be a fluent reader of music without knowing anything beyond the most basic music theory.

 

[knight of ni]

I'm addressing the question of whether or not sight reading will help improve your knowledge of theory.

The OP is :
"That is to say does increased sight reading skill, in turn, increase one’s grasp of theory?"
The difference between 'will help' and 'in turn' is critical. I think what the OP means is whether sight reading 'automatically' improves grasp of theory, which it does not. However you discuss if sight reading will help understanding theory, which it certainly does for the reasons you stated.

 

[juggahnaught]

I need a drink.

Hey - all I'm saying is that reading does not equal understanding.

Again, music is an auditory experience. Western notation has just translated it to a visual medium, and now, many people think that's what music is and that you can't do without it. I'm not saying that it doesn't have its place, and I'm not saying it has no value - but music is a language just like any other. The four pillars of languages are generally reading, writing, speaking, and listening; reading (and especially sight reading) is only one facet and it is most definitely not the whole picture.

 

[Jim Carr]

The OP is :
"That is to say does increased sight reading skill, in turn, increase one’s grasp of theory?"
The difference between 'will help' and 'in turn' is critical. I think what the OP means is whether sight reading 'automatically' improves grasp of theory, which it does not. However you discuss if sight reading will help understanding theory, which it certainly does for the reasons you stated.

Of course. But without sight-reading, theory learning, even fundamentals, come slower, IME. "Will help" vs. "in turn" is a difference will out a distinction, IMHO. Nothing is automatic in learning music, except perhaps it's infinite dimensions, lol.

 

[SoonerBill]

I played viola in an orchestra in high school and college. I majored in electrical engineering. I minored in music studies. I’m not sure how sight reading and music theory connect. Sight reading is like reading an automotive repair manual and fixing your car. Understanding music theory is like being able to design said car.