Learning How to Read Music (for older folks).

[Matthijs]

Good advice to split up the proces. I learnt reading notation at 30 so I had to go through this proces.

Some additional tips: mix the part of playing simple parts through the whole proces. And focus on learning to recognize intervals. You’ll read a lot faster if you don’t have to spell out all the 5’s after a 1.

A helpful tip from a teacher was to at first take a pencil to the part and highlight the structure: show the form with fat bar lines, add chord symbols at ‘interesting’ parts. You have to count fewer lines if the form and harmonic structure are obvious.

what helped me most was being put on the spot by my bandleader. He purposely waited to hand out my parts until the very last moment. So I was forced to read and play from the very beginning. It helped me integrate reading and hearing and playing.

 

[Max Bogosity]

With regard to step one, I found I made much better progress on reading rhythm with an app instead of a book or video. The instant feedback is priceless. I’m sure there are lots of decent apps out there, but I’ve used Rhythm Trainer (ok) and ReadRhythm (better) on iOS.

 

[IamGroot]

Early on in my bass playing career, I landed a spot in a Big Band. For those unfamiliar with the gig, it is almost 100% sight reading with few rehearsals. The band leader calls a number, say "No 452", and you reach into one of the 3 milk cartons of sheet music and put it on the stand. Its a song you never heard of, its 140 BPM and it has 4 sections each in a different key like Eb Ab, Db and D.

I could play serious bass and walk bass very well, but my sightreading was poor.

Reading different keys wasn't too bad, because I knew my scales and chords from Jazz Theory class.

What I found hardest was the rhythmic element of reading particularly where you only play one syncopated qtr note per bar. Its looks really bad if you come in early or late. Needless to say, I got relegated to standing in the wings for a month, before the regular bass player couldnt make it and they had to use me. By that time, I had done a lot of sight reading practice and got promoted.

Being a good Sight reader opened doors for me .

Somewhere along the way I bought "The Encyclopedia of Reading Rhythms" by Gary Hess. It was $15 bucks in the used book store and was good practice to polish my reading skills. Its a throw away book, because once you have done it, you will have learned it.

 

[IamGroot]

Here is a link to note flashcards.

Learn Alto and Tenor Clef Notes | Free Music Note Flashcard

I am learning tenor clef so I can sight read Bb instruments better.

 

[JimmyM]

Here is a link to note flashcards.

Learn Alto and Tenor Clef Notes | Free Music Note Flashcard

I am learning tenor clef so I can sight read Bb instruments better.

Planning on playing brass or woodwinds?

 

[JimmyM]

I would also add that going at a snail pace is OK. It’s all cumulative and it’s best to spend your time learning one basic concept thoroughly before moving on rather than jam a lot of information into a short session. One note at a time till it becomes rote.

 

[IamGroot]

Planning on playing brass or woodwinds?

Both brass and winds.

I read Treble, Bass and Eb Clef well. Eb clef is a snap if you read it as a bass clef with 3 added flats in the key signature.

I love tenor sax and trumpet parts, but I couldn't read Bb well.

Bb was my hurdle. Before , I sight read it in C and moved my hand down two frets. I got on the flash cards and got a score of 50/50 fairly quickly and my direct reading of Bb is starting to take off.

 

[JimmyM]

Both brass and winds.

I read Treble, Bass and Eb Clef well. Eb clef is a snap if you read it as a bass clef with 3 added flats in the key signature.

I love tenor sax and trumpet parts, but I couldn't read Bb well.

Bb was my hurdle. Before , I sight read it in C and moved my hand down two frets. I got on the flash cards and got a score of 50/50 fairly quickly and my direct reading of Bb is starting to take off.

I got lucky. I read Bb first for starting with trumpet. After that, piano. Was not good at piano but darn glad I learned some.

 

[IamGroot]

 

[IamGroot]

One tricky part about reading alto.

Lets say you are playing "Take the A Train" part for alto sax in A. You think 3 sharps. Add 3 flats and you get key of C (sharps and flats cancel). Cool..... but when you come to any natural in the alto part, treat it like a flat.

 

[Papageno]

One tricky part about reading alto.

Lets say you are playing "Take the A Train" part for alto sax in A. You think 3 sharps. Add 3 flats and you get key of C (sharps and flats cancel). Cool..... but when you come to any natural in the alto part, treat it like a flat.

Sure. The trick I suggested to read Eb music still requires some awareness. And if you are trying to sightread some Charlie Parker transcription, brace yourself!

The application I had in mind was rather to read a lead sheet in Eb that some alto player hands you out. I does not take much time to go through it with a pencil and correct the key signature and the accidentals.

 

[IamGroot]

For sight reading Eb, I use the method I described in the 1st post, item 8. If you treat naturals as flats in sharp keys, no need to annotate.

I play 5 or 6 Parker solos, but they are not sight reading material. I spent months getting the fingering right for Ornithology. Since then, playing sax parts has gotten a lot easier. I recorded a Trambauer alto sax part last week which was tough since there is a lot of vibrato.. Going to do "Always There" next month, if there is interest with my buddies.