It may seem like instrumentalists have it much easier when it comes to sight reading music; by simply pressing a key or a string, the notes are immediately available to them without any additional thought, and all that’s left to them is to work out duration, dynamics, and tempo. Singers, on the other hand, don’t have an instrument to rely on.
Taking a song previously unknown to you and delivering a reasonably accurate performance the very first run-through isn’t a talent that everybody has. However, there are plenty of strategies you can employ to make yourself better at sight singing.
Learn Your Intervals
With the advent of smartphones and tablet devices, there are a wealth of music apps available to put a keyboard in front of you whenever you need it. Better still, with a pair of headphones, you can study your intervals throughout the day. As you have breaks in your day, listen to intervals until they become familiar to you. Your ear will learn what a minor third, perfect fifth, and so on sounds like, and with time you’ll find it easier to translate your sheet music to singing!
Also, don’t forget to put the bookwork in on your printed music – analyze your songs, and while you’re learning what an octave sounds like, learn what it looks like as well. The more work you put into combining the look and the sound of an interval, you’ll find your sight singing improving on its own.
Remember to Count
Practice Makes Perfect
Sight singing is like riding a bike – for a while, you may need to take extra time and work out the notes slowly. But after a while, you’ll find that your sight singing skills have developed to the extent that you’re only looking a bar or so ahead as you read. Practice your new skills as often as you can. Set a steady tempo when you’re sight singing, and stick to it – don’t stop to correct mistakes or to work out intervals.
Being a fluent sight reader is a valuable skill for a singer. Vocalists who can sight sing well are quite rare, and are in high demand, especially for good choirs and small ensembles. Improving your sight singing will open all kinds of new opportunities!
Photo by donald judge
Suzy S.