My 2024 guitar plan is to get decent at sight reading and everything that comes with it, formalize my theory knowledge with ABRSM etc. I imagine a lot of us are in the same boat, I know a fair bit in the rock / metal / blues / folk tradition, I have a good ear, I know my intervals and modes and how to use them, but I'm lacking the polish and it annoys me that I'm blocking myself from participating in more formal situations. I can read but at a geriatric snail's pace, not useful for real-life.
I'm currently working with a book I've had on the shelf forever, Music Reading For Guitar by David Oakes. I'm great at starting books and not finishing them. This is a new addition to my practice routine which I'll be returning to after a rough 2023.
Anyway my main question is what is a good source of sight reading material? The exercises in the book are fine but the actual pieces are few and far between. I know myself, if I play something a few times, I'll start to learn it (humble brag) and then I won't be reading it any more.
From reading online, it seems that sight reading exercises for guitar tend to be for classical. I know the notes are in the same places, but somehow I get the feeling that it will be frustrating to play them on a steel string guitar (electric or acoustic) and I'd rather not add another guitar to the arsenal.
(We know where this is going...)
So what's a good source of hopefully fun material that isn't too challenging (although this is a function of tempo)? A jazz real book? Violin something or other? Something else? Or just play the classical exercises on my Strat?
I know nothing in a good way.
Brian Moore MC1 / i9.13p, Chapman ML-2 / ML-3, Fender 1977 Strat Hardtail / Richie Kotzen Telecaster, Peavey Predator / T-60, PRS SE Akerfeldt / Akesson , Squier Classic Vibe 60s Strat, FSR Custom Tele x2, Simon & Patrick Folk Cedar
Comments
There's also his Jazz Songbook in the same series.
.I can not immediately locate it, but I'm pretty sure there's a Sight Reading book by Berklee Press.
Also, by William Leavitt there's Classical Studies for Pick-Style Guitar.
That lot alone would keep you occupied for a good while!
A Modern Method for Guitar by William Leavitt - loads of etudes and duets in these books.
When I transcribe solos, I like to use Guitar Pro for the dots on the stave and also the tab. The two together gives a fuller picture of how and where to play things. But I couldn't sight read what I've written from cold.
As for the gigging, that may come, but I don't see that I'm yet at a level to even take the most basic sight-reading gig you can think of. (Assuming standard notation, I can handle chord charts no problem.)
That's true, I think adding this more "studious" part will have a positive impact on the stuff I'm more comfortable with.
Another cracking book, thank you!
Again, I don't know how you got the gig if your sight reading wasn't good, but I guess you just found the right gig at the right time.
Well, I'm making progress with Music Reading for Guitar, we're on page 22 of 159 and it's going fine. Again, I'm not a complete noob, just new at really trying to read in real time. I find the rhythm much easier than the pitch at present but am improving at that too. I'm frankly (not) amazed at how the more I practice the easier it becomes... Must remember that for 2024.
Facebook knows me too well; this came up today...
I’m a bassist. I use double bass pieces and trombone stuff, and the bass clef of piano parts to practice with.
Notes are just notes. Classical, jazz, metal etc does not matter for developing the skill. In fact as genres have specific features it is very useful to move around a lot.
I play big band jazz a lot. Most of that is in flat keys and so my sharp key reading is poor. But there’s plenty of ‘bone, DB and piano stuff in sharp keys.
Just read everything you can find. I use sample exam sight reading tests all the time. There’s hundreds available.
https://speakerimpedance.co.uk/?act=two_parallel&page=calculator
Mind you, there are so many big band tunes that half of the time I don’t recognise the tunes even when we are playing them all together!
I have to go and find old black and white clips on YouTube!
https://speakerimpedance.co.uk/?act=two_parallel&page=calculator
Here is an older version of the book to see if it’s of any use: https://archive.org/details/SoloGuitarPlayingFrederickM.Noad/mode/2up?view=theater
The legendry session guitarist reader was Tommy Tedesco, it was said he could read fly s#1t.
He wrote an inspirational book called "for guitar players only" and its been reprinted. He does some simple exercises on reading as well as some great anecdotes about hus life and work. One of his quotes was 'read everything, no matter what the instrument' as a method of sharpening your eye/mind.