Playing At Sight: Introduction

This is an electronic, online version of the 1963 work “Playing At Sight” by E C Moore, originally published by Leblanc Educational Staff. We have tidied and edited the text for sense and clarity, and recreated the musical notation to be more accessible. The 35-page book is split into a number of sections on this website, with a table of contents below and navigation from page to page provided.

Contents

• Requirements Part 1
• Requirements Part 2
• Rehearsing for Sight Playing
• Counting Time
• Fundamental Music Theory
• Random Remarks

The title of this booklet, “Playing at Sight”, is, I believe, broader in concept and more meaningful than the usual title, “Sight Reading.” Although they are competent musicians, few school band conductors can play every instrument in the band, yet they can read each individual instrumental line in the score, and they know enough about each instrument to teach each player how to play his part. Actually, the competent conductor is concerned with the actual performance of music the first time he reads it in score form, long before he hears the actual sounds. This “sight-reading”, which precedes a performance, is also true about sight playing. Good readers do two things: (a) they read ahead; (b) they memorize the patterns of sound they have just read.

These are the practical requirements for developing good “sightreading” ability. The performer must:

1. Recognize and understand key signatures.
2. Recognize and understand meter (or time) signatures.
3. Recognize the sound of notes by their position in relation to the staff; be able to hear intervals accurately and know the fingerings for all notes in the playing range.
4. Recognize and understand note values and be able to relate these to note groupings and rhythmic patterns.
5. Recognize and understand the rhythmic implication in articulations, staccatos, slurred groupings, and so on.
6. Recognize and understand the words and symbols by which tempo and dynamics are indicated.
7. Recognize and understand the words by which expression is indicated.
8. Have an understanding of the basic theory of music.
   
   These constitute the physical requirements for developing good “sight-reading” ability:
   
9. The ability to play in tune and with good tone quality consistently, throughout the entire range.
10. The ability to count time accurately and incisively, and to beat time correctly.
11. The ability to control the emission of tone and play with expression.
12. The ability to control breathing and make phrasing intelligible.
13. The ability to control tonguing and master the basic articulations.
14. A thorough knowledge of the correct fingerings.
15. The ability to maintain adequate speeds when manipulating the instrument.

We will break the general problem of “sight-playing” into sections, discuss each one separately, and suggest how the teacher may diagnose specific problems. Practical suggestions will be offered to help correct faults that may prevail.

Say the scriptures: “As ye sow, so also shall ye reap.” It is almost an inviolable rule that every problem in “sight-playing” may be traced to weaknesses in fundamental training. The ability to play at sight with reasonable accuracy is a “by-product” of sound, careful routining in basic fundamentals. Superior “sight-playing” implies the ability to perform new music at reasonable speeds and with expression, so that the first reading is like that of a concert performance. When musicians are trained carefully and given a sound, practical routining in basic fundamentals, they require no special coaching to become good sight readers and players. Those who are not routined in basic fundamentals will be so weak in important phases of sight-playing that no last minute coaching will be of value.

Band contests of any nature are won early in the school year because of adequate training in the basic fundamentals. There IS no other way. This is especially true of sight-reading contests. Let us forget about contests, however, to consider other benefits that accrue to a band which receives basic and elementary training in sight playing. This band will be able to:

1. Read more new music during the year.
2. Prepare programs easily and quickly.
3. Enjoy rehearsals more.
4. Build an increasing interest in outside practice and perfecting themselves.
5. Take some strain from the conductor, for rehearsals will be more enjoyable, less nerve wracking. (Most directors say that the biggest headaches in rehearsing are caused by the inability of players to judge rhythm and note groupings correctly. Directors are also faced with the ever present reluctance of players to give notes their full metrical value.)

There is no educational value in “buzzing” through a lot of numbers willy-nilly. The player who keeps up with the band and finishes when it does, may or may not be a good sight player. Each number must be worked on until players understand it and can play it well enough to get a good idea of its content.

Music can be played in style, with understanding and enjoyment only after students have been correctly and adequately routined in the basic fundamentals. Students know when music has been prepared poorly. Hours of rehearsal are wasted when bands have not been schooled in the fifteen requirements listed in this outline. Bad performances are not enjoyable to band members or to those who hear them. They have no educational value. School band conductors, members of educational faculties, are paid from public funds. They owe a great obligation to students entrusted to their care. Even the best efforts of the band conductor fall short of perfection. Therefore, the conductor must teach well, give his students a thorough understanding of the principles of musicianship, and lead them into rapport with the spiritual essence of great music by insisting upon a creditable performance. No other criteria should prevail!

Among both music students and teachers, there exists an almost general reluctance to read text; it’s just too much bother. I adopted and taught from an excellent clarinet method for two years and never read the text. One day I took time to read it and found it to be a postgraduate course in clarinet playing. I learned a valuable lesson, believe me. Now, I read the text of all instruction books. Neglecting to read the text in method books is a general failing among music students and teachers.

Another weakness is the way instructions are followed after they are read. Here, students and teachers can be compared to the fellow who goes to the doctor, receives two or three kinds of medicine to cure his ailments, goes home and takes only one kind, then kicks like a steer because he doesn’t get well. Frankly, I lead up to this point; use in their entirety the methods advocated in our educational books, for these are backed up by years of thought, experience, and experimentation, and are not whimsical ideas dreamt up on the spur of the moment. They are clear-cut, scientific, practical, and will produce excellent results if used as stated in the text. Care is taken to see that method books published by Leblanc Publications contain the essence of teaching practices used over the years by the world’s greatest teachers. No matter what method is used, however, check it carefully and scientifically before releasing it to your students. At the risk of sounding pedantic, I reaffirm my belief that students entrusted to your care must have the best possible training. Personal likes, dislikes, or prejudices must not be allowed to influence you in your choice of teaching methods and materials. The basic consideration underlying a worthwhile evaluation of methods and teaching materials should be the student—what is best for him.

Now we proceed to a discussion of the fifteen requirements outlined at the beginning. Many readers may disagree with my conclusions. This is only natural and is acceptable to me when those who disagree back up the area of their disagreement with scientific data, or empirical observation. When there is disagreement, however, I trust that, figuratively speaking, we can put our feet under the table in the friendliest possible manner, and exchange ideas for improving our teaching techniques with one objective in mind, that we do the best possible job of teaching the students in our charge.

Next Section: Requirements Part 1