Three Simple Steps To Help Your Band Become Better Sight-Readers

THREE SIMPLE STEPS TO HELP YOUR BAND
BECOME BETTER SIGHT-READERS
By Seth Boothby
Educational Representative
Palen Music Center - Oklahoma City, OK

Sight-reading is an essential skill for any band.

Whether preparing for a contest, tackling a challenging new piece, or simply expanding musical literacy, strong sight-reading skills can elevate your ensemble’s performance.

Full disclosure, when I began teaching in 2005… I knew NOTHING (you know nothing, Jon Snow) about what it took to get my band to become better sight readers. But I was hungry to improve and get better as a teacher.

The following info has been borrowed and stolen from various mentors over the years. I used it to help my bands (Turpin and Tuttle, Oklahoma) achieve 16 years of superior sight-reading success at State Contest. The following article is tailored for high school-level bands preparing for contest, but all of it can (and should!) be applied in beginning and middle school-level band classes as well. If you find any of the info helpful, please, STEAL IT and make it your own!

Here are three simple steps to help your band develop this vital ability:

1. Make Sight-Reading Routine

The more your students sight-read, the better they’ll become.

In the early 2000s, I was a clueless director searching for mentorship and advice from more experienced directors. I asked one colleague for tips on getting my band to become better sight readers, and her response has stuck with me since; she said, “sight read every day of the school year in some form.”

I took that to heart and once marching band season ended, we would sight-read EVERY DAY in my classroom until the end of the school year. Even if it was a simple 4–8 measure exercise on sightreadingfactory.com (In my opinion, this website is an invaluable asset for directors and is well worth the $35 annual fee), we would incorporate it into our warm-up every day. As contest season drew nearer, we would expand our daily sight-reading to include full pieces.

To get good at anything, you must do it often! Incorporate short, varied sight-reading exercises into every rehearsal. Use excerpts from different genres and styles to broaden your band's musical vocabulary. Over time, your band will gain the fluency and adaptability that only regular practice can provide.

2. Practice with a Process

Teach your students a consistent, step-by-step process for approaching sight-reading that you will use every time you sight-read (even for daily short rhythm exercises). The following steps were what we used to prep for Oklahoma Band Contests. You can tailor them to your own contest or festival needs.

Our process was:

• Step 1: :60 seconds of prep time with your stand partner. Scan the music for key changes, time signatures, accidentals, and tempo markings, and point them out to one another. The director should use this time to study the score themself (bonus points for getting your students to use “whisper voices” only during this time—judges loved this).

• Step 2: Bring the band back to your attention with a simple command that you use every single time. I would clap my hands and say “here we go” (I was doing this long before Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott), and my students would practice turning off their voices and coming to attention in an instant. (I told my band I wanted to see them come to attention with their heads popping up above their stands like prairie dogs on the plains when I made this gesture—again, judges loved seeing this at contest!).

• Step 3: Breathe, count, and air-play with confidence. No matter what counting system you teach, put it to use during prep time! While the students air-play and count, the director can point out various spots in the music that need attention (e.g., dynamics, crescendos, etc.). If there is a key, tempo, or meter change, stop and go over these sections multiple times.

• Step 4: Play your warm-up note, and then go!

By practicing this systematic approach often, students develop the habit of assessing and preparing quickly, building confidence under pressure.

3. Prioritize Rhythmic Literacy

Strong sight-reading begins with rhythm. Dedicate time to rhythm exercises during rehearsals. Use rhythm flashcards, clapping drills, or rhythm apps to help students internalize common patterns. Encourage subdivision, and challenge your band to clap and count aloud before playing a new piece. When rhythm becomes second nature, the rest of the music falls into place more easily.

I wish you all success and low-stress contest seasons! The more you're prepared, the less stressed you and your students will be! Happy music-making!

Seth Boothby Educational Representative Palen Music - Oklahoma City, OK