Sight reading
Performing music accurately from written notation the first time it is seen, without prior practice.
Sight reading is a distinct skill from playing well from memory, and it depends on recognising patterns, intervals and rhythms quickly enough to keep going without stopping to work anything out. For guitarists it is harder than for pianists because several positions can produce the same written note, so a reader has to choose one on the fly. Session and pit work rely on it heavily, since players are often expected to perform material they have seen for the first time minutes earlier.
Example: A guitarist playing a new arrangement correctly at a rehearsal, having never seen the part before, is sight reading.
See also
Related
- PageStandard notation
- PageTablature
- PageEar training
- PageAugmented chord
- PageBlue note
- PageBlues scale
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley