How to Practice Sight-Reading on Guitar (methods and tips)

classicalguitarshed.com/sight... Learn music faster, Play nice with others, Browse more music, and advance as a musician. Sight-reading is a skill worth practicing, and this video shares a couple of thoughts to get you rolling.
For even more on the subject, go to www.ClassicalGuitarShed.com/s...
Classical Guitar Shed is an exploration of music, skill, and daily endeavor on the classical guitar. Find articles, courses, tutorials and more at www.ClassicalGuitarShed.com.
If you are learning classical guitar, or would like to learn classical guitar, CGS is a great place to discover resources to help you on the journey. Whether you’re just beginning guitar, or have been playing for decades but want to rise to new levels in your playing, you’ll find highly detailed tutorials and lessons.
At the root of beautiful playing is a solid technique (aka “the way your hands move”). You can find step-by-step methods, presented in very fine detail, showing exactly how to get great sound, and how to move your fingers. So as you progress, you can continue to improve. Bad technique puts a limit on your playing (speed, tone quality, control). Good technique gets stronger and more efficient with every practice. It forms the bedrock foundation for a lifetime of beautiful music. You’ll find loads of technique suggestions and tutorials at Classical Guitar Shed. And if you’re serious about learning great skills, you can join The Woodshed, and get arguably the finest classical guitar education online, with personal support and hundreds of practice-along videos. Read more on The Woodshed here: www.classicalguitarshed.com/l...
You’ll find some of the deepest-diving explorations of classical guitar and Spanish guitar pieces anywhere online, with step-by-step instructions on how to play guitar beautifully so that the music sings and connects with listeners (any yourself) on an emotional level. Music is not entirely subjective. Some ways of doing things are more effective than others. If you learn these basic “rules”, you’ll automatically play with more grace, beauty, and feeling.
At CGS, you’ll also discover archives of comprehensive articles about many of the issues, details, habits, and best practices surrounding playing guitar. You’ll find tips and tricks on how to be more effective at practicing. You’ll find articles on subjects as varied as getting great classical guitar tone, how to avoid pain and injury playing guitar, and the differences between practice and exercise. If you ever need a break from your practice and want to enrich your understanding of all that is classical guitar, browsing the Classical Guitar Shed archives are great place to explore.
If you would like to hear me (Allen Mathews) playing, visit my other youtube channel:
/ allenmathews

[@ClassicalGuitarShed]

Hey! We made a free download for Sight-Reading practice on guitar. You may enjoy it. Here’s the link: www.classicalguitarshed.com/practice-guitar-scales/

[@mattself266]

What has helped me the most is working in sight-singing. Looking at the sheet and hearing a note in your mind before you get there helps tremendously.

[@JamesMessickNC]

I like the point about the goal being to keep playing, even when only playing about 60-80% of notes. Very helpful.

[@ClassicalGuitarShed]

Thanks James! good to hear from you!

[@thecasualcitizen492]

I remember 50 years ago when I was in High School Concert band. Once the conductor brings the baton down, Begin!

[@seleshidemesse4556]

Too much talking do not show the sight reading technic.

[@ericstahl5612]

I've been playing 46 years and I "forgot" to read 30 years ago. I'm trying to learn again and this is really great advice

[@eygfhnqwhag]

Thank you for taking the time to make these videos. They have helped me greatly. Please don't ever stop.

[@manguera9]

to keep sight reading in good shape ,you need to practice everyday for the rest of your life if you work in the music business. I used to work as a studio musician recording for many years suddenly I quit, and I keep playing in concerts with bands and then solo singer guitar player, but after 25 years I went in to the reading again honest I could not read 5 notes on tempo, the only thing I never forgot was the notes in the guitar , cause I play the guitar every day ,but I was able to read the chords on tempo. also my vision deteriorate in 25 years, when your vision make you feel uncomfortable ,with some kind of sore in your eyeball, is hard to keep going,worst if you stop practicing.

[@Sk0lzky]

My tip: if you have to forego practicing and playing the guitar because of lack of time, health issues or stuff like that try to at least spend a couple minutes reading. If you're on the front in donetsk just get a piece of wood, scrape "frets" on it and do it this way. Reading music on guitar (not sight reading with it playing in your head, that won't go away as easily) is really easy to forget. I mean you don't completely lose the ability but more complex chords (or weird positions like IX or XIV) were such an issue for me when I came back after a long health-related break that I still haven't reached the level I'd been at a couple years ago...

[@kevinreilly5926]

Well explained and thank you for that.

[@chrismurphyshef]

Brilliant. Always. Thanks Allen.

[@alangarcia3509]

Awesome! Love ur vids! thanks for the tips.

[@ClassicalGuitarShed]

Thanks Alan!

[@mnr146]

Thanks a lot. This is very helpful!

[@ClassicalGuitarShed]

Thanks, Mala!

[@briannorman952]

Great points.

[@vinpam091]

Came across your video and I love your approach!! Thanks alot!

[@brentgilbert4208]

That was very interesting! Just the opposite of what I would have expected. Been learning sight reading a little over a month. The reading of the interspersed chords definitely slows me down!

[@peekpen]

packs alot in a short time. thank you. :-)

[@guitarist1]

I've never seen a guitarist even here on youtube who sight read an intermediate-pro level of music that they've never seen before. Can you demonstrate it please? Thanks!

[@Nylon_and_Gut-MatteoLaurenzi]

Great tips thaks:D

[@ebby900]

I'm not able to have a guitar right now but this is helpful to keep my brain up to date

[@jetpaq]

Do u need one?

[@jimtessin4130]

Excellent

[@Achase4u]

This is incredibly hard for me to allow notes to be missed. It makes my head hurt. Sight reading is another skill. Reading a part for keeps is a different thing in my brain. Keeping moving. Whew. So hard. But it gets easier. I just have to try and not fall off completely when I get mixed up.

[@ancheta650]

Is it important to learn chords just by the notes on the staff? In jazz they just write the name of the chord and you play which is simple. But do advanced guitarists learn about that and sight read it?

[@TheKeyToMusicOfficial]

underrated

[@wanderer.antonio]

As someone learning the instrument, most of the time is spent fiddling with finger positions, hopefully, once I know finger positions then reading will be a breeze.

[@verandi3882]

if I want to learn a piece of music , with a normal difficulty , can I memorize it slowly and practice it then be able to perform it and use the sheet to keep the rhythm neat and make sure I don't miss any note ?thank you

[@ClassicalGuitarShed]

Hi Omar, sorry for the delay in answering. I missed this somehow. Absolutely. I recommend memorizing any piece you plan to play (unless it's for a one-off special occasion or something). It's important to continue working with the sheet music in practice to 1.)check your memory, and 2.) practice in new ways that may not be possible from memory, such as isolating voices, changing balance, or finding new relationships within the music. When you actually perform, it's up to you. As a goal, I would aim to play without the music. If you need it for a safety net, do what you have to do. But ultimately, you'll want to learn to memorize effectively enough that you can trust it in stressful situations. (I also think of performing from memory sort of like martial arts, where you're tested on not just your physical skills, but on your mental game and your ability to focus under pressure.) Thanks for the question, Cheers, Allen

[@verandi3882]

Classical Guitar Shed thank you

[@thijs199]

Hey, so I'd like to start with a daily routine on this 4:07, because I just see the point. It makes you more useful as a guitarist, for you can start playing stuff instantly. Where can I get a sort of generator of sheet music which will just generate sheets which I have to play? Or doesn't this exist?

[@sebastianramirez3812]

hi, I had the exact same question, and found this site may be it help us! www.randomsheetmusic.com/

[@thijs199]

@@sebastianramirez3812 thank you so much, this is great!

[@eduardoibarra8458]

@@sebastianramirez3812 thank you, didn't know this exists

[@RitaColacoNuminous]

@@sebastianramirez3812 do you know how useful this is? You saved my life, thank you so much!

[@Tony_Yno.]

My instructor gave me these exercises that have all kinds of accidentals and syncopated notes. I'm dying and I think I'll tell him this is too challenging.

[@smorrow]

> use violin or flute music hello ledger lines

[@L.C.Sweeney]

ALWAYS be reading at least a bar ahead of what your playing. That's _how_ to actually accomplish it. Then you can actually start to consider phrasing, tonality, etc. If you're reading what you're playing as you're playing it there's no hope.

[@princealexander1835]

hai I am your subscriber.I watch your videos regularly,can you send me sight reading pieces for grade 6.

[@Falaxuper]

Asking for sheet music instead of bobs and vagene. I see you're a man of culture as well :)

[@themadasshatter1088]

For a second there I didn't think he said "shed"

[@brentgilbert4208]

Me too!

[@gitarisngasal4678]

Every good boy does fine & Face

[@gamian_skillard1333]

thought he said "go to classicalguitarshit.com" lmao

[@abhisheksingh-vf6gk]

No guitar rhythm nothing.. Only nonsense which is of no use for beginners

[@jimmy2035]

metronome?

[@abhisheksingh-vf6gk]

@@jimmy2035 u are far apart in sense to get my words.. Better get to your business ..coz this is not u who uploaded this video. Neither u can

[@Ayo.Ajisafe]

@@abhisheksingh-vf6gk Maybe he didn't get it because it wasn't so clear? But honestly most videos on sight reading don't involve the teacher playing/ reading. Listen and learn. He already dropped one or two gems I hadn't heard in other videos. Unfortunately, as a teacher, a mentality like yours is what i term unteachable.