How to Practice Sight Reading Music On Classical Guitar

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Thanks for watching! Need more help? Check out my courses that include books with video lessons: www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/classical-guitar-online-courses/

[@martinziese74]

Bradford gives great advice....I remember years ago when I was first learning, my instructor stressed the importance of playing through my mistakes, not to stop and hover over it. I have never forgotten that wise advice in all these year. He taught me how to play through a piece (mistakes included) all the way to the end. But he also taught me to remember where in that piece I had made the mistake so I could go back at my own leisure and concentrate on that bar or measures for later times, so as not to make the same mistake again. That one sage lesson in life taught me that when I make a mistake, to just to get over it, don't hover over it, to let it be a plus. let it be a learning experience and not a negative one... remember that a negative will almost always result in a negative outcome if you let it. Let that little mistake be a lesson, play through it. Just my two cents worth.

[@livindadrm]

Just finishing my first semester in Guitar Orchestra...exposed my sight reading and rhythm weaknesses during the first rehearsal. Painful, but "nudged" me to begin daily work (~10-15 minutes) in these areas. Have already noticed improvement, which also has given me more confidence and enjoyment in being a part of the group. Appreciate your tips! 🎶

[@alexcantelou2469]

Not the lesson I wanted but the lesson I needed. I stuck this on at work and listened on my hourly breaks. I was able to absorb much more of the way of thinking... now off to practice 1st position site reading exercises.

[@emmanuelokoli4138]

Thanks for this video I'm a classical guitarist from Nigeria. Your lessons are really helpful.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad to hear that!

[@waynzwhirled6181]

Excellent presentation. I really enjoyed this. I loved the "miss a note" (or a few) demo at 13:20.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Thanks, I'm pretty good at making mistake eh?!

[@mer1red]

I think the most important tip is the last one. Without wanting to discourage the students, I believe one should not have the expectation that it is possible to reach the same proficiency as many other instrumentalists. If guitarists are poor sight readers, it's not only because they're lazy. It's the combinatorial explosion of possibilities to play the same thing that makes a good decision on the fly impossible. Unless you read some pattern that you've analysed before. Even advanced players and excellent teachers cannot play everything without errors the first time they read it. The only thing we can learn almost perfectly is reading single line melodies.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Ya, and in the end, it's a life-long thing to practice so it doesn't matter how good one is at it, there is always more to practice. All part of the fun.

[@douglastabor4237]

Bradford, as a "late-beginner" some of this was over my head, but what I did understand makes a ton of sense. Your Classical Guitar Repertoire Lessons Grade 1 & 2 presents the material in a way similar to a method book and might provide good sight reading opportunities for those more advanced. Excellent presentation...thank you!

[@jonathonaltmann4493]

Really solid advice, Bradford, thank you. I believe jazz and classical guitar should go hand in hand, both styles have so much to offer the student and one transgresses into the other so often.

[@edychrisrivera]

Exactly what I need right now. Just started to commit on learning sightreading with the classical guitar. Thanks again!

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Happy to help! Just a little bit practice every day forever!

[@edychrisrivera]

@@Thisisclassicalguitar "a little bit practice everyday forever" 💯

[@MRMTF]

Barry and Mark need to see this. :)

[@robertbdesmond]

Excellent tutorial. Thank you!

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad it was helpful!

[@radiantchristina]

The reason why I decided to learn with tab instead of reading standard notation is that I wanted to be able to pick up a music book at my level and just play. I just play alone and not professionally so I think tab is just fine for me. Do you think you will ever release an all tab book for your various levels books? I really enjoy the way you teach. 🤗 🌹

[@mscir]

I played trumpet from grade school through HS. I learned to play the notes with my right hand, but playing guitar I have to play the notes with my left hand, that requires some re-wiring, lol. So yeah, practice practice practice.

[@annegutsch3299]

When you are sight reading are you thinking the note name while you are thinking of melody/accompaniment and finding? When I do that I feel like saying the note name slows me down idk if that’s a good thing or not.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

It's similar to learning to read a phonetic language. At first we spell out each letter and then figure out what word it is but as you get better you just look at the word as a whole and know it. So spelling it out (saying the note names) is an excellent first step but later you'll want to just read through it and know what to do automatically.

[@annegutsch3299]

@@Thisisclassicalguitar That’s a good way to put it thanks!

[@TheJoeScarafoneChannel]

Excellent! I'm reading supplement 3 now, I'm on pg 100, although I skipped the flats in the first position, it's taken me a year and a half. I started B flat Major in the third position this week. Am I going to fast, too slow? I try to read ten mins a day but it's torture, I average 4 to 5 days a week. I spend way less time on my repertoire. I started playing in March 2023, regularly. I dabbled for the 20 years after playing hard for two years after a major injury to my left hand. It was very depressing to try to play because with the nerve damage I may always buzz notes. I got remarried a couple years ago and my wife has been supportive so I thought I'd go for it. Prof Bill Standford recommended shearer 20 years ago in a college class. 10 minutes a day Bill would repeat. Can you please critique my comments

[@TheJoeScarafoneChannel]

Am I moving too slow, fast? I usually move ahead when I feel comfortable with the shifts in the key/position I'm working on. Thank you in advance

[@TheJoeScarafoneChannel]

One more question. How important is speed and what setting do you consider fast on the metronome? Thanks again

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Don't even think about finish it, just do it everyday. If you are finding it painful or tedious just reduce the time to 5 minutes a day. I personally would not skip the flats, it's amazing how playing the challenging keys can actually improve the easier ones. It's as if your brain power increases magically. But ya, if the point is to practice sight reading (which we should do forever) don't worry about finishing the book just do the daily work. Even if you have to reduce it to 2 minutes a day and only play a small amount of an exercise. The point is to improve not complete. As to your other question, using a metronome is great for that book, don't worry about speed though, that is not the point.

[@edgardomarrero8694]

Very helpful thanks

[@colink4823]

Great video. Interesting and informative. I think for players like myself, I sometimes have to look at my left hand, so I look away from the music, thus I lose my way. Is there any way to increase spatial awareness for the left hand?

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Yes, I would say part of it is having good muscle memory from technique practice so there is a position oriented model for the left hand and then slowly learning to trust the left hand during shifts and other techniques. Scales with shifts are a good method but also shift exercises such as the ones in my technique book where you start small with a one fret shift and slowly increase to two frets, three etc and learn to trust it with and without looking.

[@viralpocket]

U r great teacher 😇

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Thanks for watching!

[@marcossislande]

Thank you for these tips. I asked that question in one of your videos and then I found this one. My question is: I am a very slow sight-reader. When practicing a piece, I end up memorizing the piece and no longer need to look at the music sheet. What do you recommend in this case?

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

You probably want to practice sight-reading easier material in order to actually "sight read" it rather than practice it. If you need to, go to a beginner method and sight read the intro exercises. That said, the more you read, even if memorizing as you go, the better you'll get.

[@doonguitarlessons]

Good advice.

[@711creative5]

Thank you!

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Thanks for watching!

[@ZackBeca]

5:55 what is the piece?

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

It's the first movement from this Matiegka Sonata: www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/sonata-no4-op-31-matiegka/

[@ZackBeca]

@@Thisisclassicalguitar thanks, great video btw, love your channel

[@scottkleyla7752]

All lessons re-study practiced with metronome at tempo speed.

[@vincent22046]

Money! Thank you.

[@litoboy5]

cool

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

thx