A Tutorial discussing effective sight reading techniques for Saxophones and Woodwind Instruments by Saxophonist Amonn AL-Mahrouq

The objective of this exercise is to be able to read ahead whilst concentrating on your fingers and pitch of notes whilst playing other notes. Always try to think ahead as much as possible

• Count yourself in - take a whole bar over this.
• Keep a steady pulse and beat at all times.
• Always count in you head.
• Remember to look at the key signature and any accidentals before your begin.
• Take the whole piece at a speed you can play the hardest bar at.
• try not to stop. If you make an error - CONTINUE.
• Always aim to get the rhythm 100% correct.
• Aways focus on your AIR supply.
• Try to recognise and memorise patterns in music e.g sequences.
• Always try to commit difficult patterns to memory.
• Break down (Sub divide) the more complex rhythms into their smallest segments e.g Quavers.
• Mentally always try to move forward. Try to always think ahead.
• Keep the tempo even in your head.
• Think and count through any rests.
• Always head towards the first beat of the bar.
• Recognise and commit to memory all the articulations and dynamic of the music.
• Every time you sightread you should look to improve on your last experiece.
• Sight reading is like reading a book, you have to train you mind in the same way.

It is essential to know all your scales and arpeggios - this ensures you build up pattens in your head..

You will gradually build up a vocabulary of recognisable rhythms and patterns.

Mastery of an extensive vocabulary will give your more time to concentration the more unusual parts and the MUSIC