Sight Reading
There are few skills that create as much return as investing time in sight reading. One does not have to dig deep to understand the benefit. An increased proficiency in sight reading allows the singer to be able to learn more music, and harder music, faster.
Unfortunately, sight reading is not a skill that many singers are greatly proficient at. This lack of proficiency stems from a lack of time spent, a lack of understanding of how, and an incomplete vision of how the skill will improve the singer’s experience.
The Method
When it comes to sight reading the most important thing to remember is accuracy. In order to maximize accuracy taking it slow is the best practice. How slow? Really, really slow. In the words of one of my previous professors, so slow that you can’t possibly make a mistake. The caveat that I want to add is that accuracy also applies to rhythm.
Below you will find an ever growing list of sight singing practice. Some of these practices will be melodies, some will be harmony parts. They will represent beginner, intermediate, and advanced difficulties, various clefs and keys.
When you first choose a practice complete the key center exercise, then silently read (audiate) the score; can you sing it correctly? Repeat the key center exercise if needed, then sing the music. You can sing on a vowel of choice, on numbers, or solfège. On the score you will find numbers, moveable do solfège, and fixed do solfège.
Repeat the exercise until you are confident you have sung it correctly. You can then check the answer at the bottom of the page.
Happy Practicing!
Beginner - L1
Beginner – L1 sight reading contains major melodies with a range up to a Perfect 5th, simple rhythms, and no skips.
Climbing
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 10 Bars
Exercise 2
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars
Exercise 3
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars
Exercise 4
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars
Exercise 15Wn
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars
Luch
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 11 Bars
Seinn
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 14 Bars
Seinn
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 14 Bars
Sight Reading B
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars
Sight Reading C
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars
Sight Reading D
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars
Sight Reading D
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars
Sight Singing 1
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars
Storm Clouds
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 14 Bars
Waiting
Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars
Beginner - L2
Beginner – L2 sight reading contains major and minor melodies with a range of up to a Major 6th. Non-consecutive skips of a 3rd are included.
Annasach
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass
Tonality: Minor
Length: 16 Bars
Aon
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 10 Bars
Brathair
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 6/8
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass
Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars
Caisteal
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass
Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars
Ceart Gu Leor
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass
Tonality: Minor
Length: 16 Bars
Coineanach
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 12 Bars
Duine
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Bass
Tonality: Major
Length: 10 Bars
Feannag
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 14 Bars
Ghlic
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 6/8
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 15 Bars
Liath
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars
Muir
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 6/8
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Bass
Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars
Neoni
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 14 Bars
Obh Obh
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass
Tonality: Major
Length: 10 Bars
Sia
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass
Tonality: Major
Length: 17 Bars
Sight Reading A
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 9 Bars
Sight Reading E
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 9 Bars
Sight Reading G
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 6/8
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 9 Bars
Tagsaidh
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass
Tonality: Major
Length: 13 Bars
Traigh
Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 13 Bars
Beginner - L3
Beginner – L3 sight reading contains major and minor melodies with a range of up to a Major 9th. Skips of Perfect 4th, 5th, and octave are included. More complex rhythms and time signatures. Consecutive skips are permitted.
Bainne
Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 3/8
Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars
Cluinntinn
Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 3/8
Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 9 Bars
Crosta
Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 9/8
Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 13 Bars
Curran
Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Bass
Tonality: Major
Length: 15 Bars
Dealbh
Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 2/4
Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars
Gilchrist 5
Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 2/4
Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars
Gilchrist 14
Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars
Mac
Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 15 Bars
Mar Sin Leibh
Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass
Tonality: Minor
Length: 13 Bars
Nettleton - Tenor Part
Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 3/2
Max Interval: Perfect 4th
Clef: Bass
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars
Seall
Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars
Spiosrach
Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 9/8
Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 9 Bars
Intermediate
Intermediate sight reading contains more complex rhythms and all intervals.
Arirang
Difficulty: Intermediate
Time Signature: 3/4
Max Interval: Perfect 4th
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars
Beatitudo
Difficulty: Intermediate
Time Signature: 3/8
Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 14 Bars
Gilchrist 53
Difficulty: Intermediate
Time Signature: 3/2
Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars
Gilchrist 59
Difficulty: Intermediate
Time Signature: 6/4
Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars
Stephanos
Difficulty: Intermediate
Time Signature: 4/4
Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble
Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars