Sight Reading

here 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.
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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.
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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.
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Repeat the exercise until you are confident you have sung it correctly. You can then check the answer at the bottom of the page.
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Happy Practicing!

Exercises

Beginner - L1

Beginner - L2

Beginner - L3

Intermediate

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

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Exercise 2

Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars

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Exercise 3

Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars

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Exercise 4

Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars

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Exercise 15Wn

Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars

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Luch

Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 11 Bars

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Seinn

Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 14 Bars

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Sight Reading B

Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars

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Sight Reading C

Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars

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Sight Reading D

Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars

Let's Go

Sight Singing 1

Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars

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Storm Clouds

Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 14 Bars

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Waiting

Difficulty: Beginner – L1
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars

Let's Go

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

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Aon

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 10 Bars

Let's Go

Brathair

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 6/8

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass

Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars

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Caisteal

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass

Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars

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Ceart Gu Leor

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass

Tonality: Minor
Length: 16 Bars

Let's Go

Coineanach

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 12 Bars

Let's Go

Duine

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Bass

Tonality: Major
Length: 10 Bars

Let's Go

Feannag

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 14 Bars

Let's Go

Ghlic

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 6/8

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 15 Bars

Let's Go

Laith

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 10 Bars

Let's Go

Muir

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 6/8

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Bass

Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars

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Neoni

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 14 Bars

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Obh Obh

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass

Tonality: Major
Length: 10 Bars

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Sia

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass

Tonality: Major
Length: 17 Bars

Let's Go

Sight Reading A

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 9 Bars

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Sight Reading E

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 9 Bars

Let's Go

Sight Reading G

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 6/8

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 9 Bars

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Tagsaidh

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass

Tonality: Major
Length: 13 Bars

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Traigh

Difficulty: Beginner – L2
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 13 Bars

Let's Go

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

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Cluinntinn

Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 3/8

Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 9 Bars

Let's Go

Crosta

Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 9/8

Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Bass

Tonality: Major
Length: 13 Bars

Let's Go

Curran

Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Bass

Tonality: Major
Length: 15 Bars

Let's Go

Dealbh

Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 2/4

Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars

Let's Go

Gilchrist 5

Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 2/4

Max Interval: Major 2nd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars

Let's Go

Gilchrist 14

Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars

Let's Go

Mac

Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 3/4

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 15 Bars

Let's Go

Mar Sin Leibh

Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Major 3rd
Clef: Bass

Tonality: Minor
Length: 13 Bars

Let's Go

Nettleton - Tenor Part

Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 3/2

Max Interval: Perfect 4th
Clef: Bass

Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars

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Seall

Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 16 Bars

Let's Go

Spiosrach

Difficulty: Beginner – L3
Time Signature: 9/8

Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 9 Bars

Let's Go

Intermediate

Intermediate sight reading contains 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

Let's Go

Beatitudo

Difficulty: Intermediate
Time Signature: 3/8

Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 14 Bars

Let's Go

Gilchrist 53

Difficulty: Intermediate
Time Signature: 3/2

Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars

Let's Go

Gilchrist 59

Difficulty: Intermediate
Time Signature: 6/4

Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars

Let's Go

Stephanos

Difficulty: Intermediate
Time Signature: 4/4

Max Interval: Perfect 5th
Clef: Treble

Tonality: Major
Length: 8 Bars

Let's Go