Unit 1-1: Strategies for Sight-Reading

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Evaluate their level of sight-reading proficiency and intonation, pinpoint areas that need additional work, and describe strategies for building proficiency.
Demonstrate proficiency in sight-reading melodies with tonic skips and rhythms with 16th-note subdivisions.
Outline a personal plan for improving sight-reading and intonation over 2 weeks.
Improvise a melody over a tonic chord in either major or minor, implementing strategies discussed in the reading.

Preparation for Class

Read:

Read the following selections from Chenette's Foundations of Aural Skills:

Improvisation Strategies (Foundations of Aural Skills, Chenette)
Review the following (as needed) from Aural I to review strategies for sight-singing:

Explore

Tuning Do-Mi-Sol: Practice skipping between Do, Mi, and Sol in different keys against a sounding drone pitch. Sing slowly and really focus on your intonation.

Study Aids

Overview of Takadimi Syllables for Rhythm (PDF)
(Source: Takadimi.net)

Solfège Syllables for Major and Minor
(Source: Sarah Louden)

This is a diagram illustrating the major scale in music theory, displayed in standard notation with additional descriptive labels. At the top, a treble clef is followed by a series of ascending notes in the key of C major. These notes are represented on the staff as whole notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C (an octave higher). Below the staff, three rows of labels correspond to each note: Scale Degrees: Each note is assigned a numbered scale degree, written as 1̂, 2̂, 3̂, 4̂, 5̂, 6̂, 7̂, and 1̂ (indicating the start of the next octave). Solfege Syllables: These correspond to the scale degrees and are labeled as "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do." Functional Name: Describes the harmonic function of each scale degree in the major scale: Tonic (1̂), Supertonic (2̂), Mediant (3̂), Subdominant (4̂), Dominant (5̂), Submediant (6̂), Leading Tone (7̂), and Tonic (1̂, octave higher).

This is a diagram illustrating the natural minor scale and its variations in music theory, displayed in standard notation with descriptive labels. The diagram is presented in the key of A minor and includes ascending and descending notes with accidentals. At the top, a treble clef is followed by a sequence of notes in natural minor scale order. These notes are represented on the staff as whole notes: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A (ascending), then descending: G, F, E, D, C, B, A. The ascending form does not include any accidentals, while the descending form contains flattened notes where appropriate (e.g., ♭7 and ♭6). Below the staff, three rows of labels correspond to each note: Scale Degrees: Each note is assigned a numbered scale degree, including alterations where applicable. Ascending scale degrees are labeled 1̂, 2̂, ♭3̂, 4̂, 5̂, ♭6̂, ♭7̂, and 1̂ (octave higher). Descending scale degrees follow: 1̂, ♭7̂, ♭6̂, 5̂, 4̂, ♭3̂, 2̂, and 1̂. Solfege Syllables: Correspond to the scale degrees. Ascending solfege syllables are "Do, Re, Me, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do." Descending solfege syllables reflect the lowered scale tones: "Do, Te, Le, Sol, Fa, Me, Re, Do." Functional Name: Describes the harmonic function of each scale degree in the minor scale. Ascending functional names: Tonic (1̂), Supertonic (2̂), Flat Mediant (♭3̂), Subdominant (4̂), Dominant (5̂), Submediant (♭6̂), Subtonic (♭7̂), and Tonic (1̂). Descending functional names repeat, reflecting the changes in the flat scale tones.

In-Class Activities

Improvisation

Melodic Improvisation with Tonic: Review some of the improvisation strategies discussed in the reading by Chenette. Then try the exercise below:
- - Improvisation with Tonic (Cleland & Dobrea-Grindahl, Developing Musicianship through Aural Skills, pp. 73–75).
The Improvisation Train: After working through the exercise above, try the improvisation train exercise below to practice ear-training and build your memory skills as a group. You can do this exercise in duets, groups, or as a full class. Be sure to practice in both major and minor!
- - 1) Select a tempo and meter for the improvisation. Consider using a backing track (like one of these: Rock | Funk | Slow Blues | Waltz or these looped grooves from pop repertoire) to help keep time during your improvisation. Conducting is recommended!
  - 2) The first student in the train sings one measure of tonic improvisation using neutral syllables ("da" or "ta").
  - 3) The whole class repeats the improvised measure using solfège.
  - 3) The next student in line adds a second measure of improvisation (neutral syllables again).
  - 4) The whole class repeats both measures in order using solfège.
  - 5) The next student in line adds a 3rd measure, etc . . . Keep building and repeating until you can't remember the melody anymore!
Rhythmic Improvisation Subdivisions in Simple Time: Select a time signature (2/4, 3/4, or 4/4), then improvise rhythms using the rhythm grid below. Use the rhythmic syllables specified by your instructor and conduct while you improvise. For additional practice, take turns doing call and response. Improvise one measure using a neutral syllable; the class responds by singing back the rhythm with correct rhythmic syllables.
- - Rhythm Grid with Takadimi syllables
  - Rhythm Grid without rhythmic syllables

Sight Reading

Melodic Sight-Reading: Sight-read melodies in all sections, focusing on examples with subdivisions and dotted 8ths.
Rhythm Sight-Reading: Sight-read rhythms in the section "Dotted 8th Notes."
- - Try performing the rhythms over the top of a familiar pop grove in simple time for added fun and to help keep a steady beat (From Trevor de Clercq's Index of Rhythm Grooves)

Review strategies as a class for matching pitch, sight-reading, rhythmic and melodic syllables, and establishing tonic (as needed).

Sight Singing: Skips/Leaps between 1, 3, 5

Rhythms: Subdivisions in Simple Time

Assignment

Assignment 1-1

NEXT STEP

Next Lesson: Chord Dictation & Shuttles

Additional Practice

Auralia:
- Rhythm Dictation: Level 5b
- Rhythm Element Dictation: Levels 2c, 2d
- Tuning: All Levels
- Two-Part Rhythm Dictation: Levels 6a–6b
- Sight-Singing: Levels 1–7
Musition:
- Rhythm Tapping: Level 4b

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