Sightreading is a very important aspect of the a cappella process. Sightreading allows for a singer to quickly pick up pitches and rhythms through knowledge of what each symbol means.
Note Names:
While knowing note names isn't completely necessary when sightreading, it's super helpful to be familiar with them, especially as you start to learn music as part of a group.
There are two different clefs that are commonly used when singing. If you are an upper voice (a soprano, mezzo, or alto), you should first focus on the treble clef, as that is what music for your voice part will be written in. Tenors also use the treble clef, so they are singing the same span of notes an octave down. Music for basses is written in the bass clef. However, any lower voices (tenor, baritone, or bass) should be familiar with the bass clef.
Below are two straightforward videos explaining the basics of treble and bass clef.
Note and Rest Values:
Another important part of sightreading is the knowledge of note values. This is the understanding of how long each note type is held for. Below is a simple (and somewhat awkward) video explaining note values. Also below is a video explaining rest values.
Practicing:
A good resource for practicing sightreading is sightreadingfactory.com
On this website, you are given 20 free practices where you are provided lines of music to sightread.
Steps:
1) On the main webpage, click "Sightread for Free"
2) Then, choose "Voice Family" as your instrument
3) After this, choose your intended voice part
4) You can choose whatever level you feel suits you, but it's never a bad idea to start with 1
5) You can choose whatever time signature you'd like, but 4/4 is a good way to begin
6) Choose "random selected key signature"
7) Choose "free play"
8) The website will then present you with 8 measures of music that you can use to practice your sightreading!
During your audition, groups will likely allow you to choose to sing your sightreading on solfege or other simple syllables like "da". If you're unsure of what to use, you can ask the group's music director what they would prefer.