Tonic - first note of scale
Dominant - 5th note of scale
Octave - 8 notes, from note of same next to next note of same name
Natural Minor Scale - Scale built on the 6th degree of the major scale with no alterations
Relative minor scale - related to the major scale by key signature
Harmonic Minor Scale - Scale built on the 6th degree of the major scale with a raised 7th degree
Major scale - wwhwwwh
Mode - a scale built on a different degree of the major scale other than 1
Phrygian - the Mode built on the 3rd degree of the major scale.
Dotted quarter note - 1.5 beats in 4/4 time
single eighth note - .5 beats in 4/4 time
Syncopation - accenting off beat rhythms to create interest in the music
Spirituals - Songs composed as working songs in the time of slavery, often contained codes and religious themes in the text
1. Look at the Key Signature
Whenever you get a new piece of music, the first thing you need to do is look at the key signature. Then, search the whole piece and make sure that the key signature doesn’t change. If it does, circle it, so when you get there, you don’t miss it.
2. Meter
The meter is really important to the feel of the music. If you look at your music and see that it is in 4/4, you’re going to hear strong beats on 1 and 3 and weak beat on 2 and 4.
If you’re in ¾, you’re going to hear a strong first beat, and the second and third beats will be week.
If you’re changing between meters, know that the eighth note will stay constant unless there is a tempo change. If you’re changing between time signatures where the four is always on the bottom, the quarter note stays the same too.
If you see a lot of meter changes, write a big number where the changes are of the amount of beats in the measure.
3. Accidentals and Tricky Fingerings
Look ahead at any accidentals you may have. If you don’t know the fingering, ask your neighbor or your teacher.
If you’re looking ahead and see something that may be hard to play because it is either fast or full of accidentals, practice fingering this without making sound if you have to be quiet. If you don’t have to be quiet, play over it slowly then quickly several times so that you will do better on it when the whole band is playing.
Always double check to make sure you are practicing with the right fingerings so you don’t get muscle memory in the wrong ways.
4. Dynamics
Look at the dynamics carefully. If you do this, you’ll be more likely to know when you have the melody and should play out or when you are in the background and should play softly.
This will be the element that makes your sight reading sound musical, not just like notes on a page.
5. Look for Special Effects
Do you have trills?
DO you have a solo?
Do you need snares on/off?
Do you need to retune the Timpani?
Do you need a mute for your trumpet?
Should you palm mute?
Do you have trills, flutter tongue, glissandos, mordants, or pitch bends?
Is there a fermata or caesura (railroad tracks, pause) somewhere?6. Tempo Changes
Make sure you know what tempo(s) the piece calls for. Any time there is a tempo change, write “look up” in your part so that you know to watch the director’s cue on tempo changes.
If you don’t know a meaning to a tempo because it is written in Italian, German, French, etc. ask someone or look it up.
7. No matter what, get to the next downbeat
This part is important when you’re playing as a whole group. You will probably get lost every now and then when sight-reading. However, if you look up constantly and always find beat one, you’ll be much more likely to stay on track.
During meter changes especially, make sure that you are tracking the conductor’s baton so that you know where every beat falls, and most importantly, the down beat--beat one!
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