Hello Everyone,
I have Symphonic Band tryouts in the week of November 1-5, 2004 and I really want to make first chair. I need help on sight reading. Does anyone have any tips/websites that could help me? Also, I need help playing my chromatic scales. I need to play in eighth notes in 90 in metronome time. So if anyone have any tips for me, please give them.
Murrah High School Flute
Sight Reading & Scales
Moderators: Classitar, pied_piper, Phineas
SIGHT READING: practise this every day... start simple... I use 125 Easy Classical Studies with my students... just has to be one line of the music to start with. First 3 things to look for are key signature, time signature and tempo. After that, have a general scan through for rhythms, accidentals, range (lowest note, highest note), dynamics and articulations. Notice if there are recurring patterns, scale/arpeggio patterns, etc. Then go for it! Like anything else, it takes practise, but if you have a list of things to look for as you scan the piece it can make it less daunting. I hope this helps!
CHROMATIC SCALES: try practising in "chunks". Start with 3 notes at a time, up to speed, eg C, C#, D - C#, D, D# - D, D#, E , etc... insert a short rest between each group so you can think about the next group. Gradually increase the number of notes in each group to 4, 5, 6 etc. It'll be up to speed in no time!
Good luck!
CHROMATIC SCALES: try practising in "chunks". Start with 3 notes at a time, up to speed, eg C, C#, D - C#, D, D# - D, D#, E , etc... insert a short rest between each group so you can think about the next group. Gradually increase the number of notes in each group to 4, 5, 6 etc. It'll be up to speed in no time!
Good luck!
Hi! With the sightreading especially, keep the tempo steady (rhythm is realllllly important 
). After scanning the excerpt, choose a tempo that's managable for the entire excerpt, quarter notes, sixteenths, whatever. Even if you miss a note or two, keep the rhythm and tempo going. Oh, yeah, be sure to check the title, if there is one. My junior high band director, a fabulous sightreader, once told a story of his worst audition ever--after butchering the sightreading selection, he looked at the title. In his nervous audition state, he had failed to recognize a familiar etude! 
Oops... Don't forget to smile and enjoy yourself. Good luck! 
). After scanning the excerpt, choose a tempo that's managable for the entire excerpt, quarter notes, sixteenths, whatever. Even if you miss a note or two, keep the rhythm and tempo going. Oh, yeah, be sure to check the title, if there is one. My junior high band director, a fabulous sightreader, once told a story of his worst audition ever--after butchering the sightreading selection, he looked at the title. In his nervous audition state, he had failed to recognize a familiar etude! Oops... Don't forget to smile and enjoy yourself. Good luck!