Rafael Trujillo

Why I think sight-reading is important

Added 2024-03-19 16:00:04 +0000 UTC

I think most guitarists don't really read music. Reading music is important if we want to understand the theory behind it. Of course you can be creative and a good musician without being able to read but still, it will limit you in some ways.

I want to point out some of the benefits of practicing sight-reading

for Flexibility - I think it is an amazing skill being able to pick up any sheet of music and just play it.
Reading is also about understanding the language of music
Sight-reading accelerates my learning process in general
As you become better at reading, interpreting music on the fly will become easier
Scientific studies have shown that learning to sight-read stimulates cognitive functions, enhancing memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills
It helps you staying focused on one topic for a longer period of time because sometimes when we learn and sit in front of a video tutorial we tend to go to the next thing way too fast
It helps you building a good vocabulary for improvising or writing music

Here are some book recommendations:

Reading Studies for Guitar - Berklee Press
Advanced Reading Studies for Guitar - Berklee Press
Books from Barry Galbraith
Saxophone Etude books (note that you have to transpose) for example Lennie Niehaus books
Realbook
Omnibook (Charlie Parker)
Anything that’s written for recorder, flute or violin