I am always envious of singers who can sight-sing. I used to be an avid student of this skill and it is so fun when you start to get it right but is it for you? What is even sight singing?
Sight-singing is the ability to sing as you are reading music. You are reading ahead as you are performing. This skill is highly valuable as musicians (and singers) can benefit greatly from it while performing or learning new pieces. Its mastery may allow musicians to reverse it and use it for composing and arranging purposes as well.
Given its benefits, it’s possible that you may not be in need of it altogether at all. Read on further to know what I mean.
Music Theory Required
If you are remotely interested in learning about sight singing and what it entails you will soon find that being able to read music and understand how notes relate to each other is a magnificent craft that singers can hone.
Doesn’t Apply to All Contexts
I don’t want you to believe that this is a skill that you can scale in every direction. You can’t. But, in the way that it works, it’s amazing and a skill I think you should for sure strive to master.
It’s Like Reading a Book
If you’ve ever been a reader, you know there are times when you are reading and visualizing what the words are and without you knowing it you’ve become one with the picture that is being painted with words, you are reading the words but the picture in your head is of what you’re visualizing.
Sight-singing is a lot like that!
You see what the written music is and you start to hear it in your head or you start to sing and it’s beautiful. It only happens when you’re fluent in it but it’s equivalent to reading in that sense.
What it Allows You to Do
It allows singers to look at a piece of music and sing what is written, on the spot. I know it sounds like a lot of pressure but it is what it is. It comes with its own benefits too though. All the time that you will spend honing this skill, it’s going to make it back in half that time.
Actually, on the spot.
Learn Faster
As long as the music sheet is provided, you will know exactly what you have to sing. Which makes practice sessions for any song faster. If you haven’t delved into learning songs from written songs, you have to do it! It is a place of wonder and it’s truly amazing for what it is worth.
The place this skill can thrive, as you can imagine, is in the presence of written music. There is a wealth of music from every era that is successfully and very accurately transcribed and allows you to learn and absorb it like you’re reading it.
Ear Training
Once you start reaching a decent speed in sight-singing you will start to realize that your ear is getting trained as you sight-sing. Take it easy and slow at first and you will surely start to feel the difference.
It took me quite a while to start seeing my progress with sight-reading as I was a bass player as well. It was beginning to get a lot of fun. If it wasn’t for music production and composing and my eventual dropping out of a music college I would’ve loved to continue getting better at sight-reading.
Composing
This skill is going to help you get better at composing as well. Even if you’re composing with the aid of written music, it’s still tremendously helpful.
You can hear sounds and know the relationship these sounds have with each other and that allows you to translate what you’re hearing into actual playing or written music. Any medium of your choice.
Relative Skill
I believe that sight-singing is a relative skill.
The best kind of skill you have honed in music.
You might have of this thing called sight reading, which is that you are able to read the music and play it as it is. It’s quite a nice skill to have.
Sight-singing is the singing equivalent of it and the reason why it’s quite amazing to have is that you are able to use this one skill of being able to read and understand what it sounds like to anything you read.
From here on out you can imagine the vastness of this skill, it doesn’t matter if you’re able to sing a particular part or not because it may not be written for voice but your ability to hear it and make sense of it and even sing it (in a different octave) will allow you to perceive music on a whole different level.
Of course, as will be discussed ahead, in different situations it’s going to reap its rewards and in some cases, it just simply won’t.
My Story of Sight Reading
I, too, was once a sight reader.
When I was enrolled at Berklee I was getting pretty good with sight reading. I started out very poorly, struggling with playing the notes on time because either I couldn’t read the note or I couldn’t read the rhythm.
Then it happened, one bar, the second, and then the third. It was wonderful. It truly was. My ear training got better and I was able to perform the same skill and sing along as well. It was all going well.
Until I dropped out. I picked up music production and while I have not forgotten how to read music. I just don’t need sight reading anymore. I don’t like to play in bands either.
So, given my needs and how I live with music in my life. I don’t need it.
But, speaking honestly, if I had the time and had to take one more skill in music, it’d be sight reading. I don’t miss many things about Berklee but I do miss this. I really wish I was a better sight reader but sadly, it doesn’t serve me any purpose.
So, I let it go.
Do you Really Need It?
Eventually, you have to start to ask the question if sight singing is really one of the skills you really need in your arsenal.
Or is time better spent learning how to sing?
I believe for the majority of the singers that are reading this, it would be better if they realize what their end goal is.
If you’re not involved in the music industry in a professional and educational way, learning how to sight-sing is going to be a waste of time. Think about it, you need to have knowledge of music theory (which I believe everyone should possess) and then grow upon it in order to learn a new skill that will allow you to do something very specific which is to perform music as you are reading it.
Ask yourself this.
Is it really something that you see yourself doing? Is it something that you will be using on a daily basis? Or will you be given time to practice and memorize what music you’ve been given so that you can perform it perfectly?
So, if you don’t find yourself in that position, it’s not going to be worth it in my opinion. If you however are going to music college or are in the teaching business then having this skill can save a huge amount of time.
However, there are scenarios in which I would like to advise you to learn this skill. Keep in mind, it’s all contextual and I have seen musicians be just as good at music in general without having the ability to sight-sing.
Let’s see different scenarios and how you might or might not want to learn sight singing.
Composing
If you find yourself in a position or can predict yourself in the position of a composer and want to get good at it, sight singing will help a great ton. Imagine having to write for every instrument.
You’re using it in reverse, you hear it in your head and are able to write it down perfectly. Wouldn’t that be something? Of course, that can be achieved with ear training and knowing how to read music but making corrections or altering something on the fly is going to be good as well. No, this isn’t a skill only a few ‘gifted’ individuals can process.
Whatever you are able to think you might be able to write and whatever you write you can play it back in your head. If that’s not something to look ahead to then I don’t know what is.
Yes, you don’t have to learn sight singing for it but it can come in handy, and how much and what you do with it will be your own responsibility.
For example, if you’re a stay-at-home producer (like me) then in that particular scenario you may not make the maximum use of it (or at all) and I get by without this skill just fine.
But, if you’re in a place where you get to compose for other people and are able to have that privilege then you’re going to need this skill. It’s going to save your life and time.
Arranging
If you see yourself in the position of arranging as well then you’re going to find this skill quite amazing too. Again, it might not be as effective when you’re composing but you will have to write for different parts and you will end up making corrections.
But much less needed here than in composing.
Though most composers can take the role of arrangers and if you’re reading this you will end up doing both jobs eventually, and I think you’re going to enjoy both a lot more if you are able to sight-sing.
Choir
If you’re in a choir, you should 100% develop it.
If you’re serious about it then you should spend the extra time and learn how to sight-sing because, in that particular scenario, this skill will shine through and through.
Teaching
If you’re into teaching and you want your students to learn something from sheet music on a regular basis then in that scenario this is going to help you as well.
Student
If you’re a student attending a music college then I suggest you should learn it before you enter the college as it will allow you to have an edge over your fellow students. You’ll be working with a lot of written music and it’s going to help you even if it may not after you leave college.
Where Do You Stand?
So, I think it’s a good time to ask yourself where you stand.
As you can see, there are quite a few cases and very specific ones too to make sense if you want to pick up sight singing or not.
Ask yourself this.
Do you see yourself utilizing everything sight singing has to offer or will you abandon it completely?
In your defense of abandoning it, it’s a very specific skill to have and it’s not mandatory to do it even if you are composing or arranging.
But there are other things to do regardless of where you stand.
The question is simple, are you a good singer?
That ought to be your ultimate goal.
It would be wrong if I didn’t help you with learning how to sing, I have written a blog on the best method for you to achieve it and then a whole page dedicated to making it easier for you to learn how to sing.
A Really Good Skill
I promote any skill that helps you become better in music and this is one of those that are relative and multi-faceted.
Don’t be disheartened if it’s taking you time to understand and perform sight-singing. It will come with time and you have to be patient with yourself along with putting in the hours required to master this skill. Which is what practice is.
This is just one of those skills that will help you get better and I really hope that you continue to become better than you have ever been. There are tons of resources and even more blogs on this website for you to explore and be educated!