1Sight Reading - part i

The language of music: alphabet and grammarBY daniel nistico

Music is a language so it helps to know the alphabet, grammar, and vocabularyHave you ever tried to read a foreign language without knowing it’s alphabet, grammar, and vocabulary? It’s tough!

If you wish to improve your sight reading, you should spend some time each day practicing the alphabet, grammar, and vocabulary of music. Ideally you should know these fluently, just as you can recite the alphabet fluently.

These are some of the most basic and fundamental building blocks of music - Alphabet: Triads, scales Grammar: Cadences, modulations (and/or tonicizations)Vocabulary: Chord Progressions, sequences, arpeggios (The focus of next lesson)

Block TriadsScale Cadence and tonicization to G

Tonicization to D minor Cadence in C Major

Scale in 3rds (A minor)Sequence

Arpeggiated G7 Chord

Tonicization to F

From Pelzer’s Instructive Method for the Spanish Guitar

Arpeggiated C Major Triad

Scale in 3rds (G Major)

V7 - I - V - I

Alphabet and Grammar in Carulli’s short piece

5

10

15

20

25

2Alphabet

Triads

Scale in open position

From my book Fundamental Harmony

From Eggers’ Guitar School

Scales in harmony

From Pratten’s Guitar School

From Chiesa’s Fundamental Technique

mm 9-10

mm 11-12

3Grammar

Cadences

From Chiesa’s Fundamental Technique

From Horetzky’s Preludes, Cadences, and ModulationsModulations

1

2

3

1 23

mm 7-8

mm 3-4

mm 6-7

mm 25-26