1.5 Sight Rhythms

Sight rhythms are a way to read music by looking at groupings of notes. This method is similar to how we read words. Instead of sounding out individual letters, we identify words as a whole.

• Watch the walkthrough video.

• Listen to the sight rhythms below and try to connect what they look like, what they feel, and what they sound like.

• Say and clap each sight rhythm while tapping your foot to the beat.

Practice Strategies

• Tap your foot along to the beat

• To isolate your ability to recognize the rhythmic identities, just say the sight rhythm letters instead of performing the whole rhythm.

• Choose a metronome setting that is slow enough for you to recognize the sight rhythms in groups

• Use music that you like as the backing track to perform the rhythms.

• Don’t move on to move on! Move on once you can perform these rhythms without thinking about them.