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When we're sightreading a piece, as soon as it gets passed around, before the passing around is finished, and while the conductor is making his initial remarks, usually to everyone else BUT the tuba section, I'm very busy reading ahead, noting everything I can, and even quietly humming some of the passages to myself where necessary, and pointing out potential difficult spots to the other guys in the section.

Then, yes, as actual rehearsal on the piece starts, doing my best to keep a couple of measures, at least, ahead so I can anticipate what the conductor is going to do, because, as we all know, without the tuba and percussion working together, the rest of the band doesn't have a foundation as to where to go.

Of course, that's just the way I was raised, in a band program that assigned seating by performance on the Watkins-Farnum sight reading skills test, and actually sightreading a piece in formal spring concert in preparation for the sight reading portion of state contest.

I definately strive to anticipate the beat. There is nothing worse than a dragging bass line. Simple physics will tell you that it takes longer for a sound to come out of the bell after the buzz on a tuba than it does a trumpet. Which is why almost every conductor, ever in the history of the earth, blames the tuba(s) for dragging. Because when you are playing right on the beat, you are dragging. It may only be a split second, but it adds up.

zippy wrote:I'm just wondering how common it is for you tuba players out there to read ahead while playing a piece of music. Let me clarify, you read the music a bar (or more) ahead of where you are actually playing at any given time.

I have a theory that since most tuba parts have very few moving notes that we panic (at least I do) when we do get them because we are not reading ahead.

I'm just wondering on what your thoughts are on this and if any of you who play other instruments like piano find this to be a necessary skill.

I don't really see music so much as individual notes (unless I'm trying to) any more than I read text by interpreting individual letters. Of course, you are concious of the individual notes or letters, but you process them as measures or words. And just like reading text, I see more than one measure (or word) at a time. I see phrases. I do jump ahead some, particularly when repeating measures or patterns, but it's really a process of taking in more than just the next note to play.

An unfamiliar musical phrase may need to be analyzed a little at first, just like an unfamiliar word. And over time, your musical vocabulary will improve just like your spoken language vocabulary. And, the more you read the easier it gets.

Try reading a newspaper or book aloud without reading ahead--you can't do so with any sense of expression or feeling.

Try driving staring at a spot only 6 inches in front of the car. See how long you actually stay on the road.

Same for music.

I can't imagine not reading ahead, even with a piece that I know well (but short of having memorized.)

Sight reading isn't a matter of learning to react faster to the notes that come at you, but a process of learning to see the big picture better; this involves not only constant glancing ahead to see what is coming, but also keeping track of the beat, so that if you can't read all those 16th notes on the 3rd and 4th beat, you still can get the downbeat of the next measure in the right place.

MA

A lot depends on how good your short term memory is. Me? I usually have to look at a phone number about six times before I can dial it. You have to read ahead a little bit, but I doubt I'm ever more than two beats ahead. Sometimes notes are arranged in famaliar patterns, and you get better at recognizing patterns with experience.

After you "learn" the piece, then you are operating more from memory prompted by note patterns.

We read ahead to avoid surprises (the bad kind).
MaryAnn's reference to keeping track of the beat is key. If you blow a clam-okay-but be on time for your next note and be there with the band for the next one beat for sure. If the note you clammed is due to come around again, lay for it and sneak up on it and get it sweet the next time.