The Lightbulb masterclass™ series
Lighting the path of understanding
Presents
Sight reading
The Lightbulb masterclass™ series
Lighting the path of understanding
Presents
Sight Reading
Learning to sight read…
Another learning secret that shouldn't be a secret.
My whole obsession with the learning science is all about how to get those things going in our practice, how to understand the way to get started, then started on the next step, then the next.
That is not explained in the science.
Researchers evaluate downstream concepts. “How does good sight reading work, what are good sight readers doing?”
Who cares? What I want to know is how how does getting good at sight reading work. What did good sight readers do to get that way?
A researcher who did an, "An exhaustive survey of the available research literature,” concluded that “Musicians differ in their ability to sight-read, and hundreds of researchers have explored reasons why this might be the case, some ascribing the ability to innate talent, others investigating sight-reading as a skill to be trained.” (Mishra 2014).
Maybe we have to wait for Tinkerbell to ride in from the Valley of Echos on a Unicorn to sprinkle the pixie dust of talent on us.
And as far as training the skill a well known performance coach found that there is not, “yet a clear consensus in the literature about how exactly we can improve our sight-reading skills in the most effective way possible…” (Kageyama, 2024)
That has not been my experience, but to be honest, my experience has been pretty unique.
The reason you’ve had problems learning sight reading is because teachers like me don’t know how to teach it, or at least I didn’t.
I wasn’t taught to sight read until I became a high school teacher and figured out a way to teach it to myself.
The thing about teaching a lot of people regularly in a school is that things either work consistently or they don’t. There is no slick marketing involved, or empty scientific mumbo jumbo, your students consistently get better, or they do not.
I modified my sight reading instruction for entire classes, and used them year in and year out. I was able to observe and make adjustments on the fly until, after years of this, I had a method.
The way to get started was pretty clear, and it involved a few things that are not understood yet.
I then had coaching clients who wanted to do things like read chord charts and couldn’t keep up.
Since I could not use formal note values for counting I had to figure something out.
As I did I realized the universality of this approach. We could learn to sight read anything starting with the most basic skills and progress pretty quickly - written notation, chord charts, tablature, anything.
Practicing sight reading is weird because it is all retrieval, and it takes, literally, 2-5 minutes a practice.
AND it doesn’t matter how well or poorly you play. In fact, if you start playing your exercises really well you’ve reached a new level and need to find something harder.
As you might surmise I've found a glitch in the way sight reading is 'taught'. It is one of the first mysteries I cracked as a high school teacher. It came well before my obsession with cognitive science, but fits in perfectly. No wonder it worked so well!
As I did I realized the universality of this approach. We could learn to sight read anything starting with the most basic skills and progress pretty quickly - written notation, chord charts, tablature, anything.
Practicing sight reading is weird because it is all retrieval, and it takes, literally, 2-5 minutes a practice.
AND it doesn’t matter how well or poorly you play. In fact, if you start playing your exercises really well you’ve reached a new level and need to find something harder.
As you might surmise I've found a glitch in the way sight reading is 'taught'. It is one of the first mysteries I cracked as a high school teacher. It came well before my obsession with cognitive science, but fits in perfectly. No wonder it worked so well!
This is a no-fluff, all-learning, all understandable, 30-minute lecture/demonstration followed by Q&A. PDF instructions included
Featuring the exclusive Cognitive Load Reduction Protocol™, a revolution in teaching.
CLRP™ allows for group instruction that reaches everyone, so that any one at any level of skill or knowledge can be brought in and start learning to sight read. At the same time advanced learners will find their areas of need uncovered and quickly improved.
The Lightbulb masterclass™ series
Lighting the path of understanding
Presents
SIGHT READING
Recording Of A 30 Minute Instruction Plus Q&A
The Lightbulb masterclass™ series
Lighting the path of understanding
Presents
Sight Reading
Recording Of A 30 Minute Instruction Plus Q&A
Why is Gregg's Teaching So Different?
One reason is he knows the science like no other teacher.
And the thing is he knows how to explain it to anyone in a way they can understand.
“It was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!” (exact number of exclamation points)
Student, Green Valley High School, Las Vegas
Adult learners too.
“I am 67 and have tried to learn to play the guitar multiple times since I was a teenager. What I have discovered is that most teachers show you what to practice with no organized method for how to practice. Enthusiastically teaching how we learn, and how to effectively apply that to both practice and performance, is where Gregg absolutely excels!”
Eric Mosley
It even surprised a Yale law professor
“I learned more about how I learn from Gregg than I have learned in any other single experience or from any other single teacher in my life.”
And a university music student
A summer in Aspen didn’t fix some of the problems I’ve begun to truly remedy in just a week…”
Edward Charity, Violin Performance Major, Florida State University
Do you know what goes on at Aspen each summer?
There is nobody teaching this like Gregg, nobody, and that’s what you’ve been looking for.
Even a professional concert artist was amazed.
“If you just sit down with 30 pages of Chopin arpeggios you’re like, “aaaaa!” but (Gregg taught me) you have a path to follow so the whole idea of sitting down and practicing is. . .really. . .fine! Before I just kind of worked and hoped I’d get things together on time and sometimes there seemed to be like a glass ceiling. Practice is enjoyable and flies by. It is relaxed but goal-oriented.”
Dr. Jesse Plessis, concert pianist
Bob G
Classical Guitar Student
“ He’s a wonderful resource for us. His techniques, and great personality (are) so conducive to a student to learn and reach the goals that they want to reach.
Now, with Gregg, the practice is deliberate practice. . .I’m actually having more fun because I’m taking a piece I’m working on and I am acting like a kid again actually.
. . .when I get to the performance part of it I pull it back to the way it should be and play it through and it’s so much easier. I have the focus, I know what’s going on. . .it’s a lot easier.
The niche that he has placed himself inside the musical community, and through his online teaching anybody in the world can get access to him. . . ”
Now, with Gregg, the practice is deliberate practice. . .I’m actually having more fun because I’m taking a piece I’m working on and I am acting like a kid again actually.
. . .when I get to the performance part of it I pull it back to the way it should be and play it through and it’s so much easier. I have the focus, I know what’s going on. . .it’s a lot easier.
The niche that he has placed himself inside the musical community, and through his online teaching anybody in the world can get access to him. . . ”
Mike M
Guitarist and Teacher
United Kingdom
“ I’ve been passing (these ideas) on to my students who seem to be benefitting from it as well. In a matter of a week it made a huge difference, and I’m not able to practice every day at the moment believe it or not.
It made a huge difference to my playing in quite a short while. . .also it made a difference to my confidence.
That’s another thing. I used to think I haven’t got enough time to practice, but I’ve found that actually by doing the things that (Gregg) suggested I got loads more out of my practice time, and I’ve made far more progress than I would have thought considering the comparatively small amount of practice time I’ve had.
Without a doubt practicing is probably the hardest skill you’ll ever learn as a musician. Some people think it might be performance or performance nerves, but honestly, if you get the practice right you won’t have the nerves when you’re performing because you’ll have gotten the practice right in the first place. ”
Nat H
Professional touring guitar and oud player, Teacher
United States
Andrean N
Classical piano student and Teacher preparing for upper level RCM exams
Canada
“ This is huge. In two to three weeks my whole practice has changed, my outlook has changed. I can’t stress how much of a change that has made for me. . .I’m going to go into it (performance exam) far, far, far ahead of where I could have possibly gone in the trajectory I was going.
Oh yeah, I totally had the wrong viewpoint. I was working myself into a frenzy over practicing enough, the (problem) is I wasn’t fixing anything! . . I didn’t really have the tools to make that work.
I’ve seen such a difference in my own music already I feel like I’ve won! I really feel like I’ve won already, and I haven’t taken the exam. I’ve got two months to go! I’m really pumped.
I’m just so thankful, this is the best thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve done a lot of good things for myself in this whole process, but this is (what I was missing). ”
Ava Bradley
Music Education and Spanish Major,
University of Louisville (Kentucky)
“The most valuable thing I learned from the class was desirable difficulty. By focusing on learning– really learning — I now know how to use my practice time in a meaningful way. Instead of just working on a passage until I get it right, I practice every permutation of that passage until I can’t get it wrong! The practiclass not only helped me but it will help my elementary and middle school students too. They felt the “blearn” when we repeated music over and over again — but in the week since we’ve started using your method, I’ve never seen them play better. Thank you for sharing your amazing knowledge of music, the brain, and of course, how to practice –come back to visit us when you can!”
Anne Marie Patterson
Elementary Strings Teacher,
Charles County Schools,
Music Director of Charles County Youth Orchestra and Encore Strings (Maryland)
"I had the pleasure of attending Gregg Goodhart’s session on Better Learning Through Neuroscience at the 2015 ASTA convention. He is bridging the gap between the scientific world and the field of music education, applying scientific evidence to the process of learning. His enthusiasm and knowledge in this new field is inspirational. I look forward to hearing more from him in the future, and encourage all my students to do Skype lessons with him whenever possible. "
Andrea L. Meyers
Colorado Music Educators Association,
Membership Chair Sol-Via Modern Arts Center,
Project Coordinator Colorado Chamber Orchestra,
Board Member Private Cello Studio Denver, CO
“I just finished a wonderful summer conference with the Colorado American String Teachers Association. One of the most impressive sessions was with Gregg Goodhart. Please take a moment to read “My Dog Ate My Talent“. The essence of quality practice and forward thinking is in this article. This is life altering information!! Starting with, ‘Self Discipline.’
Thank you for the exceptional presentations and sessions. You are an inspiration to the teaching, learning, and musical profession. Bravo for taking the time to share your research, knowledge, creative spirit/energy, and practical techniques for further study. Inspirational!!”
Elise Winters-Huete
Author, Kaleidoscopes for Violin (Texas)
“As an educator and parent trainer, I found Gregg Goodheart’s training to be dynamic, insightful and powerful. Passionate about cognitive neuroscience and child development, Goodheart took cutting-edge research and brought it vividly into everyday life. If every kid in our society had this information, “no child left behind” would be a reality.
I look forward to the day when every educator has this information and uses it to empower students to achieve their highest potential.”
Roland Dyens
Guitarist/Composer,
Conservatoire National Superieur de Paris (France)
Michael Kozubek, B.M.,M.M.
Director of Guitar Studies,
Azusa Pacific University (California)
“Mr. Goodhart addressed our guitar masterclass at Azusa Pacific University with his presentation on how “talent is overrated” and it was a huge success. The students were genuinely fascinated by his presentation and were riveted to their seats.
What Mr. Goodhart presents does not just apply specifically to the guitar but to all of learning. He breaks down the elements of what occurs in the human mind when we learn and how to get into study habits that allow individuals to maintain a higher level of achievement in their respective areas. Mr. Goodhart explained to my students that excellence is achieved by a logical approach to study habits that become a progressive routine in their lives. Hours of training with a specific purpose produces specific results.
If a student is given the correct information and routinely applies this information to the problems they are trying to resolve, the student will see positive results. When students see themselves achieve, they gain confidence and the learning snowball just keeps on rolling. I have rarely seen an audience of music students so interested in how to learn. They didn’t want to let him go, as they were compelled to learn more about this aspect of learning. Mr. Goodhart gives students a step by step approach to what it takes to achieve their goals in a realistic no-nonsense approach that is both honest and refreshing in the world of education today.”
Dr. Eliza (Thomason) Jeffords
Director of Strings,
Texas Lutheran University (Texas)
“Gregg’s visit at TLU sparked invigorated practice and interest in good practice techniques amongst our students in just two days. The practice consultations gave each student concrete reasons and methods for practicing more effectively- once implemented they saw marked improvement right away and have improved their private practice. We wish he could work with the students every day!”
Teacher Laurie Thede
Orchestra, Mariachi, and AP Theory,
Eaglecrest High School(retired),
Denver, CO
"I just attended both of your sessions at our Colorado ASTA conference and was totally captivated. I’m going right out and buy the books you talked about and change the way I work with kids. Thanks!"
Victor Li
Music Education Student,
Appalachian State University (North Carolina)
"Mr. Goodhart, I attended your lecture during the ASTA convention and I must say it was extremely capturing. I learned a great amount dealing with how the brain functions, which is knowledge that should always be considered valuable. The information and research given was brilliant, but what truly wrapped your lecture nicely was your enthusiasm for the subject that really immersed the audience."
Elizabeth Zempel
Falls Baptist College,
College-Conservatory of Music,
Director, Music School,
Menominee Falls (WI)
"Exceptional ability to drill down to the root problem that hinders the student’s progress. The results are amazing and the students gain confidence to make their own decisions when they are alone."
Amy Beegle, PhD
Associate Professor of Music Education,
College-Conservatory of Music,
University of Cincinnati (Ohio)
"It was so good to have you on campus, Gregg! The students were buzzing about you on Thursday and Friday. Betty Anne is also very excited to have you back in the future."
Mimi Zweig
Professor of Music (Violin, Viola),
Director Pre-College Strings,
Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University (Indiana)
"Gregg Goodhart’s sessions for the Jacobs School of Music String Academy were extremely insightful and inspiring for myself and the students. His specific practice techniques coupled with his positive and genuine enthusiasm resulted in immediate progress with continuing development raising the performance bar since his Bloomington visit."
Lyda Osinga
Prelude and Central Conductor,
Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestras,
High School Orchestra Director,
National Board Certified Teacher, (Wisconsin)
"…so I have to tell you, you fixed (my student) Domingo. I came back after vacation and he had completely changed his practicing, searched your website, downloaded all your practice tips and showed me some amazing results.…and three months later… BTW, Domingo went from last chair first violins in one orchestra to 4th chair 1st violins in the next level orchestra – made some kids mad because he skipped over them – that’s how much he has improved!"
Dr. Brenda Brenner
Associate Professor of Music Education,
Co-Director, IU String Academy,
Indiana University (Indiana)
"Thank you so much for your wonderful visit to IU. It has made a big impact on my students and teaching. All of them walked away with new ideas and motivation to work hard, which is invaluable. Many of the college students who attended on Friday have remarked to me about how much they enjoyed the presentation and how much they learned. The people I admire most at IU. . .have each mentioned to me that they loved your talk and are using your ideas. You are a dynamic conduit between research and practice, and that is a vital link."
Principal Christian Ahanger
Academy of Excellence South Campus,
Milwaukee (Wisconsin)
"You have provided one of the most beneficial presentations to my teachers I think they have attended since I began working with the school. It’s not often when you meet someone who understands and works to apply time maximization and utilization properly to achieve positive results."
Kevin Poston
St. John’s Lutheran School,
Lannon (Wisconsin)
"Gregg brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding to the discussion of learning, accurately conveying the close connections among mindset, willpower, habit formation, and, of course, deliberate practice."
Mary Kay Robinson
Adjunct Violin Teacher,
Duke university (North Carolina)
"Hi Gregg, I have told countless people about the things that I learned -or heard with new ears – at your ASTA presentation in Louisville last March. You were amazing! I couldn’t agree with you more! I would like to find the notes for My Dog Ate My Talent, because I did not get the handout at the convention (you were THAT popular)."
I’ve never been able to express myself when I get up on the stage. Now I’m not nervous so I can let the emotion come through and that makes performance really fun.Mikela R, Violin Student, Pacific University – Oregon
That is going to stick with me forever and it is the reason the “difficult” passages are no longer stressful (once practiced the right way). . .Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Joe K, Cello Performance Major, Florida State University
(Now) there is the feeling of your technique cooperating with you. . .it feels better, it feels so much musical and expressive. If all of your attention is going to struggling to make it (work) that never feels good, and that’s where a lot of musicians and students live a lot of the time.
It really surprised me how quickly it takes effect.
It was life altering for me. It’s something I’ve been looking for for years.
Nat H, Professional touring guitar and oud player, Teacher, United States
. . .but honestly, if you get the practice right you won’t have the nerves when you’re performing because you’ll have gotten the practice right in the first place.
Mike M, Guitarist and Teacher, United Kingdom
References:
Kageyama, N. (2024). Are Great Sight-Readers Born or Made?. Retrieved from https://bulletproofmusician.com/are-great-sight-readers-born-or-made/
Mishra, J., (2014a). Factors Related to Sight-Reading Accuracy: A Meta- Analysis. The Journal of Research in Music Education, 61(4), 452-465.
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