How to Improve Your Sight Reading

Sight reading is an area in which many musicians struggle. I think that in order to be a good musician, you need to be strong in all areas of your technique. Here are some tips to help you improve your sight reading:

1. Work out the speed in your head before you start. Look at the time signature, clap a pulse and go through the music in your head.
2. Rhythm. Look at any difficult rhythms and clap them out loud whilst keeping the pulse in your head.
3. Look at the key signature. An important step to work out any sharps or naturals that you have to play.
4. Pitch notes in your head before you play them. This step is especially important for brass players to ensure there are no split notes. 
5. Look at dynamics, articulation, changes in tempo etc. The final step to make your performance musical and to add expression to the music. 

Player Insight: Tine Thing Helseth

Tine Thing Helseth is a Norwegian trumpet player, specialising in classical music. As well as a solo career she also runs an all female brass ensemble called 'TenThing' who performed at the BBC Proms in 2013. She has definitely had an impact on adjusting the male stereotype of the trumpet along with other players such as Alison Balsom.

She has a recording contract with EMI at present and has a few different albums:

• My Heart is Ever Present
• Trumpet Concertos 
• Storyteller 
• Tine
• 10 (TenThing)

My favourite album is her trumpet concertos album. I think she has interpreted the classics Haydn, Hummel and Neruda beautifully and is definitely worth a listen.

One of my favourite performances by Tine was when she played 'Libertango' at the 100th anniversary of the woman's right to vote in Norway. Listen below:

She has a beautiful rich tone and uses a Bach 1 1/4 C mouthpiece on all of her trumpets except the piccolo, on which she uses a 7F.

Watch a brilliant interview with Tine below on 'Sarah's Horn Hangout':



Visit her website here.