Do you sight read?

[swarfrat]

I suspect I'm in the vast majority of guitar players. I know enough about reading music to explain it to someone, or to sit down and P.A.I.N.S.T.A.K.I.N.G.L.Y eeek out what's written, but ...I'm curious if anyone here has developed their reading well enough to be functional on guitar.

I'm especially curious about any who've done any sort of open score reading. I guess I knew enough to know this, but only recently put it together that all those old ladies at church who "only read music" were lying - ie - they're going way beyond what's written in the SATB score they're playing from. I suppose it's really just a verbose chord chart with special knowledge required to read it.  What I find really interesting is that I don't think these people were being disingenious or self-effacing. I rather suspect that if you gave them a lead sheet, or called out changes they'd be utterly lost, yet they're supplying all sorts of voicing, leading and embellishment.

 

[TBurst Std]

Not for guitar or bass from a lead sheet. Back I’m orchestra days, yes I did.
Now for guitar or bass, you can lay tab or charts in front of me and I’m good to go with embellishments.

 

[swarfrat]

What got me thinking about this is that I'd like to be able to play guitar from a SATB/Open score 'cord chart'. I really really hate having to learn a dozen keys though. I suppose I can start with ones I can sing in.

 

[mayfly]

orchestral instruments (especially lower brass):  yes.

Guitar: No.  Guitar was my 'artistic escape' from the rigidity of the orchestral scene and I intentionally learned the instrument without learning to read on it.  Seems to have stuck with me 

 

[Rick]

I can't sight play either.  Time signatures, I gotta think it thru; and where is that damn A# near the 12th fret, nope, gotta think too much.  Basically, I listen to the song, and figure out what goes where and when.  If I need to, I'll tab things out.

 

[Seamas]

I'm fairly ok on notes as far as tones and reading keys, etc, but when it comes to the time quality--especially when you get things like dotted notes, I have a lot of trouble counting those through.

 

[amigarobbo]

On the money end of a bass, ish, but not in funnah keys, the ones with lots of ♯s near that curly big C thingy.


Can't do anything on the exotic treble one.  :turtle:

 

[swarfrat]

Ironically I found this one chorded. I haven't checked it for accuracy - in fact, I'm rather suspicious of it given the non-diatonic harmony in this tune.  Being able to grab this stuff and actually turn it into chord charts in my head on the fly - maybe not necessarily sight read for performance, but certainly be able to look it over and play it with a few minutes of prep.

I've dabbled with P4 or all fourths tuning (EADGCF) before - and I love it for improvising but I kinda gave up once I started singing as just me and my guitar benefited from a lot of open chord guitarisms. But certainly starting out and I'd actually for now be ok with only being able to read in P4, and it might make sight reading a lot easier.