How to Sight Read for Guitar - No Shortcuts 

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Right around 1987 at Berklee senior year I had one lesson with William G Leavitt who wrote all their books and after I butchered the sight reading he said " son, every day you don't sight read you set yourself back 2 days so I set myself back about 80 years hahaha

I have always appreciated your honesty….there is no easy way - I have tried and tried - tab! Love your ending!!

I spent some time working on sight reading. I didn’t do enough of it though. Listening to this makes me miss taking lessons with you.

Thanks Frank. Love and blessings to you and yours.

I once overheard a couple of jazz musicians talking about some other guy who was known for his ability to read anything.

Tellin it like it is. Thanks Frank

Yep. To get good at sight reading, you need to practice every day. Violin pieces are particularly good (Carcassi, Telemann etc). Also, using backing tracks (learn the chords though, half dim etc play scales on each chord as well). Start Am/C pentatonic , using the 5 positions add the B and then the F. Then, in Em/G using the pentatonic shapes in 5 positions, then add the F# and C. Then go to Bm/D same process. Also, as a warm-up play, all the E's going up the neck then Fs etc. There are patterns. The key is every day though. Especially notes on ledger lines. Block chords come with time

Thank you! 🙏🎼

Now I want a Gibson arch top, damit!

I try to do this a lot and it really does help. This is great advice, not surprising coming from you.

it's like premonitions. seeing into the future. multiverse stuff.

I am doing sightreading with your books with solos over standards. But it took 3 yeears of practice to get this far.

Diet chemicals :))) Thank you sir!

I started learning music back in 1970. I have always hated TAB. I first saw it in guitar magazines in the 80s and it confused me more than notes on the staff. I find it easier to sight read than follow tab.