Rhythmic Sight Reading
Made Easy

Put away your old "counting" method, its ineffective for compound, asymmetrical, and compound-cut time signatures.

Pick up on this new, simpler method based on the Kodaly system and watch the results!

Singers performing under the direction of the legendary director, Robert Shaw, would always sight-read the work to be performed using the "counting" method at the first rehearsal (one - ee and uh, two - ee and uh, three - ee and uh, four - ee and uh) subdividing the beat for rhythmic precision. This method worked very well, but Shaw almost always worked with professionally trained singers.

The disadvantage in using the "counting" method is the singer/sight reader must remember five different items with the divided beat; the numbers one, two, three, four (in Simple or Common time) as well as "and". In a subdivided beat, seven items (including "ee" and "uh") must be referred to.

In teaching middle and high school students to read rhythms quickly and efficiently, simplicity is the key. Using three items or syllables (ta, ti and di) based on the Kodaly system of reading produce immediate and accurate results with beginning middle and high school students.