Editing Sight-reading (section)

==Terminology==

===Sight-reading===
In music literature, the term "sight-reading" is often used in a generic sense to refer to the ability to read and perform instrumental and vocal music at first sight, which involves converting musical information from sight to sound.{{sfn|Udtaisuk|2005}} However, some authors, including Udtaisuk, prefer to use more specific terms such as "sight-playing" and "sight-singing" when applicable.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} This distinction allows for a narrower usage of the term "sight-reading" to describe the [[silent reading]] of music without producing sound through an instrument or voice.

Highly skilled musicians can sight-read ''silently''; that is, they can look at the printed music and hear it in their heads without playing or singing (see [[audiation]]).{{efn|True sight-reading or sight-singing—not code-deciphering—is actually ''notational'' audiation.}} Less able sight-readers generally must at least hum or whistle in order to sight-read effectively. This distinction is analogous to ordinary prose reading in [[late antiquity]], when the ability to read silently was notable enough for [[Augustine of Hippo]] to comment on it.{{sfn|Manguel|1996}}

The term ''a prima vista'' is also used, as Italian words and phrases are commonly used in music and music notation. To play a musical piece ''a prima vista'' means to play it 'at first sight'. According to Payne, "the ability to hear the notes on the page is clearly akin to music reading and should be considered a prerequisite for effective performance ... Egregious errors can occur when a student, analyzing a piece of music, makes no effort to play or hear the composition but mechanically processes the notes on the page."{{sfn|Payne|2005}}

[[Music school]]s generally require sight-reading as part of an audition or an [[entrance examination |exam]].

===Sight transposition===
{{main|Sight transposition}}
Some musicians can [[Transposition (music)|transpose]] music during performance to suit particular instruments or vocal [[Range (music)|ranges]], to make the playing of the instrument(s) or singing easier, or a number of other uses. For transposing instruments such as the clarinets, trumpets, saxophones, and others, transposing is a necessary skill; for all musicians, it is a useful one.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

===Sight-playing===
According to Udtaisuk, "many [authors] use the term sight-reading for instrumental sight-reading performance". However, Udtaisuk and some other authors use the more descriptive term "sightplaying" (or "sight-playing") for instrumental sight-reading, because sight-playing combines two unique skill sets: music reading and music making.{{sfn|Sergent|Zuck|Terriah|MacDonald|1992|pages=106–109}}

===Sight-singing===
Some authors, according to Udtaisuk, use the term "sight-singing" for vocal sight-reading. As with sight-playing, Udtaisuk advocates and uses the more descriptive term "sightsinging" for vocal sight-reading because sight-singing combines sight-reading and singing skills.