The Lightbulb masterclass™ series
Lighting the path of understanding
Presents
SIGHT READING
Learning to sight read…
Another learning secret that shouldn't be a secret.
The Lightbulb Masterclass™ Series lights the path to begin using the best methods from the learning science, that few understand, in a way anyone can use. The way learning works best is very different than the ways we’ve been led to believe.
These are no-fluff, all-learning, all understandable, quick-hit 30-minute lectures followed by Q&A. PDF resources and recording included. You’ll get more than 15% off the price than when the recording is published on the website, and you’ll get to be part of it in the live event.
My whole obsession with the learning science is all about how to get those things going in our practice, how to understand the way to get started, then started on the next step, then the next.
That is not explained in the science.
Researchers evaluate downstream concepts. “How does good sight reading work, what are good sight readers doing?”
Who cares? What I want to know is how how does getting good at sight reading work. What did good sight readers do to get that way?
What did they do the first time they practiced it, then the second, then the….
Nobody seems to know. There is a hodgepodge of downstream observations, hand me down knowledge, and when researchers look to gather data on how that works, and that is what researchers are good at, we get this.
CLRP™ allows for group instruction that reaches everyone, so that any one at any level of skill or knowledge can be brought in and start learning. At the same time advanced learners will find their areas of need uncovered and quickly improved.
In this installment of the LMS, we turn our attention to one of the most foundational, useful, easiest, and least used things we can use to improve in practice - contextual interference.
In music, and in life, we tend to think that repeating something over and over, as accurately as possible, is the way to flowing/easy performance.
Did you know that each time you repeat something the same way in practice it has less and less benefit to your improvement? A lot less. These repetitions lose value almost immediately. Then every day you do it you get even less.
Any wonder why repeating something over and over for days and weeks doesn’t get you there?
A researcher who did an, "An exhaustive survey of the available research literature,” concluded that “Musicians differ in their ability to sight-read, and hundreds of researchers have explored reasons why this might be the case, some ascribing the ability to innate talent, others investigating sight-reading as a skill to be trained.” (Mishra 2014).
Maybe we have to wait for Tinkerbell to ride in from the Valley of Echos on a Unicorn to sprinkle the pixie dust of talent on us.
And as far as training the skill a well known performance coach found that there is not, “yet a clear consensus in the literature about how exactly we can improve our sight-reading skills in the most effective way possible…” (Kageyama, 2024)
That has not been my experience, but to be honest, my experience has been pretty unique.
The reason you’ve had problems learning sight reading is because teachers like me don’t know how to teach it, or at least I didn’t.
Have you ever heard of learning to play trouble spots with dotted rhythms, other crazy rhythms, single-hand practice, melodic sequences, whatever? They work really well very quickly then stop working once we use them a bit.
Whoever is sharing those things with us is not giving us the most basic information to make real use of this - that we must continue to vary what we are doing as soon as we start getting good at the one we are learning!
And we don’t need to get really good at each of these. Just getting them close works fine, so we need to know when to move on.
I wasn’t taught to sight read until I became a high school teacher and figured out a way to teach it to myself.
The thing about teaching a lot of people regularly in a school is that things either work consistently or they don’t. There is no slick marketing involved, or empty scientific mumbo jumbo, your students consistently get better, or they do not.
I modified my sight reading instruction for entire classes, and used them year in and year out. I was able to observe and make adjustments on the fly until, after years of this, I had a method.
The way to get started was pretty clear, and it involved a few things that are not understood yet.
I then had coaching clients who wanted to do things like read chord charts and couldn’t keep up.
Since I could not use formal note values for counting I had to figure something out.
As I did I realized the universality of this approach. We could learn to sight read anything starting with the most basic skills and progress pretty quickly - written notation, chord charts, tablature, anything.
Practicing sight reading is weird because it is all retrieval, and it takes, literally, 2-5 minutes a practice.
AND it doesn’t matter how well or poorly you play. In fact, if you start playing your exercises really well you’ve reached a new level and need to find something harder.
As you might surmise I've found a glitch in the way sight reading is 'taught'. It is one of the first mysteries I cracked as a high school teacher. It came well before my obsession with cognitive science, but fits in perfectly. No wonder it worked so well!
This is a no-fluff, all-learning, all understandable, 30-minute lecture/demonstration followed by Q&A. PDF instructions included
Featuring the exclusive Cognitive Load Reduction Protocol™, a revolution in teaching.
CLRP™ allows for group instruction that reaches everyone, so that any one at any level of skill or knowledge can be brought in and start learning to sight read. At the same time advanced learners will find their areas of need uncovered and quickly improved.
That is what I want to teach you in the next installment of the Lightbulb Masterclass™ series -- the things I’ve learned about the creative application of Contextual Interference for a lifetime of use.
Because we don’t know how the underlying systems work we cede control of their quality to someone else. We get little drips and drabs of tips and tricks.
Let’s learn the key to it all, shall we?
The Lightbulb masterclass™ series
Lighting the path of understanding
Presents
SIGHT READING
Recording of a 30 Minute Instruction Plus Q&A
Why is Gregg's Teaching So Different?
One reason is he knows the science like no other teacher.
“. . .as a psychologist, I can say he is certainly on the money when it comes to incorporating the latest neuropsychological research findings into his work.”
Gary Radler, Clinical psychologist in private practice, Victoria, Australia
And the thing is he knows how to explain it to anyone in a way they can understand.
“It was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!” (exact number of exclamation points)
Student, Green Valley High School, Las Vegas
Adult learners too.
“I am 67 and have tried to learn to play the guitar multiple times since I was a teenager. What I have discovered is that most teachers show you what to practice with no organized method for how to practice. Enthusiastically teaching how we learn, and how to effectively apply that to both practice and performance, is where Gregg absolutely excels!”
Eric Mosley
It even surprised a Yale law professor
“I learned more about how I learn from Gregg than I have learned in any other single experience or from any other single teacher in my life.”
And a university music student
"A summer in Aspen didn’t fix some of the problems I’ve begun to truly remedy in just a week…”
Edward Charity, Violin Performance Major, Florida State University
Do you know what goes on at Aspen each summer?
There is nobody teaching this like Gregg, nobody, and that’s what you’ve been looking for.
Even a professional concert artist was amazed.
“If you just sit down with 30 pages of Chopin arpeggios you’re like, “aaaaa!” but (Gregg taught me) you have a path to follow so the whole idea of sitting down and practicing is. . .really. . .fine! Before I just kind of worked and hoped I’d get things together on time and sometimes there seemed to be like a glass ceiling. Practice is enjoyable and flies by. It is relaxed but goal-oriented.”
Dr. Jesse Plessis, concert pianist
Bob G
Classical Guitar Student
“ He’s a wonderful resource for us. His techniques, and great personality (are) so conducive to a student to learn and reach the goals that they want to reach.
Now, with Gregg, the practice is deliberate practice. . .I’m actually having more fun because I’m taking a piece I’m working on and I am acting like a kid again actually.
. . .when I get to the performance part of it I pull it back to the way it should be and play it through and it’s so much easier. I have the focus, I know what’s going on. . .it’s a lot easier.
The niche that he has placed himself inside the musical community, and through his online teaching anybody in the world can get access to him. . . ”
Mike M
Guitarist and Teacher
United Kingdom
“ I’ve been passing (these ideas) on to my students who seem to be benefitting from it as well. In a matter of a week it made a huge difference, and I’m not able to practice every day at the moment believe it or not.
It made a huge difference to my playing in quite a short while. . .also it made a difference to my confidence.
That’s another thing. I used to think I haven’t got enough time to practice, but I’ve found that actually by doing the things that (Gregg) suggested I got loads more out of my practice time, and I’ve made far more progress than I would have thought considering the comparatively small amount of practice time I’ve had.
Without a doubt practicing is probably the hardest skill you’ll ever learn as a musician. Some people think it might be performance or performance nerves, but honestly, if you get the practice right you won’t have the nerves when you’re performing because you’ll have gotten the practice right in the first place. ”
Nat H
Professional touring guitar and oud player, Teacher
United States
“ I was feeling like I had hit the plateau. . .The same problems that I had for years were still there. Even though I was putting in the time, discipline was not a problem. . .there were things that really felt like they should be better as hard as I am working on it.
I’ve had the good fortune to study with a lot of the top musicians in the kind of music I play, but I couldn’t find anybody to help me break through those plateaus.
(Now) there is the feeling of your technique cooperating with you. . .it feels better, it feels so much musical and expressive. If all of your attention is going to struggling to make it (work) that never feels good, and that’s where a lot of musicians and students live a lot of the time.
It really surprised me how quickly it takes effect.
It was life altering for me. It’s something I’ve been looking for for years.”
Andrean N
Classical piano student and Teacher preparing for upper level RCM exams
Canada
“ This is huge. In two to three weeks my whole practice has changed, my outlook has changed. I can’t stress how much of a change that has made for me. . .I’m going to go into it (performance exam) far, far, far ahead of where I could have possibly gone in the trajectory I was going.
Oh yeah, I totally had the wrong viewpoint. I was working myself into a frenzy over practicing enough, the (problem) is I wasn’t fixing anything! . . I didn’t really have the tools to make that work.
I’ve seen such a difference in my own music already I feel like I’ve won! I really feel like I’ve won already, and I haven’t taken the exam. I’ve got two months to go! I’m really pumped.
I’m just so thankful, this is the best thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve done a lot of good things for myself in this whole process, but this is (what I was missing). ”
“The most valuable thing I learned from the class was desirable difficulty. By focusing on learning– really learning — I now know how to use my practice time in a meaningful way. Instead of just working on a passage until I get it right, I practice every permutation of that passage until I can’t get it wrong! The practiclass not only helped me but it will help my elementary and middle school students too. They felt the “blearn” when we repeated music over and over again — but in the week since we’ve started using your method, I’ve never seen them play better. Thank you for sharing your amazing knowledge of music, the brain, and of course, how to practice –come back to visit us when you can!”
Anne Marie Patterson
Elementary Strings Teacher,
Charles County Schools,
Music Director of Charles County Youth Orchestra and Encore Strings (Maryland)
"I had the pleasure of attending Gregg Goodhart’s session on Better Learning Through Neuroscience at the 2015 ASTA convention. He is bridging the gap between the scientific world and the field of music education, applying scientific evidence to the process of learning. His enthusiasm and knowledge in this new field is inspirational. I look forward to hearing more from him in the future, and encourage all my students to do Skype lessons with him whenever possible. "
Andrea L. Meyers
Colorado Music Educators Association,
Membership Chair Sol-Via Modern Arts Center,
Project Coordinator Colorado Chamber Orchestra,
Board Member Private Cello Studio Denver, CO
“I just finished a wonderful summer conference with the Colorado American String Teachers Association. One of the most impressive sessions was with Gregg Goodhart. Please take a moment to read “My Dog Ate My Talent“. The essence of quality practice and forward thinking is in this article. This is life altering information!! Starting with, ‘Self Discipline.’
Thank you for the exceptional presentations and sessions. You are an inspiration to the teaching, learning, and musical profession. Bravo for taking the time to share your research, knowledge, creative spirit/energy, and practical techniques for further study. Inspirational!!”
“As an educator and parent trainer, I found Gregg Goodheart’s training to be dynamic, insightful and powerful. Passionate about cognitive neuroscience and child development, Goodheart took cutting-edge research and brought it vividly into everyday life. If every kid in our society had this information, “no child left behind” would be a reality.
I look forward to the day when every educator has this information and uses it to empower students to achieve their highest potential.”
“I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Gregg Goodhart as he invited me on three occasions to give Master Classes at the Servite School of Music (LA), where he taught for many years. We also had Master Classes several years in a row at Trilogy guitars, a famous guitar dealer in Playa del Rey (LA).
When I first met him, I was impressed by the excellent relationship he has with his young students. This was a clear sign to me that Mr. Goodhart might be a great teacher as well. And he was indeed.
His students – whether playing solo, duo or part of a guitar ensemble – always showed me a high level of preparation, a deep involvement in music playing, and even passion. And I can say that every one of our meetings was a real pleasure for me.
In addition to this I have to mention that Mr. Goodhart has a very innovative approach in his teaching, by showing his students elements of neuroscience. His teaching obviously helped them in music learning, and will continue as the students further their music careers.
The many students and teachers he meets at this workshops are all very enthusiastic, agreeing on the fact his “philosophy” is absolutely the type of work necessary to attain high levels of performance.
For these reasons I do fully recommend Mr. Gregg Goodhart for any opportunity you may get for him either as a teacher, a lecturer, a tutor or a coach. His skills in music education are just obvious to me.”
“Mr. Goodhart addressed our guitar masterclass at Azusa Pacific University with his presentation on how “talent is overrated” and it was a huge success. The students were genuinely fascinated by his presentation and were riveted to their seats.
What Mr. Goodhart presents does not just apply specifically to the guitar but to all of learning. He breaks down the elements of what occurs in the human mind when we learn and how to get into study habits that allow individuals to maintain a higher level of achievement in their respective areas. Mr. Goodhart explained to my students that excellence is achieved by a logical approach to study habits that become a progressive routine in their lives. Hours of training with a specific purpose produces specific results.
If a student is given the correct information and routinely applies this information to the problems they are trying to resolve, the student will see positive results. When students see themselves achieve, they gain confidence and the learning snowball just keeps on rolling. I have rarely seen an audience of music students so interested in how to learn. They didn’t want to let him go, as they were compelled to learn more about this aspect of learning. Mr. Goodhart gives students a step by step approach to what it takes to achieve their goals in a realistic no-nonsense approach that is both honest and refreshing in the world of education today.”
“Gregg’s visit at TLU sparked invigorated practice and interest in good practice techniques amongst our students in just two days. The practice consultations gave each student concrete reasons and methods for practicing more effectively- once implemented they saw marked improvement right away and have improved their private practice. We wish he could work with the students every day!”
"Mr. Goodhart, I attended your lecture during the ASTA convention and I must say it was extremely capturing. I learned a great amount dealing with how the brain functions, which is knowledge that should always be considered valuable. The information and research given was brilliant, but what truly wrapped your lecture nicely was your enthusiasm for the subject that really immersed the audience."
Elizabeth Zempel
Falls Baptist College,
College-Conservatory of Music,
Director, Music School,
Menominee Falls (WI)
"Exceptional ability to drill down to the root problem that hinders the student’s progress. The results are amazing and the students gain confidence to make their own decisions when they are alone."
Mimi Zweig
Professor of Music (Violin, Viola),
Director Pre-College Strings,
Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University (Indiana)
"Gregg Goodhart’s sessions for the Jacobs School of Music String Academy were extremely insightful and inspiring for myself and the students. His specific practice techniques coupled with his positive and genuine enthusiasm resulted in immediate progress with continuing development raising the performance bar since his Bloomington visit."
Lyda Osinga
Prelude and Central Conductor,
Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestras,
High School Orchestra Director,
National Board Certified Teacher, (Wisconsin)
"…so I have to tell you, you fixed (my student) Domingo. I came back after vacation and he had completely changed his practicing, searched your website, downloaded all your practice tips and showed me some amazing results.…and three months later… BTW, Domingo went from last chair first violins in one orchestra to 4th chair 1st violins in the next level orchestra – made some kids mad because he skipped over them – that’s how much he has improved!"
Dr. Brenda Brenner
Associate Professor of Music Education,
Co-Director, IU String Academy,
Indiana University (Indiana)
"Thank you so much for your wonderful visit to IU. It has made a big impact on my students and teaching. All of them walked away with new ideas and motivation to work hard, which is invaluable. Many of the college students who attended on Friday have remarked to me about how much they enjoyed the presentation and how much they learned. The people I admire most at IU. . .have each mentioned to me that they loved your talk and are using your ideas. You are a dynamic conduit between research and practice, and that is a vital link."
"You have provided one of the most beneficial presentations to my teachers I think they have attended since I began working with the school. It’s not often when you meet someone who understands and works to apply time maximization and utilization properly to achieve positive results."
"Hi Gregg, I have told countless people about the things that I learned -or heard with new ears – at your ASTA presentation in Louisville last March. You were amazing! I couldn’t agree with you more! I would like to find the notes for My Dog Ate My Talent, because I did not get the handout at the convention (you were THAT popular)."
I’ve never been able to express myself when I get up on the stage. Now I’m not nervous so I can let the emotion come through and that makes performance really fun.
Mikela R, Violin Student, Pacific University – Oregon
That is going to stick with me forever and it is the reason the “difficult” passages are no longer stressful (once practiced the right way). . .Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Joe K, Cello Performance Major, Florida State University
(Now) there is the feeling of your technique cooperating with you. . .it feels better, it feels so much musical and expressive. If all of your attention is going to struggling to make it (work) that never feels good, and that’s where a lot of musicians and students live a lot of the time.
It really surprised me how quickly it takes effect.
It was life altering for me. It’s something I’ve been looking for for years.
Nat H, Professional touring guitar and oud player, Teacher, United States
. . .but honestly, if you get the practice right you won’t have the nerves when you’re performing because you’ll have gotten the practice right in the first place.
Mike M, Guitarist and Teacher, United Kingdom
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