The Relationships Among Instrumental Sight-Reading Ability and Seven Selected Predictor Variables

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among instrumental sight-reading ability and seven selected variables: (1) Technical Proficiency, (2) Rhythm Reading Ability, (3) Sight Singing Ability, (4) Cumulative Grade Point Average, (5) Cumulative Music Theory Grade Point Average, (6) Cumulative Performance Jury Grade Point Average, and (7) Major Instrument Grade Point Average. Thirty-two wind instrumentalists, selected at random from undergraduate music theory classes at the University of South Carolina, served as subjects. During the spring semester of 1980, the subjects took tests designed to measure their abilities in sight-reading, technical proficiency, sight singing, and rhythm reading. Data were collected from each student' s permanent record regarding each of the other variables. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) A strong positive relationship exists between wind instrumentalists' general sight-reading ability and the ability to sight-read rhythm patterns. (2) Rhythm-reading ability is the single best predictor of wind instrumentalists' sight-reading scores. (3) Rhythm-reading ability and performance jury scores combine to make the best predictors of wind instrumentalists' sight-reading performance scores.