Tizzling for Ensemble Sightreading Success

Who

This technique benefits band students, including brass, woodwind, and percussion players, from middle school beginners to advanced high school ensembles, and band directors teaching them in school or community settings.

What

The challenge is improving ensemble sightreading accuracy, particularly for rhythms, when performing unfamiliar music under time constraints, ensuring students maintain tempo and avoid mistakes during sightreading sessions.

Why

Sightreading unfamiliar music can lead to rhythmic errors, as students struggle to process note values and rests without practice, as noted in Band Directors Talk Shop. Tizzling—vocalizing rhythms with a sustained “tsssss” sound—isolates rhythm from pitch, allowing students to internalize tempo and note durations, enhancing ensemble cohesion.

Where

Tizzling is applied via:

• Vocalization: Using “tsssss” to articulate rhythms, sustaining notes to reflect their duration.
• Fingering or Sticking: Pairing tizzling with instrument fingerings or percussion sticking to reinforce muscle memory.

When

Use tizzling in:

• Sightreading Sessions: During festival or concert preparation, like state assessments, to master new pieces, as per John McAllister Music.
• Warm-Up Routines: Before rehearsals to build rhythmic confidence for pieces like Holst’s First Suite in Eb.
• Rhythm Training: When teaching complex rhythms in middle school method books or advanced repertoire.
• Ensemble Rehearsals: To unify section timing before playing unfamiliar music.

How

To implement tizzling for sightreading:

1. Introduce Tizzling: Teach students to vocalize rhythms with “tsssss,” sustaining for note durations (e.g., quarter note = “tssss,” half note = “tssssss”), as described in Band Directors Talk Shop.
2. Model Rhythms: Director tizzles or plays the piece’s rhythms, having students tizzle along while fingering/sticking, as per John McAllister Music.
3. Practice Sightreading Prep: During the 30-second study period before sightreading, have students tizzle rhythms while scanning key signatures and tempos.
4. Use with Method Books: Apply tizzling to exercises in books like Standard of Excellence, focusing on tricky rhythms (e.g., dotted quarters, syncopation).
5. Incorporate in Rehearsals: Tizzle chorales or sections of pieces like Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever to unify timing before playing.
6. Pair with Metronome: Tizzle rhythms with a metronome to maintain steady tempo, ensuring ensemble cohesion.
7. Reflect and Adjust: After sightreading, discuss rhythmic accuracy, re-tizzling problem spots to reinforce correct timing.

Conclusion

Tizzling, vocalizing rhythms with “tsssss,” is a powerful tool for enhancing ensemble sightreading accuracy by isolating and internalizing rhythms. By modeling tizzling, practicing during sightreading prep, and integrating it into warm-ups and rehearsals, directors help brass, woodwind, and percussion players master complex rhythms. This technique ensures confident, cohesive performances in unfamiliar repertoire, elevating the band’s success in festivals and concerts.