My take may be a little different.

You will never be a sightreader if using tabs.

If you graduate to standard notation (I know it's hard at first) you can eventually read the music without thinking of the names of the notes and yes, even the rhythms.

Then to answer your question in the subject line, you can think about expression: dynamics, articulation, subtle timing, ornaments, etc. and eventually it will come naturally to you.

You don't see these things in the music, but when reading music notation becomes as easy as reading these words, you will start playing with expression as easily as your voice would express things you read out loud.

When I was in school
  • 8th notes were 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
  • 8th note triplets were 1 a ly 2 a ly 3 a ly 4 a ly
  • 16th notes were 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
and so on

Of course that's not the only way to do it.

If the piece is difficult I count out the difficult parts before I sight read. I remember my band director's words, "If you can say it you can play it." By this time we were reading notes without saying the name of the notes in our head, but going from the eye to the fingers without anything in between (another advantage of reading notation instead of tab).

I can sight-read just about anything on the sax, flute, and wind synth, but guitar is my newest instrument, so while I can read simple melodies, it still takes some woodshedding to get the difficult parts down.

Going to the wood shed is nothing to be ashamed of. The more you do it, the better you get at sight-reading.

There is always more than one right way to learn and play music. This is what works for me, YMMV.

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Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
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