Sight Reading Advice & Tips - Music Performance
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Date: 2022-03-28
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Comments and reviews: 10
Petula
As a beginner pianist I agree. I am not good (yet), meaning I am slow. Anyone can read a sheet of music given unlimited amount of time. What is important though is to treat it as language, because that is what it is. In school we go from letters to words, to sentences, to short books, etc. Same here! So by now, I am reading words! Very simple phrases too! I read sentences that have very few notes, such as -Bob has a dog-; I do not read yet without struggling something like - The unbearable lightness of being-. And that is ok.
If you understand and accept that your playing can be much better than your ability to sight read you will stop getting frustrated. Sightread pieces that are below your comfort level to build up. Don't attack Chopin. Start with MIkrokosmos by Bartok; Go with Kabalevsky 24 pieces for children. You will see how much more progress you will do in a shorter amount of time.
And at least at first, do not skip the whole look on the page: time signature, clap tempo, key, form, dynamic markings. Only then proceed to check the notes more intimately (arpeggios here, inversions there, a little chromatic part in this bar here,those are thirds, those are sevenths, etc).
If you do that with simpler pieces you will have fun and feel motivated to do so!! Enjoy your sightreading. It is part of your practice and will take you sky high!!
reply
As a beginner pianist I agree. I am not good (yet), meaning I am slow. Anyone can read a sheet of music given unlimited amount of time. What is important though is to treat it as language, because that is what it is. In school we go from letters to words, to sentences, to short books, etc. Same here! So by now, I am reading words! Very simple phrases too! I read sentences that have very few notes, such as -Bob has a dog-; I do not read yet without struggling something like - The unbearable lightness of being-. And that is ok.
If you understand and accept that your playing can be much better than your ability to sight read you will stop getting frustrated. Sightread pieces that are below your comfort level to build up. Don't attack Chopin. Start with MIkrokosmos by Bartok; Go with Kabalevsky 24 pieces for children. You will see how much more progress you will do in a shorter amount of time.
And at least at first, do not skip the whole look on the page: time signature, clap tempo, key, form, dynamic markings. Only then proceed to check the notes more intimately (arpeggios here, inversions there, a little chromatic part in this bar here,those are thirds, those are sevenths, etc).
If you do that with simpler pieces you will have fun and feel motivated to do so!! Enjoy your sightreading. It is part of your practice and will take you sky high!!
reply
Roj
Very interesting and Wise Words Indeed ! and thanks very much for your thoughts and advice,.
As a late, late, now more serious starter, ( I've dabbled for years on and off with this life long obsession / ambition)
I think the thing is, we tend to think we're practicing More than we actually Are, so from that point of view, I've now started to log how much practice I'm actually doing, as I think we kid ourselves we're doing more than we are.
The question I ask myself everyday is Am I just too old ? ( a relatively young 71 ! ) . As a retired engineer, making and repairing things, just comes naturally to me, I don't give it a second thought... metalwork, woodwork, decorating, tiling plumbing, I just Do It, which is really annoying when it comes to Sight Reading and Playing a Piano.
The only slightly encouraging thing is, years ago a guitar teacher told me, if you think you've not learnt very much, look back in 6 months time and ask yourself, what you know and can do now, that you couldn't do before ( more wise words). So, having taught myself to read the -Dots- I'll go do some more practice !
Thanks -
( PS I'm also trying to set myself goals I need to achieve by a given time... that's just as a big challenge! - )
reply
Very interesting and Wise Words Indeed ! and thanks very much for your thoughts and advice,.
As a late, late, now more serious starter, ( I've dabbled for years on and off with this life long obsession / ambition)
I think the thing is, we tend to think we're practicing More than we actually Are, so from that point of view, I've now started to log how much practice I'm actually doing, as I think we kid ourselves we're doing more than we are.
The question I ask myself everyday is Am I just too old ? ( a relatively young 71 ! ) . As a retired engineer, making and repairing things, just comes naturally to me, I don't give it a second thought... metalwork, woodwork, decorating, tiling plumbing, I just Do It, which is really annoying when it comes to Sight Reading and Playing a Piano.
The only slightly encouraging thing is, years ago a guitar teacher told me, if you think you've not learnt very much, look back in 6 months time and ask yourself, what you know and can do now, that you couldn't do before ( more wise words). So, having taught myself to read the -Dots- I'll go do some more practice !
Thanks -
( PS I'm also trying to set myself goals I need to achieve by a given time... that's just as a big challenge! - )
reply
Captain
I would consider myself an intermediate level player. Probably more on the early-intermediate side. I try to set aside about 15 minutes per day for sight-reading. This has helped tremendously with not only my sight-reading ability, but my reading ability in general. I started with the Piano Adventures sight-reading series, which starts very easy, but progresses over the course of five books, for a total of nearly 500 pages of material. And this, to me, is the key to getting better at sight-reading. Lots and lots of novel, -easy- (whatever that means for each individual) material to read every day. Now, in my search for new sight-reading material (which can be quite challenging to find, actually), I'm buying and quickly working through lots of late-beginner/early-intermediate repertoire books. Not all the pieces are truly sight-readable for me, and those pieces I set aside to learn later, or I just learn them right there on the spot, only slower. Anyway, all this took my reading skill from my worst skill to my best skill, by a considerable margin.
reply
I would consider myself an intermediate level player. Probably more on the early-intermediate side. I try to set aside about 15 minutes per day for sight-reading. This has helped tremendously with not only my sight-reading ability, but my reading ability in general. I started with the Piano Adventures sight-reading series, which starts very easy, but progresses over the course of five books, for a total of nearly 500 pages of material. And this, to me, is the key to getting better at sight-reading. Lots and lots of novel, -easy- (whatever that means for each individual) material to read every day. Now, in my search for new sight-reading material (which can be quite challenging to find, actually), I'm buying and quickly working through lots of late-beginner/early-intermediate repertoire books. Not all the pieces are truly sight-readable for me, and those pieces I set aside to learn later, or I just learn them right there on the spot, only slower. Anyway, all this took my reading skill from my worst skill to my best skill, by a considerable margin.
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PIANOSTYLE100
Very good. I used to be the worst reader in spite of learning some simple classical pieces. I had to work very hard on Sol Feggietto by Phillip Emanuel Bach. It took many many weeks. I actually, as you say remembered the piece and between muscle memory and occasionally glancing at the notes..bumble my way though it. One of the WORST THINGD we do..or continue to do is use stuff we learned in primary school like Good Boys Do Fine Always.. Every Good Boy Does Fine Always. Pros don't use them. They know in an instant what it is is ...Of course we have to keep in practice. Practice Base Clef. One key thing is notice the D is the center note on the bass clef and the B is the center note on the treble clef. Then learn then backwards and forwards. EDC
CDE on the base clef. Of course if chords are there ..use them. In the Base Clef, the Line notes ascending are GBDFA..1 3 5 b7 9.
Space Notes in the Base Clef are
A C E G.. AMin7.. Of course going into the ledger area add a B.
ACEGB. Amin9. .
.
reply
Very good. I used to be the worst reader in spite of learning some simple classical pieces. I had to work very hard on Sol Feggietto by Phillip Emanuel Bach. It took many many weeks. I actually, as you say remembered the piece and between muscle memory and occasionally glancing at the notes..bumble my way though it. One of the WORST THINGD we do..or continue to do is use stuff we learned in primary school like Good Boys Do Fine Always.. Every Good Boy Does Fine Always. Pros don't use them. They know in an instant what it is is ...Of course we have to keep in practice. Practice Base Clef. One key thing is notice the D is the center note on the bass clef and the B is the center note on the treble clef. Then learn then backwards and forwards. EDC
CDE on the base clef. Of course if chords are there ..use them. In the Base Clef, the Line notes ascending are GBDFA..1 3 5 b7 9.
Space Notes in the Base Clef are
A C E G.. AMin7.. Of course going into the ledger area add a B.
ACEGB. Amin9. .
.
reply
Vesna
From 10 to 13 I learned side flute and solfeggio. My teacher did teach me well sight reading. Allways played with sheet music, but he never gave me any technique, how to memorized. I allway try to remember from begining till end.
Now decades latter I completely forgot all the notes and need to start from scratch all music theory. Even I forgot everything, it help me understand very quickly. I self learning piano for 6m. The funny thing is, now I am very good at memorizing pieces. Now when I already learned Bach Prelude CM and Chopin prelude 4 Em and Clair de lune first 2 pages (learned a lot by challenged myself way above my skills). I have list of 12 pieces I want to learn but my memory in maintaining what I allready know has limits. That's motivated me to put my efforts into sight reading. Thank you, I find very good tips on your Chanel -
reply
From 10 to 13 I learned side flute and solfeggio. My teacher did teach me well sight reading. Allways played with sheet music, but he never gave me any technique, how to memorized. I allway try to remember from begining till end.
Now decades latter I completely forgot all the notes and need to start from scratch all music theory. Even I forgot everything, it help me understand very quickly. I self learning piano for 6m. The funny thing is, now I am very good at memorizing pieces. Now when I already learned Bach Prelude CM and Chopin prelude 4 Em and Clair de lune first 2 pages (learned a lot by challenged myself way above my skills). I have list of 12 pieces I want to learn but my memory in maintaining what I allready know has limits. That's motivated me to put my efforts into sight reading. Thank you, I find very good tips on your Chanel -
reply
Sandra
I often find myself when I think I am reading I am actually playing by ear. I start out really focused on reading but then I noticed I am not really reading at all I am playing by ear. I will admit I am totally harp crazy that her beautiful voice just put me into another state. I was trying to sight read the last rose of summer. I played it all the way through. People was saying to me afterwards That is so beautiful you play with so much feeling. But I was thinking to myself I did not read that well at all. And that happens to me everytime.
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I often find myself when I think I am reading I am actually playing by ear. I start out really focused on reading but then I noticed I am not really reading at all I am playing by ear. I will admit I am totally harp crazy that her beautiful voice just put me into another state. I was trying to sight read the last rose of summer. I played it all the way through. People was saying to me afterwards That is so beautiful you play with so much feeling. But I was thinking to myself I did not read that well at all. And that happens to me everytime.
reply
Pallavisree
nice. i am an adult. I am a vocalist. i have had training in indian classical music and western music as well. My weakness is sight reading. I can recognize line notes and space notes pitches. And i can recognize dynamics markings that add color to the piece. I can recognize time signatures in a particular piece. And also sometimes key signatures in in a particular piece. But i need to improve on rhythm. So this will help.
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nice. i am an adult. I am a vocalist. i have had training in indian classical music and western music as well. My weakness is sight reading. I can recognize line notes and space notes pitches. And i can recognize dynamics markings that add color to the piece. I can recognize time signatures in a particular piece. And also sometimes key signatures in in a particular piece. But i need to improve on rhythm. So this will help.
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Jerome
I actually can do most of the skills that you described in your video. But the skill that I do not have and it frustrates me the most is I cannot locate the keys on the piano strictly without looking at them. Because of this deficiency I cannot keep my eyes on the music and therefore my flow in reading it gets disrupted. Any suggestions?
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I actually can do most of the skills that you described in your video. But the skill that I do not have and it frustrates me the most is I cannot locate the keys on the piano strictly without looking at them. Because of this deficiency I cannot keep my eyes on the music and therefore my flow in reading it gets disrupted. Any suggestions?
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Joan
You're an excellent teacher! I just signed up for your first sight singing course. I always thought I was an okay reader. Then a choir director handed me Ockeghem's -Missa Cuiusvis Toni-!!! hmmm ... perhaps I'm not the hot-shot I thought I was. I think a systematic study of sight-reading, starting with the basics, is in order.
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You're an excellent teacher! I just signed up for your first sight singing course. I always thought I was an okay reader. Then a choir director handed me Ockeghem's -Missa Cuiusvis Toni-!!! hmmm ... perhaps I'm not the hot-shot I thought I was. I think a systematic study of sight-reading, starting with the basics, is in order.
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ICXP
Great video once again. Thank you. Now if I understood correctly the structure to practicing site reading is 1) count out rhythm 2) sight notes for pitch (look for patterns) 3) play on instrument the phrasing, articulation, dynamics etc. Did I understand correctly? Thank you
reply
Great video once again. Thank you. Now if I understood correctly the structure to practicing site reading is 1) count out rhythm 2) sight notes for pitch (look for patterns) 3) play on instrument the phrasing, articulation, dynamics etc. Did I understand correctly? Thank you
reply
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