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Joined: Jun 2011
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OP
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Just asking how did you archieve the skill of sight-reading? I normally read the score, then divide it by the ideas and memorize each idea playing it. After I'm done I play it all by memory. I can't sight-read with the correct tempo, is there any book of exercises or something that I can do to gain the skill?
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Joined: Jan 2006
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There are quite a lot of books of progressive studies. Have a look on Amazon for sight reading books. My advice would just be get your hands on as much sheet music as you can, even old, battered stuff that you would never want to play from junk yard sales or whatever, and just try to play a bit every day. It doesn't matter if the music is beyond you at this stage, or even if its too easy for you. Just pick up a page of music and sight read it as best as you can. Even if you miss out loads of notes, or you find yourself just playing the right hand slowly. Try to keep the pulse steady, at whatever speed you choose. Read, read, read, as often as you can.
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Joined: Apr 2011
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I would like the emphasize the importance of "keeping the pulse steady." When you're just sight reading for practice, it's easy to go at whatever pace at which you can hit all the notes, slower for harder parts, faster for easier. This is BAD, it is much better leave notes out entirely and play at a uniform tempo. I know this from a lot of experience doing it the wrong way.
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Joined: May 2001
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Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
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Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
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Just asking how did you archieve the skill of sight-reading? I normally read the score, then divide it by the ideas and memorize each idea playing it. After I'm done I play it all by memory. I can't sight-read with the correct tempo, is there any book of exercises or something that I can do to gain the skill? I'm not sure how your technique of memorizing sections helps in acquiring the skill of sight reading. Sight reading involves playing music that you have never seen before; once you start studying it and memorizing it, you're no longer involved in sight reading but in learning and in memorizing. The best way to learn to sight read is to do it. As has been suggested, get your hands on as much music as you can - slightly below your own level is best - and just read through it making every effort to keep a steady tempo. There are some techniques to use to improve your sight-reading skills : - before you start, check and keep in mind the key signature - before you start, check and keep in mind the time signature - before you start, check and keep in mind the tempo designation - scan through the piece to look for accidentals, changes of key, changes of tempo, repeat signs In other words, before you start playing you should have an idea of what's coming. Learn to read ahead of what you are playing by a few beats, so that nothing comes as a surprise. It sounds challenging, but it will come with practice. One sure-fire technique that will really enhance your sight-reading skills is to get involved in accompanying. Invariably some instrumentalist or singer will throw some music at you that you haven't had time to practice and will ask you to accompany him/her. Since s/he knows the music and will play it at tempo, s/he will expect you to keep up. It's a baptism by fire, but it works! The more you do it, the better you become. I've been told I'm a very good sight-reader and it's because I've been doing accompanying regularly for a number of years, often performing pieces on relatively short notice. I had to sight-read two accompaniments at an informal recital a couple of weeks ago, because the rehearsed accompanist was taken ill, and both pieces went off without a hitch. The best sight-reading technique of all is : do it! Regards,
BruceD - - - - - Estonia 190
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Joined: Oct 2010
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Sometimes, if my friends ask me to do a quick, impromptu accompaniment, I sight read what I can and improvise the rest... Also, as what Bruce said, be sure you check key/time signatures before you dive into sight reading. As I know from experience there's nothing more embarrassing at an audition than sight reading in the wrong key and then having to "patch up" your mistake...
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Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 17
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OP
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Joined: Jun 2011
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I'm not sure how your technique of memorizing sections helps in acquiring the skill og sight reading. Of course I don't pretend to be able to sight read by doing this lol, I'm just telling you how I learn the pieces because theres a piano teacher @ my school that play all the pieces I do but sight-reading and I have to study like a week for being able to play it properly, and I feel stupid Thanks for the advices!!
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Joined: Jun 2011
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Does anyone here know how to improve sight reading uneven patterns? I can sight read even patterns easily (such as combinations of quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes) but I have a slight problem reading uneven patterns - such as a dotted eighth plus a sixteenth note followed by another uneven pattern.
I would like to learn this to understand jazz music better (I am a classical pianist).
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 72
Full Member
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I normally read the score, then divide it by the ideas and memorize each idea playing it. After I'm done I play it all by memory. That's pretty impressive- memorizing that fast? But ...sight-reading by memory is kind of defeating the purpose; you get to look at the score right? If it helps though, by all means, keep doing it! And sight reading is more of a "how well you can play it the first time through." Right, Bruce had good pointers, you know, make sure you look over the entire piece before you start. If the sight reading is part of a competition and there's a time limit you may as well take up all the time you can...Check the time signature, scan the dynamics, look for changes in time signature (that can be deadly), and don't start too fast! Oh and don't stop if you make a mistake, just keep going and ignore it. Daily practicing doesn't hurt either; you can just grab some of your old books you haven't played in years, as in beginners books of simple songs, etc.
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 95
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Three years ago my son couldn't sight read at all, then he got a new teacher that wouldn't let her students play anything that they couldn't sight read (at slow speed). Every piece had to be played with both hands together with the metronome at a slow enough speed so that they could played with no more than 2 mistakes per page, and gradually they would increase the metronome speed until they could play it at full speed. My son was at about the middle of intermediate level and had to go back to the beginning of intermediate. Now he is sight reading Beethoven sonatas, etc. and sight reads new material for enjoyment.
Last edited by Kimsie; 06/12/11 04:14 PM.
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