Sightreading Problems?

[bummy33]

so exciting! I'm getting a piano on sunday (have taken lessons at college for about 3 years) so I wont' have to go the entire summer/weekends/holidays with out practicing lol... I think I will get those books! I'm kind of slow at sight reading.

[DougDrumUltimAPerry]

I got pretty good at sight reading by never practicing for my lessons! But i think you knew that ;)

[piano6861]

@DougDrumUltimAPerry Many have done that! But i would not recommend that!

[colfranz1278]

Hi Benita Rose! Thanks for the advice!

[piano50]

Thank you for addressing this.

[piano6861]

You are most welcome!

[piano50]

Yes, it is certainly a wonderful discussion topic! Thanks for posting this, Benita.

[piano50]

Excellent point!

[pyrioni]

Very good advice! I think piano students have one disadvantage - they can't join bands or orchestras! and pianist rely heavily on memorizing. I can't sightread well until I joined youth orchestra, after 5 months, I sightread easily and scored very high marks in music exams for sightreading. :)

[piano6861]

Congratulations on your progress! The more opportunity one has to sightread, the better one will be at it.

[jaimevieuxtemps]

So, Bonita, your answer is "Your kid doesn't understand Music Theory, and no kid ever wants to learn it because it's boring"

[McLellandPianoStudio]

My beginning level kids LOVED doing the "scary larry" of the TCL series (the skeleton with the landmarks) then relating up a 4th or 5th from all the landmarks etc. BEST way so far ... WAY better than "every good boy does fine". I also fine that tons and TONS of EVERY LESSON drilling of "rhythm raps" on the conga drum -- away from piano -- along with counting out loud -- has REALLY helped sight-reading. LOVE that CD (purchased from Music In Motion

[McLellandPianoStudio]

find

[McLellandPianoStudio]

i love having students "prescan" (playing the short sight reading example silently on tops of keys -- pre-planning/counting/analyzin­g etc.) before actually sight-playing. The Line-a-day by Bastien, and the flashcards for Alfred Premier method, and other sight-reading books are awesome. Can't get enough of the "chimes" either!!)

[DirectorJavaun]

dat could be your great great grandma!

[divvy1400yam600]

Why such an ignoramus as you needs to crawl out of the woodwork I dont know.

You are a low life moron .

[piapiapiapiano]

OMG this is me all over

[kwesi4ever]

Hello I love your answer Benita but I can't understand what book you recommend..yay have fun!

[mogemoets]

I found that a terrific means of "turning off one's ears" while learing to sight read---is to play a radio softly in the background---while practicing sight reading. Turning off my ears helps profoundly!

And yes-----Sight reading MUST be practiced every day for the skill to improve!

Martin

Organist and Choir Master

Irving, Texas

[williamjohn2007]

This is very helpful! We need to work on this, esp. my older son who is at the point where the pieces he is working on have become difficult for him to master. He could use a breather.

I am not a musician (at all!), but I take lessons and play just enough so that I can play my children's pieces. I "use the music" much better than them. I guess this is sight-reading. But I can not memorize a piece! Will emphasizing sight-reading compromise their ability to memorize? Does this matter?

[piano6861]

The answer to your first question is ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

[piano6861]

Sightreading ability does not compromise memorizing abiliy. Both must be developped. Perhaps you need to repeat your pieces more to develop tactile memory. You need to listen to yourself harder to develop aural memory. You need to study the score to develop visual memory. You need to intellectually memorize some difficult passages. Your son needs to practice some simpler music, keeping his eyes on the page. You see, everyone has something to work on!

[williamjohn2007]

Thank you! I can't see my comment, but I think you are reply to me. I appreciate it - we will all take you advice!

[sppe769]

I'm a piano student, . . I have favorite piano pieces that I desire to learn, but they are very hard, such as Rachmaninoff's Etude Tableau op.39 n.6, or Chopin's Etude op.10 n.4, or Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata op.27 n.2.

I know how to play each note in sight reading, it's the matter of time it takes me to play just one measure, if you know what I mean. Maybe you're right though, I'm probably not advanced enough to play these type of songs. I've only been playing for 2 years.

[piano6861]

sppe769- these pieces are certainly difficult to sightread. When the pieces are below your level, you will sightread them more fluently.

You are doing great for 2 yers study!!!

[piapiapiapiano]

This is basically what I did for my Chopin Fantasie Impromptu. I had just learned to translate sheet music into notes on the piano and i spent 10days translating and memorizing the piece, it was very long and tedious work. I learned my lesson though and I will wait until I advance more in piano skill before attempting chopin etude op10 no 4 even tho its my favourite piece =D

[lucylu1229]

Very helpful!! I was just at the level testing yesterday, and I made a huge mistake in transposition!! This will sure help both my sightreading and transposition in the future!! Thanks Benita :)

[piano6861]

You're welcome! I'm looking forward to hearing you some day!

[piano6861]

You're welcome!

[piano50]

Wonderful advice! Thank-you so much!

[RWAbacus]

What can I say? Until recently, I couldn't sightread my way out of a wet paper bag. I'm seemingly getting better (hopefully much better). I've done this by 'reading' simple things - things like hymns - or from repetoire that I could have learned a couple of years ago. Still, the thought of accompanying someone (or a choir) without seeing - and practising - beforehand still causes me a sense of panic. Maybe this will pass as I approach becoming a teenager!! Here's hoping. Great advice here.

[piano6861]

Hymns and simpler repertoire are great practice, and accompanying choirs without practice is excellent practice because your focus has to be so strong because of that pressure. Your church work will always keep you in great sightreading shape! So you have nothing to worry about!

[RWAbacus]

Something that I've noticed lately is that once I've played a simple piece - or a hymn, say - I've almost memorized it. It's getting so bad that I can play hundreds of hymns now by just 'knowing' them and with only casual reference to the physical notes. And now I'm adding to them too - especially minor seconds and other interesting bridges. I find it hard not to do this and I'm sure it's a very bad habit. I've started mentally transposing hymns up and down a semitone to get around this issue.

[piano6861]

This is not a bad thing at all; as long as you don't feel that you HAVE to memorize it because the notes are an obstacle. Force yourself to keep your eyes on the music and follow the notes. If you feel like you HAVE to memorize pieces instantly, it can be a problem because you may not instantly grasp everything on the page i.e. dynamics articulations, etc., and also because it makes it hard to make corrections. The book must always be your friend, and not your enemy.

[chad410]

I think it s making it a regular practuce in lessons and outsie. i find a term block of making them do from Paul harris books very beneficial. but thay have to want to commit. and letting them know that they will then be able to learn notes quicker of their favourite pieces. it is supposed to be a headache too,. then relax as it s mental. then as each day goes after a term you recognise patterns and notes quicker. The AB exams are tough on sight readin so this is another good reason alsoo

[pianogirl98]

Now I am happy that Vivian goes to piano competition only once a year! You are absolutely right about some students advanced too fast that their sightreading skills are not at the same level as the pieces they are learning. Thank you so much for your lessons and advises!

[jannokas85]

WoW, Benita, this is a superb lesson you've given here!!! Thank you so much for that.

Well...when i entered a music school i was thrust in the middle of the hardest of pieces which my teacher reckoned i was able to play with ease...but i knew i wasn't ready for them...i wish teacher would be more careful to realize that all good things come in time...they require practice!

[diKsuomynonA]

that's true. I realized that my sightreading skills didn't come to me for a long time. I knew so much, but yet, sight reading was the worst. I'm just now getting the hang of it.

[dinosaur521]

I never thought about it like that but it is true! Sight reading takes practice no matter what skill level! All great sight readers I know have taken over 10 years of piano! Thanks!

[edenmaze]

Because they are "BLIND"? :~D

I'm just joking.....

Could BEETHOVEN ever be transcribed to "BRAILE"

[hrumphga]

I will take Finale (or Sibelius) and do 4 to 8 mesure exercises and give them one or two EVERY lesson, before we actually get to prep, and then discard. Only once or maybe twice through. Although the method books are fine, I find I can tailor the exercise to each student's weak spot, just slightly more advanced than the students' abilities, this way.

[Ce1marSEM0Y]

Thanks, but I have to tell you I could and can never sight read unless I did or do not know the msic from a CD or so. Everything which I have heard, I can play easily with sheet music reading, but play reading the music as it goes from a sheet of paper, why should I? I can imporvize much easier ;-)

Greetings, Celmar

[piano6861]

Ce1marSEMOY- Reading music is important because it gives you a chance to INTERPRET the composer's music rather than someone else's interpretation.

[Ce1marSEM0Y]

That is okay. But I like my own music better ;-)

Greetings, Roland.

[piano6861]

Then that is fine!

[ThePianoStudio]

This has always been a big problem...! Especially for those students who are memorizers. I have come to the conclusion that my "best readers" are those who don't memorize as well. And those who do memorize easily, are often the "poorest readers."

Sometimes, I find that it is better not to have too many performances. The prep for these events keeps them from spending enough time on their reading.

And I really like the Dozen a Day books for this! Thanks for posting...♪

[pianopera]

I agree. You know the saying, "20% inspiration, 80% transpiration"...just work, work, work both on sightreading and memorizing!

[hrumphga]

I was always a momorizer, and my teacher's wold tear their hair out trying to get me to read. Persevere! Keep on them to read!

[piano6861]

ThePianoStudio- I have found that students mostly do not sightread on their own. For example, when I was a kid, I always went to the music store to purchase music to be practiced AFTER I finished practicing my assignment. Now I assign music to my students alongside other assignments for the sole purpose of keeping the reading going, because I know they won't go to the store looking for music to peruse.

[ThePianoStudio]

Oh-well you are right-they don't sightread on their own. Unless, of course- you count those who--upon arrival for their lesson-proceed to hack thru their assignment, and you know it's the first time they have even looked at their work.

I always make the same statement when ever this happens-"GREAT sightreading!" It usually takes a few times before they begin to realize that it's not a compliment.

But Hey--it's a whole new subject for a new video...which I would be GLAD to comment on!

[piano6861]

ThePianoStudio- Your comment made me smile! I know the type!!! I have some great sightreaders who did develop at their lesson only!!!

[piano6861]

As they do these easier sightreading materials, they need to be told to keep their eyes on the music at all times because the "memorizers" don't do that. They often memorize incorrectly, and have a hard time making corrections, because they have no dea where they are in the music.

[aawpiano2007]

Thank you for posting this short video! It's wonderful that you broaden your teaching to a much bigger scale so that we all can be benefited!

[piano6861]

aawpiano2007- It's a pleasure!

[TheIshter]

Thanks for the tips! I'll definitely need it.