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Author Topic: Sightreading  (Read 2816 times)

Offline 2octaves

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Sightreading
« on: July 10, 2003, 02:48:19 AM »
Hi Guys
Here is a website for some sightreading training.
http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~harlow/piano/index.html
And another one with a Software program to help you in sight reading.
http://www.bykeyword.com/pages/detail8/download-8553.html

Sight Reading at the piano is 500 times
more difficult than sight reading for a
horn player such as the clarinet, or trumpet.
 
The piano player has to read and coordinate
left and right hands simultaneously.  It is very
difficult.
 
Sight reading is the ability to pick up a piece of
music that you have never seen and just play it.
 
Most piano teachers do not emphasize sight reading
studies.  They simply have their students to work
on certain "pieces" with the goal of playing the musical
"piece" perfectly.  And most of this energy is directed
toward performing in a recital.
 
Sight reading is a great skill, with great pay off, if you can
attain it.  Most piano hobbyist simply learn a piece note by
note until they have it perfected.  This is time consuming.
If you can learn to sight read then you have greater acess to
to a lot of music that you would otherwise not be able to play.
 
Learning to sight read is a special skill all of its own that requires
a total different approach to your daily playing.  Here is the basic
plan:  
 
Pick out two pages of piano music that appears to be at your level.  
Carefully look at the two pages to get a general idea of what to expect.
Count out loud or use a metronome to help you keep the beat.
No matter what happens, keep your eyes on the music, no matter how many wrong notes you hit.
The idea is to get through the music with no stopping, no hesitation, just steady as it goes, mo matter what.
Play the song super slow.
Here's the trick to sight reading.  Just play the two pages one time only.  That's it.  Put it down.  Don't go
back and try to work it out.  It's over.  That's it.  
On the next day, get a another brand new 2 pages of music and do the same thing.
So, everyday you play something that you have never seen before and you should never repeat the music.  Make sure the music that you are using to help you to become a good sight reader is at your basic level.
 
John Axsom
green@wireweb.net

Just a lesson from one of the keyboard sites.

Enjoy
Mike

Offline RobT

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Sightreading
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2003, 09:54:33 AM »
Thanks for the tip. It can sometimes be frustrating when you can't find piano instructors who'll focus on things like this.
RobT

Offline DJpaps

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Sightreading
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2005, 06:42:16 PM »
thanks for the tips , i've found the advise and the websites very helpful, just started sight reading for piano.

God bless

Offline playhear

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Re: Sightreading
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2005, 10:51:02 AM »
Quote from: 2octaves

Pick out two pages of piano music that appears to be at your level.  
Carefully look at the two pages to get a general idea of what to expect.
Count out loud or use a metronome to help you keep the beat.
No matter what happens, keep your eyes on the music, no matter how many wrong notes you hit.
The idea is to get through the music with no stopping, no hesitation, just steady as it goes, mo matter what.
Play the song super slow.
Here's the trick to sight reading.  Just play the two pages one time only.  That's it.  Put it down.  Don't go
back and try to work it out.  It's over.  That's it.  
On the next day, get a another brand new 2 pages of music and do the same thing.
So, everyday you play something that you have never seen before and you should never repeat the music.  Make sure the music that you are using to help you to become a good sight reader is at your basic level.


Wow, that's good stuff man. I've never heard that before. I'd love to be able to sight read. I have a few jazz books with hundreds of songs. I can only play about 7.  :(  I'd love to be able to pick it up and just go at it. Man, that would be a dream. I have a book that's written in lead sheet format, which is intended to make sight reading a lot easier for piano.

Offline playhear

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Sightreading
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2005, 10:53:25 AM »
By the way, how is that technique you described working out for you.
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