Sight Reading - Forums

Forums Rules

A shortened version of the Forums Rules is given below. The full version can be found here.

By maintaining a user account and by posting to these forums, you hereby agree to abide by these rules.

FORUMS RULES - A SNAPSHOT
- Stay safe - protect your privacy and respect the privacy of others
- No abusive, offensive or aggressive postings
- No insults or personal attacks
- No foul language
- No trolling
- No inappropriate or illegal material
- No advertising (including "For Sale" or "Wanted" adverts)
- No crossposting
- No forum spamming
- No defamatory comments
- Avoid using jargon, abbreviations or "text talk"

Sight Reading, Methods for sight reading

Options

shaunthemusician	Oct 14 2010, 06:22 PM Post #1
Newbie Group: Members Posts: 24 Joined: 12-October 10 From: Birkenshaw , Uddingston Member No.: 137558	Hello. Whats the best way to practice sight reading ?

aesir22	Oct 14 2010, 06:38 PM Post #2
Prodigy Group: Members Posts: 1002 Joined: 30-August 09 From: Darlington Member No.: 74120	QUOTE(shaunthemusician @ Oct 14 2010, 07:22 PM) Hello. Whats the best way to practice sight reading ? By sight reading? Lol. A little every day, and PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE. Its not a skill you can develop over a few days or weeks. It can take far far longer but just persevere. I am not too great at it, but practice between 10 and 30 minutes every day when I am able to, which is most days. I can sight read a lot better than I used to be able to but not amazingly yet. Pick pieces that are achievable, not way above your skill level. Sight read anything you can get your hands on. Don't seek perfection - you should never go back and try to correct a mistake just keep going, always looking to the notes/s ahead of what you have played. Which instrument do you play? With piano I have learned I need to trust my hands to do what they should, rather than assuming they won't. Be patient with yourself and try to sight read when you are alert and eager. I don't think much learning takes place if your are tired or fed up.

TeacherNumberOne	Oct 14 2010, 06:44 PM Post #3
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 235 Joined: 14-September 10 Member No.: 129976	QUOTE(shaunthemusician @ Oct 14 2010, 07:22 PM) Hello. Whats the best way to practice sight reading ? Just keep playing lots of music which is new to you as much as possible. The more new music and the more you play it, the better you'll become. Just make sure it's stuff which stretches you at least a bit.

maggiemay	Oct 14 2010, 06:55 PM Post #4
Maestro Group: Members Posts: 18179 Joined: 12-January 04 From: S E England Member No.: 413	Don't just jump in and play. Prepare in your head first. Establish pulse; tap some of the rhythm. Look at key. Hands on keyboard first off is often not the best approach.

nicki_flute	Oct 14 2010, 08:55 PM Post #5
Maestro Group: Members Posts: 30004 Joined: 18-June 04 Member No.: 1532	Not necessarily practical, but playing duets (and I guess, any other ensemble) is useful for forcing you to keep going with sight-reading and is fun too!

Fran*Piano	Oct 14 2010, 09:48 PM Post #6
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 3445 Joined: 26-October 09 Member No.: 79153	QUOTE(aesir22 @ Oct 14 2010, 07:38 PM) QUOTE(shaunthemusician @ Oct 14 2010, 07:22 PM) Hello. Whats the best way to practice sight reading ? By sight reading? Lol. A little every day, and PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE. Its not a skill you can develop over a few days or weeks. It can take far far longer but just persevere. I am not too great at it, but practice between 10 and 30 minutes every day when I am able to, which is most days. I can sight read a lot better than I used to be able to but not amazingly yet. Pick pieces that are achievable, not way above your skill level. Sight read anything you can get your hands on. Don't seek perfection - you should never go back and try to correct a mistake just keep going, always looking to the notes/s ahead of what you have played. Which instrument do you play? With piano I have learned I need to trust my hands to do what they should, rather than assuming they won't. Be patient with yourself and try to sight read when you are alert and eager. I don't think much learning takes place if your are tired or fed up. I agree with all of this!! I'm rubbish at sight-reading (like seriously rubbish...) and it's purely a matter of practice, I'm afraid! Sight read EVERYTHING that you can get your hands on!

shaunthemusician	Oct 14 2010, 09:57 PM Post #7
Newbie Group: Members Posts: 24 Joined: 12-October 10 From: Birkenshaw , Uddingston Member No.: 137558	Thanks guys !! . Some great advice (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

muzikalbadger	Oct 14 2010, 09:59 PM Post #8
Prodigy Group: Members Posts: 1442 Joined: 18-May 09 From: Scotland Member No.: 65753	QUOTE(shaunthemusician @ Oct 14 2010, 10:57 PM) Thanks guys !! . Some great advice (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Shaun if you are who I think you are welcome to the wonderful world of the forums!!! (if your not - welcome anyway!)

muzikalbadger	Oct 14 2010, 10:20 PM Post #9
Prodigy Group: Members Posts: 1442 Joined: 18-May 09 From: Scotland Member No.: 65753	QUOTE(muzikalbadger @ Oct 14 2010, 10:59 PM) QUOTE(shaunthemusician @ Oct 14 2010, 10:57 PM) Thanks guys !! . Some great advice (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Shaun if you are who I think you are welcome to the wonderful world of the forums!!! (if your not - welcome anyway!) Ahaaaaa after some sleuthing (taking after stetenorve!) I have discovered you ARE who I think you are!!!! You CAN sightread!!!! And I KNOW you have been given good advice both here, and in your lessons so PRACTICE it lots!!!! lol..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) (and another scottish forum member for our event hopefully!!!)

Solari	Oct 15 2010, 06:57 AM Post #10
Unregistered	QUOTE(nicki_flute @ Oct 14 2010, 09:55 PM) Not necessarily practical, but playing duets (and I guess, any other ensemble) is useful for forcing you to keep going with sight-reading and is fun too! This - sometimes you'll amaze yourself, others you'll both collapse into laughter when everything becomes derailed... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

ChristopherO	Oct 15 2010, 07:02 AM Post #11
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 481 Joined: 20-September 10 From: a hamlet west of Worcester Member No.: 131265	This has been such a helpful thread - when we have a problem we tend to think we are the worst in that area. I always knew I was the worst sight reader on the planet, especially after hearing my teacher's very much younger pupils go where it is foreign land for me! I now know that I am not so special and that it is either because I just can't grasp it - or I don't really apply myself. In truth it's the latter and I have this extra advice and motivation to do more practice in this area. Thanks to all contributors.

Dulciana	Oct 15 2010, 07:56 AM Post #12
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 5718 Joined: 11-January 06 Member No.: 5811	QUOTE(nicki_flute @ Oct 14 2010, 09:55 PM) Not necessarily practical, but playing duets (and I guess, any other ensemble) is useful for forcing you to keep going with sight-reading and is fun too! Definitely the way to do it for the fastest results. Otherwise, put a metronome on at a tempo you can almost cope with for the excerpt you're sight reading (almost is an important word), and just keep going! Always be on the first beat of the bar at the right time, no matter what, and never look back!

SueHM	Oct 15 2010, 08:01 AM Post #13
Unregistered	Yep, there is no black magic involved, it is all about lots of exposure. I think it is worth playing music from as many different composers as you can, and thinking about the features of the music that are typical of the period eg Alberti Bass for classical period. Analysing the music in this way will help you to capture the general style of the music. Successful sight-reading is about so much more than just playing the right notes. Giving the music the right sort of sound and style is terribly important, and applying the sort of interpretive work to sight-reading that you do to your pieces will improve your sight-reading massively. Learn to pick out the most important notes - spot the harmonies and make sure that you get the main notes in even if you miss some of the details. Even if your bass line is reduced to tonic-dominant, that's better than no bass line at all and will enable you to keep going and deliver a reasonable outline of the piece.

randomsabreur	Oct 15 2010, 08:11 AM Post #14
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 313 Joined: 6-August 09 From: Shropshire - the empty bit! Member No.: 72272	Ensemble playing, duets, especially where you have someone else who can take charge of the pulse for you (conductor!). With a big ensemble, if the music is a bit hard, just play the notes on the beats of the bar if there are too many to sightread straight off or you're getting flustered, then you don't get behind and can keep up with where you need to be for when the easier bits come around. Duets where you can see the other part are also useful for finding your place when it's all gone wrong, but it can be tempting to cheat by listening rather than counting...

SueHM	Oct 15 2010, 08:14 AM Post #15
Unregistered	QUOTE(randomsabreur @ Oct 15 2010, 09:11 AM) Duets where you can see the other part are also useful for finding your place when it's all gone wrong, but it can be tempting to cheat by listening rather than counting... That's not cheating, it's musicianship!

« Next Oldest · Students · Next Newest »