In Libretto 2003:3 our Chief Examiner, Clara Taylor, asked readers to share experiences and ideas on sight reading:

Why not continue the debate here...

QUOTE

The frequent response to this moment in the exam is anxious resignation but sometimes we also hear “Oh no, I’m no good at this”. I’ve yet to hear a candidate say “Hurrah, this is my favourite part”. Sight-reading is a necessary musical skill that takes time to establish. Few early grade candidates are confident readers but most do pass,with more successful results as the grades progress. During the preparation time some candidates count out loud while they try to find the notes, and some clap the rhythm. This half minute is a wonderful chance to register the time signature, the key, to play as much as possible (certainly any awkward corners) and to check the last few notes for a safe ending. Unfortunately many candidates just gaze blankly at the test despite the examiner’s suggestion to try it out. It’s all to do with processing the musical information within the time frame and producing a reasonable number of correct sounds. If there were to be five minutes between each note nearly all candidates would be able to position their fingers or voices accurately. It’s the pressure of finding the patterns within the rhythm that is scary, and the teacher’s encouragement to “keep going, keep going” may be a further distraction, although keeping the momentum is, of course, one of the main aims of the exercise. The more sensitive pupils hate to make mistakes and find it hard not to go back and correct them. It takes a strong sense of priority to be able to put the rhythm first, remembering that the next note is always more important than the last. On a positive note, it is possible to learn to become a good sightreader, and it’s one of the most enabling skills that we can give to our pupils. I’m sure many teachers will have suggestions to share on this emotive subject so please write or email to Forum.

Personally, I feel that I'm lucky enough not to have serious problems with sight reading. I usually score about 18 to 19 for sight reading, which is fairly good I suppose. As what Clara Taylor has mentioned, sight reading can be scary at times, but with enough practice, I'm sure it can be done. One question though. For the higher grades, especially Grade 8, where the extracts for sight reading are unusually, is it possible NOT to follow the speed markings and yet score a distinction for sight reading? I've done only about 2 sight reading tests for Grade 8, one was ok, since it was Adagio and I used the pedal to overcome fingering problems, but the other one was horribly played. It was classical in style, the speed marking was Vivace and I had problems trying to switch positions with my right hand, thus my phrasing was horrible. What exactly is most important? Notes? Phrasing? Or what else?

I don't think that anyone would think it reasonable to expect someone to play a piece at full speed that they have never seen before and get every detail. Perhaps the most important thing of all is to have a nice, steady pulse because without a heartbeat music is dead.

I was always told that to make the tempo just a fraction more relaxed than you would expect to perform the piece was acceptable.

I think the most important thing for sight reading to get correct is the rhythm. Apparently in Grade 1, you can pass the sight reading by just playing the rhythm on one note! Sight reading isn't my strength but sometimes i just flip through any music book, pick a random piece and treat it like a sight reading test!

it is possible to learn to become a good sightreader

Living proof!! :


I've recently got a new piano teacher who is SO wonderful. Before my other teachers used to look on sight-reading as just a hit-or-miss thing so I didn't know anything about it. I couldn't count properly I couldn't work out cords I was on grade 4 but I could hardly do grade one sight reading proprely!! My new teacher taught me all the basics again and it just clicked. I am really quite confident with sight-reading now and it's not a place where I will loose many marks (I hope!!!) This sight reading help has really helped me with all other aspects of music too.

xx L xx

I must admit I think that the Guildhall exams sight reading is SO much better than ABRSM! First time through the student claps/says the rhythm - then second time through they play. Such a good idea!

Yes it is possible to be able to sight read well, my sight reading used to be really awful but now that I play so much more differetn music, my sight reading has improved without me noticing! my teacher commented that my sight reading was better at my last lesson, when I played a piece which was marked allegro, all the way through wothout any major mistakes!!yay!!
I would never have been able to do that before!!

I do find sight reading a lot easier for clarinet than piano, obviously because I only have to read from 1 stave for clarinet!!

Nat

just something i forgot to add!! violincjj- yes the guildhall sight reading exams seem like a good idea!!!

Nat

QUOTE (leasalonga @ Mar 3 2004, 10:51 PM)

it is possible to learn to become a good sightreader Living proof!! : I've recently got a new piano teacher who is SO wonderful. Before my other teachers used to look on sight-reading as just a hit-or-miss thing so I didn't know anything about it. I couldn't count properly I couldn't work out cords I was on grade 4 but I could hardly do grade one sight reading proprely!! My new teacher taught me all the basics again and it just clicked. I am really quite confident with sight-reading now and it's not a place where I will loose many marks (I hope!!!) This sight reading help has really helped me with all other aspects of music too. xx L xx

I agree. It depends on the teacher and your learning abilities.

Normally I'm OK at sight reading but recently when I took my grade 7 piano exam I got extremely nervous and just stared at the first bar for about 25 of the 30 allocated seconds. Oops. So it really was SIGHT reading! I then played it much, much too fast and ended up missing 90% of the left hand notes because there was quite a big range. About half way through I thought "Oh no, I'm going to fail it anyway so I might as well fail with feeling" and did as much in the way as OTT dynamics and articulation, rubato, etc. as possible- and got 18/21!! Not bad for the way it sounded- just goes to show it's always possible to save a hopeless sight-reading with a bit of expression!

QUOTE

First time through the student claps/says the rhythm - then second time through they play. Such a good idea!

There was a time when they had to do this for ABRSM. Can't remember when it was....about 10 years ago??? Or was it that you had to clap a passage. I really can't remember. It was only mentioned in the syllabus for a couple of years...I think

That's a bit of a vague message isn't it. I'm sure they had to do it at one time anyway

My teacher puts us on the next grade for sight reading, so if we were doing grade 6 piano we would work through the grade 7 sight reading book, this means that when it gets to the exam the sight reading is easier than what you are used to and i normally score about 19 out of 21.

ooo sight reading!

i love sight reading!

it's true that if you play more variety of pieces, your sight reading will improve..

you like sight reading??????!!!

i dont mind it on the clarinet or sax, because its only one line, but i hate it for piano! my teacher makes me do loads coz im so bad but in my grade 4 exam ive just taken i actually found the sight reading quite easy so hopefully i will have passed that section. maybe im finally gettin better!

Since one of the things I most enjoy is playing a new piece for the first time, I sightread a lot on all my instruments. I think it's very important to having fun while playign music

lol i like sight reading for flute

NOT piano ...!

when i sight read piano, my pace is extremely slow...

and i mean REALLY SLOW LOL

QUOTE (missfabflute @ Jul 27 2004, 05:31 PM)

NOT piano ...! when i sight read piano, my pace is extremely slow... and i mean REALLY SLOW LOL

same here then!lol

me too

I think that sight reading is really good for practising and playing at home but I don't think it should be part of exams, but I suppose it depends on your instrument.
I have ALWAYS got full marks for sight reading on my flut but when I took my 1st Clarinet exam (grade5) I got an AWFUL mark...and I mean really really bad.
Alex
xxxx

although i dont particularly like sight reading, i think that it should be part of exams as its important to be able to sight read.

i was told for piano that i couldnt sight read but i got 19/21 for my grade 4 so maybe i can a bit!

I really enjoy sight-reading and am quite good at it, having had a lot of sightsinging experience. However, in recent cello exams, I played the sight reading piece with a steady pulse, accurate rhythm, a conscious attempt at dynamics and expression and only one or two small slips in the melody (it can be difficult to get the cello absolutely in tune when changing positions in an unknown piece) and was given 16 and 18 marks respectively. It made me wonder just how well one has to play to get a really good mark, given that very few players in real life ever have to play totally flawlessly at a first attempt. Are some examiners a bit mean here?

-

I don't think anyone can play flawlessly at first sight (for piano, esp. higher grades). But i found out that playing both hands together in sight reading is much-much easier than doing one each and then combining them. Can try spotting the sequence (acsending 2 notes a beat, a turn, a mordent etc), it'll be much easier than to take it whole, raw

Sight-reading should definitely not be taken out of exams in my opinion. It is extremely important to be good at sight-reading if you want to get anywhere in music. (True, nobody can play a piece flawlessly at sight - if you don't know the piece, you won't know its character or its feel and therefore won't put much emotion into it.) However, professional orchestral musicians are constantly being given new music - they won't have the time to spend learning how to play the notes; sometimes the BBC orchestras will be given a new piece at 10am and start recording at 10:10am.

One reading should be enough to get the feel of a piece. In my opinion the best players are those that can play a piece really well the second time they ever play it. I find this absolutely amazing and aspire to it myself!

I think the more you sight-read for fun the better you get at it for exams. Picking up random pieces and playing then through without worrying about hiting wrong notes here and there, just getting a sense of how it goes, can be good fun. Think of it as a stumble through with nothing at stake. It is a really important skill to have as a musician and belongs with exams.

Like a few others here, I quite enjoy sight-reading (though more singing than piano these days) and way back when, I scored 19 on both piano and singing grade 8. I do agree there are techniques that help - how you use the time for prep is crucial: look at time signature, key and other accidentals, main tempo markings, play/sing it in your head to get a sense of how it goes, notice any tricky fingerings, look at the words if that's relevant. Use the time so that when you start playing/singing, it's like you've already done it once before and you are not discovering anything new.

I try to sight read every new piece that comes my way. Sometimes I make a mess of it, sometimes not but I think it's important to try. Piano by the way.

QUOTE (Wyldbabi @ Dec 1 2004, 10:33 AM)

I try to sight read every new piece that comes my way.  Sometimes I make a mess of it, sometimes not but I think it's important to try.

Me too.

Sight reading is an important skill for any musician to develop. However my students constantly complain when they get to grades 6 - 8 and have to sight sing as well. I tend to agree with them, as singers at grade 6 must find the sight singing aural test much easier than a pianist or at least have a considerable advantage.

I'm confused - I sight-sang in my grade 4 exam. Not the rhythm but the notes.

It's not that hard if you've been taught well how to do it.

In Grade 4 aural, this is note pitching, within a very limited compass( I think a third above and below the key note) and no specified rhythm. It's a useful introduction to sight-singing - more of an interval recognition skill - but a glance at the specimen sight singing tests required for Grade 1 singers will show the vast difference of skill level needed. Additionally, in Grade 6 aural and above, the sight singing tests have a piano accompaniment, which often further confuses the struggling singers.
I can assure noodle that the majority of singers at all grades struggle with sight singing, and don't feel at any particular advantage at having TWO tests in one exam.

Helen

I think that the sight singing on the aural at grade 6 is the easiest one..
It is so much easier to get it right when supported by an accompaniment than just having to sing the melody(or notes) without any harmonic support.

QUOTE (sbhoa @ Feb 22 2005, 06:32 PM)

I think that the sight singing on the aural at grade 6 is the easiest one.. It is so much easier to get it right when supported by an accompaniment than just having to sing the melody(or notes) without any harmonic support.

That's true, and there are often scale passages or arpeggios in grade 6; whereas the tests in 4 and 5 are more 'random' (although in a restricted way...).

QUOTE (sbhoa @ Feb 22 2005, 06:32 PM)

I think that the sight singing on the aural at grade 6 is the easiest one..

lets keep my figers crossed then

I would agree - something with a recognisable tune is much easier to sight-sing than a series of random notes. Even though none of the intervals are very wide, it's just really hard to know whether you've gone wrong, which will then affect the rest of it. An arpeggiated passage does at least mean you have a fair idea of what it's supposed to sound like. And I wouldn't agree that it's "interval recognition" - there's a massive difference between recognising and interval that is played, and being able to reproduce intervals accurately from a bunch of loosely related notes.

I tend to agree that sight-reading is very important. Accompanists often have to play a piece of music (piano accompaniment) with little or no notice.
Sight-reading is pattern recognition. If one is familiar with scales and broken chords (and chords for keyboard players), sight-reading will become much easier. That's my personal experience anyway.

I think that sight reading is important, but I am very bad at it, and also wondering how the heck I'm going to pass the DipABRSM within the next few years.

hey i love sight readin, its cause i play in a couple of orchestras and brass groups its the best way to learn cause ur sight reading everytime you go 2 rehersal, nearly?

xo

Hi,

I have difficulty with sight reading. I managed to pass my GR7 but i flunk the sight-reading section. And for me, i really feel there's a need to improve it since i'm going to take my exam for GR8 very soon (This year). Although i hve been drilling my sight reading by trying out all differerent pieces, it is still weak. Rhythm! I tend to go off-beat when i started playing esp. if i dont know the note, then the whole pcs will be out of beat. What should i do? Great Problem!

Sigh,
LJL