i would just like to announce to everyone that i hate sight reading. i only hate it cos i cant do it!! I tend to just play pieces from memory. but does anyone know any tips to help me???

sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read and sight read

AND STOP LEARING EVERYTHIN FROM MEMORY!!!

QUOTE (clarinetlover @ Dec 21 2004, 02:02 PM)

sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read sight read and sight read AND STOP LEARING EVERYTHIN FROM MEMORY!!!

well thankyou for that it was very helpful

if you have a study book with loads of different pieces, choose ones that you haven't played before. if you have a friend of around the same standard as you, you could perhaps borrow a book off of them?

xxx
T

i hate sight reading too. I just try to pick up anything i find that i haven't played before. I was told the more i do it the easier it'll get - hope its true!

i bought her a book for xmas. the first thing she does? memorises a piece i give up lol!

QUOTE (clarinetlover @ Dec 21 2004, 02:26 PM)

i bought her a book for xmas. the first thing she does? memorises a piece i give up lol!

yeh thats only cos i played it alot. im sure if i sight read it a lot the tune would finally sink into my hollow head!! lol

but you dont even LOOK at the bloody music

QUOTE (clarinetlover @ Dec 21 2004, 02:29 PM)

but you dont even LOOK at the bloody music

ok ok ok you win
you have an answer to everthing. lol

i do indeed!!

Look for shapes, if the melody's going up play something within the key signature which goes up, and if the bass goes down do the same for that. And chords and their inversions nearly always look the same (I think!) no matter which key they're in, so if you can't read/play all the notes on the page you can make an educated guess!

Hi, sorry for interrupting the conversation. If you play everything too often and memorise it, that is good. I really like to memorise a bit more.

All you need to do is to play more variety of pieces. When I was a student, I played a series called Hours with Master and a thick green book called Favorites Piano Pieces for Children, it contains all varieties from Long long ago to The beautiful blue Danube, I end up quite good in sight reading.

Something strange happened recently, I start teaching a friend and I have to sight read quite a bit for aural. There is one extract of the pieces initially I find it very hard to play but when I realized 'Hey, I played that before!', all of the sudden I can play it very quickly.

QUOTE (tay774a @ Dec 21 2004, 02:10 PM)

if you have a study book with loads of different pieces, choose ones that you haven't played before. if you have a friend of around the same standard as you, you could perhaps borrow a book off of them? xxx T

Better still, get together with them and start sight-reading piano duets together. A trouble shared is a trouble halved. Who knows, you might even get to enjoy it! Start with the most ridiculously easy ones you can find (beg, borrow, steal...).

QUOTE

Start with the most ridiculously easy ones you can find

Actually that is the key to becoming a good sight reader..... if you're a grade 6 (for example) pianist and you try to sightread grade 6 pieces you're not going to manage it, start with really SERIOUSLY easy pieces, go through your first tutor books again, they'll be semi-sight reading because you'll have forgotten them, then work your way up from there. If you do have a freind who is the same standard as you, ask to borrow books from years ago, not their current ones. I recently had to teach a grade 7 student how to sight read, and although there are still some problems because she never did any repertoire other than her exam pieces with her old teacher, I started her on grade 3 sight reading books and she's just about handling the grade 7 now.

Go easy on yourself. Even if you can only manage to sight read a four bar tune written for just one hand, just go from there and work up!

I can't help but think Piano sightreading is harder... but then, its probably a differnt technique to sightreading just a melody. Doing duets is a good one, because you can't just stop, or go back and 'adjust' a note, like we all try to do! Although sightreading duets with someone better than you (ask Natalie! lol) is also a good idea, because then you don't get into a complete tangle with both of you having no idea what you're doing. I sued to do this a lot with my old teacher, though it giot a bit easier when she started pulling out the same pieces over and over because I could always remember how they went!

QUOTE ('*~ iluvpiano ~*' @ Dec 21 2004, 02:01 PM)

i would just like to announce to everyone that i hate sight reading. i only hate it cos i cant do it!! I tend to just play pieces from memory. but does anyone know any tips to help me???

i am the opposite i cant remember anything from memory but when i get the music i cant stop!

my advice is just sight resd really easystuff and it will get better trust me iv got full marks in it up 2 grade 5

I tend to think that not actually playing the music helps when you get that 30secs during the exam. Just look at the notes and the way they move around and just play the bits that look difficult. It's better to be mediocore throughout the whole piece than good at some bits and ###### at the other parts.

How do you learn your pieces at the start?
Try to learn them from the page rather than from listening to them first.
Only listen AFTER you have learnt from the written music.
Then you will need to become more efficient at reading or it will take you forever to learn anything.

Which part is most difficult? How quickly can you recite the note names from the written page?
If your note regognition is poor then try to get someone to test you often.
If you have trouble with rhythm then practice clapping or tapping out the rhythm.

thnx evry1!!!!

QUOTE (sbhoa @ Dec 22 2004, 06:20 PM)

Which part is most difficult? How quickly can you recite the note names from the written page?

not very

I also tend to do loads from memory too is that a bad thing? i hope not.. lol

I don't like sight reading either its just boring and i get completely confused and lost which dosen't really help if im in an exam or something argh,

i love your signature anna!!!! pizzzzza!!!!

QUOTE (BabyBanana @ Dec 23 2004, 11:33 AM)

I also tend to do loads from memory too is that a bad thing? i hope not.. lol I don't like sight reading either its just boring and i get completely confused and lost which dosen't really help if im in an exam or something argh,

yey someone who understands how bloody frustrating it is!!

Believe me - practice it every day. It DOES get better....