right, when i am playing a piece that i have to learn, i tend to memorise it but when i try and play along to the notes my eyes just trail off the paper and i end up playing from memory,

its soo annoying!! what can i do!?!

I wish I had your memory!

One thing you could try (and I'm no expert here, but it's just a thought) is to not just read the notes, but read ALL the information on the score. Take note of the performance directions, the overall phrasing etc. That way you'll be getting more from it, your performance will improve as a result, and when you do get to the point of playing it from memory you'll have taken in as much as possible that the composer is telling you.

Does that make sense?

Amber
x

Good to have a memory like that...
But you may want to try to play lots of music you haven't learnt yet to help to build you reading skills. Even if you memorise well good reading skills will help you to actually do the learning more efficiently as well as make you able to pick up and play whatever you want.
If you let your memorising skills stop you from reading much music now it will only get harder to catch up later.

That's exactly what I get. Just now actually, I played Fur Elise, but I tried reading it. I forgot the repeat and just carried on acciedentally. Perhaps then I should take Amber's advice....

QUOTE

right, when i am playing a piece that i have to learn, i tend to memorise it but when i try and play along to the notes my eyes just trail off the paper and i end up playing from memory,

The main key here is to memorise it really well right from the beginning of learning it. A really good way of doing this is to read it away from the piano so you do take note of everything, chord progressions and performance directions etc. Then you won't have to worry about losing the music half way through because it is only part memorised.

HOWEVER, you should also practise a fresh piece of sight reading each day at a suitable SR level with your regular practise to really build on your reading skills.

Hope that helps

QUOTE ('*~ iluvpiano ~*' @ Feb 17 2005, 06:08 PM)

right, when i am playing a piece that i have to learn, i tend to memorise it but when i try and play along to the notes my eyes just trail off the paper and i end up playing from memory, its soo annoying!! what can i do!?!

yea i have the same problem i depend on memorization because my sight reading sucks

QUOTE ('*~ iluvpiano ~*' @ Feb 17 2005, 06:08 PM)

right, when i am playing a piece that i have to learn, i tend to memorise it but when i try and play along to the notes my eyes just trail off the paper and i end up playing from memory,

stop listening to me play and then going home and figuring them out. find your own pieces and dont play them over and over, so lots of different things.

............................how many times have i said that...................................................

QUOTE (ConcertPianist @ Feb 17 2005, 07:57 PM)

yea i have the same problem i depend on memorization because my sight reading sucks

me too!! lol

QUOTE (uberzoldat @ Feb 17 2005, 09:13 PM)

QUOTE (ConcertPianist @ Feb 17 2005, 07:57 PM) yea i have the same problem i depend on memorization because my sight reading sucks me too!! lol

but remember we are doing a swap/swop however u spell it!!

oh yeah, what a relief!!

now i am going to pass aurals for a change!

and i can pass sight reading!! yay. (i started the trend of getting 13 from grade 4)

i got 19 for grade 4

yeah rub it in

hehe! i hope i dont fail my own grade 6 sightreadin and pass yours!

what do you mean you hope you dont pass mine!!???

well i would rather pass mine than yours LOL

but im sure i will get a horrible one for mine and nice easy one for urs!

yeah thatd be right!


and it will be a really difficult period of music question for your aural.

QUOTE (uberzoldat @ Feb 17 2005, 09:53 PM)

and it will be a really difficult period of music question for your aural.

it doesnt have to be difficult- i still wont get it right!

im still waiting for a Mozart piece to come up and then i think i will dance around the room!

......and then he'll think im strange

QUOTE (clarinetlover @ Feb 17 2005, 09:58 PM)

QUOTE (uberzoldat @ Feb 17 2005, 09:53 PM) and it will be a really difficult period of music question for your aural. it doesnt have to be difficult- i still wont get it right! im still waiting for a Mozart piece to come up and then i think i will dance around the room! ......and then he'll think im strange

And it will be mentioned in Clara Taylor's report about strange happenings in exams in Libretto!

it'd be great to be in that lol...!!!

Natalie, I had a really easy sight reading test in my grade 6.. G major with few accidentals and straightforward rhythm.

thats hope i get that then!

QUOTE (uberzoldat @ Feb 17 2005, 09:13 PM)

QUOTE (ConcertPianist @ Feb 17 2005, 07:57 PM) yea i have the same problem i depend on memorization because my sight reading sucks me too!! lol

wow loadsa people seem 2 have that problem......................

so im not weird then lol

QUOTE ('*~ iluvpiano ~*' @ Feb 18 2005, 10:00 PM)

so im not weird then lol

well................................

LOL!! dont worry ive heard it all before!

i get that too ! i think its because i do lots of jazz and listening to recordings and playing along with them without music when i get so music it all goes horribly wrong!

annoyingly strange innnit??

its not strange for you jess. the reason you do it is because you are nto a brilliant reader of music so the easiest way for you to learn things is by memory so thats what you do. now you've got into a habit of doing it and its hard to get out of.

you try to play pieces that are often too hard for you, so you dont want to read the music, because you wouldnt have aclue, its easier if someone palys it and you remember it.

QUOTE (clarinetlover @ Feb 18 2005, 10:26 PM)

its not strange for you jess. the reason you do it is because you are nto a brilliant reader of music so the easiest way for you to learn things is by memory so thats what you do. now you've got into a habit of doing it and its hard to get out of. you try to play pieces that are often too hard for you, so you dont want to read the music, because you wouldnt have aclue, its easier if someone palys it and you remember it.

i actually played along to le onde yesterday instead of from memory an even corrected some notes!! go me! lol

erm wow, after playing it for 6 months i would kind of expect you to know when you went wrong

erm *ahem* when i played along to it at your house you sed to me "look at the left hand you just played along to what you thought it was and you wasnt actually reading the notes so you sisnt know that you went wrong so thats how i can tell that your not sight reading it"

well yesterday i played it very slowly so i could see if i made a mistake on the paper and i did a few times because somewhere in the middle of it the left hand is actually different so i played it like it sed an i am just tellin u this because i am proud of meself lol

QUOTE ('*~ iluvpiano ~*' @ Feb 18 2005, 10:37 PM)

erm *ahem* when i played along to it at your house you sed to me "look at the left hand you just played along to what you thought it was and you wasnt actually reading the notes so you sisnt know that you went wrong so thats how i can tell that your not sight reading it"

yes i said that!

my point is..........nev ermind, i'll be here all night explaining only for it to go in one ear and out the other

ha ha that was actually quite funni lol

QUOTE ('*~ iluvpiano ~*' @ Feb 18 2005, 10:44 PM)

ha ha that was actually quite funni lol

but its actually true

no its not i do listen but i just never have a comment

Why not get a piece that you have never heard and try to learn it withough anyone playing any of it to you? Then you will be forced to learn it from the notation.

hhhmmmmmmm......good idea, ill get some of my books out later cos there are still loads of pieces that i have even looked at yet lol!

HELLO?!? If you can play from memory, then that's great! I play from memory and everyone always tells me how clever I am, so if you can you could be on the way to loadsa compliments!!!!!

yes, it's great to be able to play from memory, but not at the expense of actually being able to play from music/sight-read

QUOTE ('*~ iluvpiano ~*' @ Feb 17 2005, 06:08 PM)

right, when i am playing a piece that i have to learn, i tend to memorise it but when i try and play along to the notes my eyes just trail off the paper and i end up playing from memory, its soo annoying!! what can i do!?!

I do the same, all I can say is focus really hard on what your playing. Soz I cant give you any better advice.

QUOTE (ratzrule @ Feb 20 2005, 12:12 PM)

HELLO?!? If you can play from memory, then that's great! I play from memory and everyone always tells me how clever I am, so if you can you could be on the way to loadsa compliments!!!!!

kool!!!

I agree with you, ratzrule. I do that all the time too. Actually it is quite useful when your mum ask you to stop watching television. I can play the piano and watch tele at the same time. I hope my mum does not found out about that............

lol

It really depends on what you want to be able to do.
Are you happy that you can learn by listening and copying other people or do you want to be able to pick up music you have not heard and work it out for yourself?

It sounds as though up to now you have been content to be able to copy and learn... but maybe are wondering if this is enough for you?

do you still want to be a music teacher jess?