sight reading

[mojohk]

Hi there

I'll have to admit that my weakest point is sight reading.  I know it's always look ahead, look ahead, but if anybody can give me any more tips, I'd really appreciate it.  I also have a question:  do you read up and down, as in both hands at a time, or do you read the left and right hand lines seperately and put them together?  Thanx.

[Diabolos]

Hi there.

Well, I know quite a few people who are playing an instrument well but are barely able to sight read, so you're not alone

I normally read both hands (if there are only two) at a time, but since I often read and analyzed orchestra scores at school I can read those at one time, too.
But there are a few tricks that make it easier, like remembering the harmonies, how they sound, remember the movements of a long run (like up-down-up-up etc.), marking them or just learn about the composers way of writing.

But don't worry, you'll get into sight reading, at some point it'll be a piece of cake, believe me.

so good luck to your studies!

[Mandy]

I think you can definately teach yourself to sight read better.  There is a method that I have used and encouraged my students to do which worked wonders.  You start out by reading some super easy books-like even the primer method books....anytime you make mistake on a page you go immediately on to the next page....work your way up through the levels until you hit the harder rep-pick a book (beethoven sonatas worked well for me) and do the same thing.  The trick is to try and get yourself to stay on a page as long as possible.  It really helps to start out so easy because you aren't stressing out about it.  

Remember, you don't need to sight-read as fast as the piece would normally go-take your time and if you miss a few notes here and there don't worry about it-the idea is to get what it sounds like and roughly how the piece works.

Good luck!

[Ludwig]

I actually enjoy some harder pieces for sight reading... I look at the score vertically, slowly, try to get the bass and the treble (outter parts) right, if there are more than 2 notes at a time. Read ahead (:p) and also do a lot of them, start from easy to difficult like Mandy said, and also don't be afraid of wrong notes, just keep on going, its worse to dwell on an augmented 5th + dimished 10th flattened 2nd german 6th dominant chord... keep on going... yep, that's about it.

[dinosaurtales]

Boy am I relieved that I am the only one who has trouble sight reading.  It didn't used to be this way - I used to be great at it, but it's the one thing I truly "lost" in my adult years.  I like Mandy's suggestion- I had never thought of pulling out really easy stuff and doing her "game" - thanks for the tip! I'll certainly try it!

[cleoc]

I am sure just practicing sight reading will improve your ability but I also think it is such a complex task that to become a good sight reader you need to develope in all aspects as a musician. Not only you have to have the technic to play the music without practicing difficult passages first but you need a great ability to analyse the score to immedeately understand the composition. Good aural skills is also important as a complement.

[rachfan]

When you sight read, first get the general picture.  Look at the key signature, time, structure, figuration of the piece, etc.  Then (sorry), look ahead.  You only need to be one measure ahead, actually.  Be processing that mentally while you are playing what you just saw in the preceding measure.  Usually, it is easiest to take in the notes, while the rhythm tends to be less accurate for many at first reading.  Don't let that stop you--keep going regardless.  A way to improve over time is to reserve about 10 minutes of each practice session for sight reading.  Take any piece at a lower level than your normal performance level and read a couple of pages of it straight through.  Keep at it, as it doesn't happen overnight.  Also, take comfort in the fact that there are some virtuosos out there who are mediocre or poor sight readers.  

[natasha]

i get REALLY frustated when I cant sightread something properely, and it just makes me play more and more mistakes. it makes mi hands quite tense and stiff. how can i stop this?
natasha

[amee]

Natasha,

I know what you mean by getting put off by wrong notes.  But the thing to remember is, when you sight-read, you cannot stop.  No matter how many wrong notes you press, go on and forget they ever happened.

[lea]

i used 2 be hopeless until i joined an orchestra, and now im  in heaps of "musical" groups and mi sightreading is really good.

get a sightreading book and start off with grade one, and when u r confident go onto the next level(grade 2) and so on.

i am always scrambled with mi timing, it is important to not play it slow unless it specifies, as then u can go totally off beat

[amee]

A good way to become quick at sight-reading is to read and play by sight as much and as fast as possible.  

[natasha]

thanx amee u have sum really gud suggestions!! mi sightreading has improved!!
natasha

[frederic]

A good way improve sight reading is to get a fairly diffcult piece, turn your metronome onto a suitable speed (Not too slow), and just play the first beat of each bar (or measure, for you americans out there). When you play that beat your eye should not look at the other notes in that bar and go straight to the next bar and play the first beat of that bar. You should do this the whole way through the piece. Then when you've done that play it again but fill in the rest of the notes.

Another way to improve sight reading is to play it very slowly.

Also if you find it too diffcult to sight read a hard piece, just sight read one hand. Whats the point if you sight read it but stop all the time?

[amee]

Also, identify your weak points in sight-reading.  For example, if you find high notes really hard to sight-read, then find a piece with lots of high notes and sight-read that.  

[natasha]

thanx amee and freddy

[chopinetta]

my brother has read some "teaching yourself better sightreading thing stuff" it said first you should start reading with pieces that are 1-2 levels under your current one. then proceed to the current level and then higher levels!

i suggest practice with easy pieces and first and do what amee said.

[tempest-Sonata]

just follow the idea of rachfan but for me i dont read advance.
i just keep reading but i admit im a poor sight reader too but not so poor.
anyway i dont want to play a piece with out practicing it.
i will do it soon when i become a teacher.
for now im worried in finishing my repertoire.
finishing it requires sight reading too

[janus_007]

I sight reading the same as note reading ??

Or could someone explain me the definition  

Regards

[amee]

Sight-reading is when you play a piece for the first time and are consequently playing by sight.

[dj]

im absolutely horrible at sight reading. i don't know if i will ever regret this or if i will get better at it someday but all i can say is that right now, im absolutely horrible at sight reading  

[pianobaron88]

My teacher recommends for sight reading practice that one plays previous pieces.  Also, he prescribes any Schubert album for excellent practice.  I personally would like to recommend in addition to the two above, purchasing the conductor/piano score to West Side Story and sight reading that.  Hope that helps...

[Franz_Liszt]

 IMO, sight reading is best developed by reading at a tempo where every thing can be made perfect. It is much like memory, so just use the techniques for memorizing and apply it to sight reading. It is much better to practice sight reading 10 minutes a day than 4 hours in one day once every two weeks, although the latter adds up to more time. Just like playing a repertoire piece, sight reading needs conditioning, and a break of considerable or even moderate length from practice of it can stunt growth remarkably.

[BoliverAllmon]

This topic got me thinking. I believe that everyone tends to loose their concentration of a piece at a certain time. Would it not be better stop this lack of concentration and work on some sight-reading? I would think so. It would help prevent loosing all concentration from the piano (like it would if I was to take a complete break). Then after 10-15 min. continue on your repertoire work. What do you think?

Boliver Allmon

[bachopoven]

Sight reading ability in my opinion is a very invaluable asset in piano playing. Most advanced people tend to advise sight reading much less that they should to a beginner.

Most advanced pianists seem to assume we can all read efficiently. So like me, most are misguided to the habbit of learning technique before we can even read.

What happens then is that we spend enormous amount of time going back and forth between the keyboard and the sheet music since we can't read well and can't keep our eyes on the score.

Whereas if a beginner first learns to read first, he can read the score quickly away from the piano, then sight read it at the piano, familiarize himself with the piece a few times, then go to the technique part away from the score.

I have learned this fact late. But now I am on the right track and now I find myslef learning three times more pieces than before all because I have taken my time to learn to read fast first.

Sight reading is to be learned first. It's invaluable and should proceed everything as a beginner.

[bachopoven]

Sight reading can also be learning the notes of a piece AWAY from the piano, without playing it.  Alfred books for beginners suggest to name or call out notes without playing them, and they call these sections SIGHT READING. So it goes both ways, as I understand it, with and away from the piano.

[bachopoven]

Sight reading can also be learning the notes of a piece AWAY from the piano, without playing them.  Alfred books for beginners suggest to name or call out notes without playing them, and they call these sections SIGHT READING. So it goes both ways, as I understand it, with and away from the piano.

[bachopoven]

I personally don't find sight reading, especially away from the piano, very interesting when the piece os very difficult, too many acciedentals, jumps, etc.

I couldn't have improved my sight reading if it wasn't for this interactive note reading practice: (it's like a game, it keeps the score(your points))

http://www.musictheory.net/trainers.html

Try it. When you like what you do and you have fun, you will want to do it more often and eventually become good at it in much shorter time.