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Want to be a pro pianist but can't sightread

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Topic: Want to be a pro pianist but can't sightread (Read 2931 times)

Aaron_Sarnat

PS Silver Member
Newbie
Posts: 6

Want to be a pro pianist but can't sightread

on: February 01, 2003, 09:50:02 PM

I'm looking to get a job as a lounge pianist at a hotel or something like that. I've been playing for 13 years but I can't sightread piano music. I never took lessons and I play almost 100% by ear.

I can read music, but not piano music. I played sax in high school so I can read one line of notes but not 10 different notes at a time.

Once I learned Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies from the music and it literally took me 3 months to get through the whole thing. By the time I'd gotten to the end I had everything memorized because it took me so long.

Do I have a shot at working a hotel? I can memorize a song I've played by ear pretty quickly and I can use fake books.

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-Aaron Sarnat
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francisco40295

Newbie
Posts: 16

Re: Want to be a pro pianist but can't sightread

Reply #1 on: January 10, 2014, 01:30:54 PM

Sure you can. But what do you really mean by ear?

I mean I play Beethoven with the auxiliary of youtube videos, and nowadays I don't even use them. I use synthesia, which is a life saver. Unless you're a prodigy you can't pick up songs by ear. Unless you mean jingle bells or something...