Sight reading question

[chillout]

Hi,
Sight reading I need to improve vastly for my grade 8 ABRSM exam.The problem is I do a lot of sight reading and Im not making enough progress.

If I try to sight read a easy piece I can manage it but not up to the speed required for the piece if it is anything other than lento I struggle.
So the question Im asking is in order to pass grade 8 sight reading I need to be able to sight read intermediate pieces,but due to the fact that I can't sightread easy pieces at a decent flowing speed,should I only practice easy pieces until I can play at the correct tempo before I try to sight read intermediate or harder pieces?

Regards
Daz

[holberg]

i usually sit down and first look at how the piece is set-up. in other words: i try to see which chords are used and where the piece is going to. I do that cause i wont have to read every single note. Try to read the notes not as single notes but as groups.

holberg

[nicko124]

Yes. I remember losing sleep over the sight reading tests for my Grade 7. It does get really tough - sight reading at this level. However the exam board doesen't mark it as harsh as you think.

It is also partly down to the piece that you get given on the day, luckily for my exam I got a piece which I could sightread very well - never posed any serious problems.

When is your exam?

My suggestion is that you figure out you current sight reading ability - e.g Grade 5 and than you buy the ABRSM Grade 5 sight reading book - work through that and than move through to Grade 6 and so on.

If you get done with all of these than there are other books called things like ''read at sight'' for each grade level, they also give you tips as you go along.

Good Luck

[chillout]

 My suggestion is that you figure out you current sight reading ability - e.g Grade 5 and than you buy the ABRSM Grade 5 sight reading book - work through that and than move through to Grade 6 and so on.

If you get done with all of these than there are other books called things like ''read at sight'' for each grade level, they also give you tips as you go along

Yep i've done all this above over and over again but still struggle.

I think my problem mostly lies in reading chords which is what is required for grade 8 sight reading.It seems if I only have single notes to judge I have not a problem,but when 3 note chords are thrown in I hit a brick wall.
I dont think that Im at the stage where I can read ahead,that is where I should imagine the speed issue comes into play,but for now until I can speed up slow pieces I assume I should not be trying to sight read pieces with a lot of chords in.
Reading ahead I would assume comes with many years experience and it will develop natrualy,without even noticing it I should think.

Regards,
Daz

[didi]

Hi Daz

if you have to read chords you must identify them with having only one look to them. If you have to read the different notes of the chord, it's already too late.

Another issue is, that you always should be aware in which key you are and what modulation is ongoing. If you know that, you alread can limit
the amount of chords which might follow.
(for some modern music, of course this will not work).
You have to perform this latest, if you come to the point that you can
not play " a la vista" anymore all the notes.
Best thing you can do then is to keep the bass line and try to identify
from the other notes the functional chord for this bar (or part of the bar).
It's better to keep the playing ongoing and playing less notes than playing wrong notes or even stop.

Another rule (which you certainly know) is, that you do not have time
to lock to the keys/finger when sidereading.
The eyes always have to follow the notes.

I personally would also sight read more complicated pieces,
even if I can not  handle all the easier ones.
I just would take them slower (whatever it needs)

BR // Didi

[rachmanny]

Hello

read this it might be of some use

https://www.musicandhealth.co.uk/articles/reading.html

Rachmanny