the eye and the ear

[clarinetwife]

Hello!  I am making my first post here, having lurked for a bit and enjoyed what I see.  I am a clarinetist and pianist who teaches a little of both, and an at-home mom.

My question concerns playing by ear and sight reading.  I have perfect pitch, and I have never been a good sight reader on piano.  (I am somewhat better reading one staff on the clarinet)  I love collaborative work, especially sonatas and piano trios involving woodwinds.  It is harder to do this because I practically have to have something memorized before I can play it with others.

Is this common?  I have a student right now who wants me to play everything for her because she has a good ear (I don't do it.)  A friend's mom had a big confrontation with her music teacher when she was young because my friend relied on her ear and hadn't learned to read well.

Pardon my "longwindedness"  Any comments or tips on this?

[bernhard]

It is a very common problem.

Here a few threads in this forum that deal with this problem:

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=teac;action=display;num=1069725044

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=stud;action=display;num=1071914342

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=teac;action=display;num=1057746417

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=teac;action=display;num=1045438109

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=stud;action=display;num=1061861871

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=stud;action=display;num=1073131731

I also suggest that you follow the drills in Howard Richman’s “Super sight-reading secrets”. (I think you can get it from Amazon, and also from his website – just google search for Howard Richman)


Best wishes,  
Bernhard.

[clarinetwife]

Thank you, Bernhard.  Sometimes when a topic gets discussed from time to time it is nice as a new person when someone points out the way a bit.

[bernhard]

You are welcome.