What is happening to me?!

[chopinmozart7]

Since I started playing the piano I have always been good at sight reading and it WAS the most natural thing in the world for me. However,today I was handed a piano sonata by J.C BACH to be played at sight. Full of confidence I started playing and by some reason it ended up in total failure. I had no problem with the rhythm but I constantly pressed the wrong notes and I became so angry I refused to play the piece through.

The key-signature was easy.(d-major).
The time-signature was easy.(common time)

So why did I fail?

[music32]

It's hard to be a detective, solving a case, without even more information provided. But here is what I recommend as assist sight-reading. The key signature is of course the first bit of pertinent information because it provides a tonal map of the composition.. especially when you are dealing with the vocabulary of JC Bach whose compositions fall into the narrow line crossing into the Classical period, but sound Baroque in character. I love his Prelude in A minor, and Andante, found in Faber's Intermediate repertoire collection. I draw on solfeggio when I sightread, using the syllables starting with DO, and of course allowing the DO to be movable. If a piece modulates to another key in the course of its unfolding, my DO moves to that level. Internalizing skip, step other movement as composition plays out, is helpful. You have to be in the here in now, but also simultaneously be glancing ahead to the next measure. Knowing some rudimentary harmony also helps to organize the piece even as you are doing an impromptu reading. Look for common tones between the Melody and bass.. there won't necessarily be chordal movement, due to the era of the work, but once any other voice enters, besides the soprano, harmony is created. I like to feel the Harmonic rhythm as I play..where is the piece going? Naturally focusing on the printed page, and not looking down at the hands is absolutely indicated to be a good sight reader, and I should have put this first, as a top priority. Being relaxed, alert, not afraid of making mistakes is another good piece of advice. The first reading may be a bit edgy but if you start to organize the piece as suggested, the reading will improve. I am sure others have many other suggestions to share.

Shirley K
Blogging about Prelude in C by JS Bach from Well Tempered Clavier
https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2010/12/26/everyone-plays-the-bach-prelude-no-1-in-c-you-tube-video-embedded/