Sight-Reading Goals

[punkpianist360]

I know, I know, we are all different in abilities, and blah blah blah, but I think there shuold be a common goal to reach when it comes to sight reading (e.g. sight reading Rach 3 easily...RIGHT).

Anyways, I consider myself an okay sight reader; I can read through church hymns rather well on a first try, then play it with the cantor the next day, but I don't want to stop there.

What should be a goal when it comes to sight reading music?  What would you consider the hardest thing to sight read that we, as pianists (artists) should strive for?

[birba]

Mozart said sight-reading was reading perfectly the music "a tempo" with all the musical expression.
Of course, that was mozart.  There are many many levels of sight-reading.  Sight-reading, to me, is 20% natural ability (maybe you have perfect pitch) and 80% practise.  If you have a job that requires you to sight-read, you'll get the hang of it sooner then you know.  It's either that, or you're out of a job.  Just like improvisation comes easily to ballet pianists or church organists.  So, if you faithfully practise sight-reading EVERY DAY for 2 hours, at least, I think you'll become pretty adept at it.  But WHY do we want to sight-read?  Like I said, if you have a job that depends on it, you have a good reason.   A mozart sonata at 3/4 speed.  A bach 4-voice fugue at 1/2 speed.  Messiaen at 1/4 speed.  I've seen some really gifted conductors who can sight-read an orchestral score of Stravinsky at full speed.  But that, too, is just plain practise and experience.

[jesc]

I was forced to sight read because I'm swamped and have many things to do all at once. The only way I could survive my piano lessons was by sight reading all the pieces assigned to me.

In my experience, I've been able to sight read flawlessly while maintaining a lead. I mean, reading far ahead of what my fingers are playing. My teacher confirmed this and said that most sight readers stumble when what the fingers are playing begin to catch up to what is being read.

Think of it as a buffer zone.

[jmanpno]

There are secrets to sight reading that I have uncovered that has never before been revealed to the piano world as born by the testimony of many outstanding pedagogues of national and international prominence. 

[punkpianist360]

There are secrets to sight reading that I have uncovered that has never before been revealed to the piano world as born by the testimony of many outstanding pedagogues of national and international prominence. 

Enlighten us, please.

[cmg]

Yes, what is THAT secret?

In my experience, you get better at sight reading by doing an enormous amount of it.  As a student, I'd read through hymnals, the complete works of Brahms, Chopin, etc. until my head would implode.

I think a good goal for any person who wants to improve sight reading is to take a daily tour through the vast amount of piano literature, just to familiarize yourself with it.  That way sight reading improves as the result of a useful task.

Also, strong, strong fingers help.  When you sight read, you don't have the luxury of using the best and most expeditious fingering on the first try.  A solid technique helps here.