Repertoire for sight reading practice

[cazico]

Hi guys!

I need to be better at sight reading (prima vista), and need some piano pieces which are suitable for this purpose.
I'm currently working with some Chopin etudes (like 10-4...) and Mozart sonatas (like K. 311) and Bach partita 2 so that you know something about my level.

What I want is piano pieces which are not advanced at all, so that it is possible to sight read through (not musically perfect of course). I also want that I've never heard these pieces before, since I think it would be best learning outcome if the pieces are totally unknown for me.

Do some of you know of some obscure composers with some pieces that most pianists have not heard of, but pieces that are worth playing and you think are funny to sight read?


I would also really appreciate more general advices regarding sight reading practice.


Best from Norway.

[nikolasideris]

I composed a few months ago a series of 21 works for solo piano. Some of them are a tiny bit more advanced, but most should provide some interesting challenges for sight readers at your level!

There are a couple of youtube videos, but I won't post them, since you do not want to listen to the works. In the following link there's a 'preview the score' which you can use to see a few pages, perhaps print them (though they will be in bad quality) and give them a go...

https://www.musica-ferrum.com/catalog/viewitem.php?show=4

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I composed a few months ago a series of 21 works for solo piano. Some of them are a tiny bit more advanced, but most should provide some interesting challenges for sight readers at your level!

There are a couple of youtube videos, but I won't post them, since you do not want to listen to the works. In the following link there's a 'preview the score' which you can use to see a few pages, perhaps print them (though they will be in bad quality) and give them a go...

https://www.musica-ferrum.com/catalog/viewitem.php?show=4

Oooh I might actually buy this lol

[nikolasideris]

LOL?!? Oh well... 

I would also really appreciate more general advices regarding sight reading practice.

I failed to see that in the first go.

General advice:

1. I think that one of the most important aspects in sight reading is 'instant analysing'. I mean if you get a sonata in front of you (or a fugue) you should be able to pretty much tell what's going to happen in the whole work... or something close to that.
2. Being able to spot patterns and motifs if far more important than being able to spot pitches.
3. (Non stop) rhythm is definitely more important than the right notes. If you miss a note carry on, but if you stop, start having gaps, etc, then the flow is gone and so are... you or your listeners.
4. Sight reading is especially important for people who accompany others, and get lots of scores in each session, or semester or session musicians, or orchestra performers (<-this does not apply to pianists really, except for rare cases... in which case you can study them in advance... ). It certainly is useful to have as a skill, but if you have enough time, it will just get you to 'know' a little bit the work quicker. Assuming you are someone who needs sight reading skills, you should concentrate on the style of music you play mostly. The 'Sketch Music' collection I posted above is a bit non-normal in terms of musicality and a little bit contemporary (yet nice sounding, if I may say so). It is challenging for sight readers and interesting from a musical point of view, but if you're "stuck" playing Baroque music it won't really do you much good...

That's all I can think right now.

[cazico]

Thanks a lot for advices and suggestions so far!