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Topic: Sightreading material advice  (Read 1764 times)

Offline outburst

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Sightreading material advice
on: September 19, 2012, 01:01:59 PM
I've been sightreading Bach's chorales for quite a long time now in order to improve my sightreading. I've found them quite useful to improve my "vertical" reading.

I love Bach and I would love to be able to sightread the Two- and Three-Part Inventions and the WTC. The problem is that these have quite a different type of "writing" compared to the chorales.

My question is: what pieces of music (not necessarily Bach's) exist that are easier to sightread than those and would enable me to learn the fundamentals needed to play the Inventions and the WTC. I'm looking for something like the Chorales, that is, lots of pieces which are similar between them.

Offline j_menz

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Re: Sightreading material advice
Reply #1 on: September 19, 2012, 11:26:45 PM
Start with the 2 part inventions. They will help build your multi-voice "horizontal" reading, which is required for the other works.  I really can't think of a better introduction by someone else.
"What the world needs is more geniuses with humility. There are so few of us left" -- Oscar Levant

Offline outburst

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Re: Sightreading material advice
Reply #2 on: September 20, 2012, 10:11:02 AM
Thanks for the reply.

The 2 part inventions are good starting point and I've already sightread some of them. But going from the 2-part inventions to the 3-part inventions is too big of a jump for me.

That's why was looking for some multi-voice reading material that could help me fill the gap.

Offline j_menz

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Re: Sightreading material advice
Reply #3 on: September 20, 2012, 11:16:31 PM
Thanks for the reply.

The 2 part inventions are good starting point and I've already sightread some of them. But going from the 2-part inventions to the 3-part inventions is too big of a jump for me.

That's why was looking for some multi-voice reading material that could help me fill the gap.


Other suggestions then would be the 18 little preludes (and then the fugues), parts of the English and French Suites and some of the preludes from the WTC. Just have a go and see what's manageable.  It's generally the number of parts/voices that make these difficult to read, so look for two.

You're gonna have to face up to 3 at some point though.  :P
"What the world needs is more geniuses with humility. There are so few of us left" -- Oscar Levant
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