How to improve your sight-reading in 5 minutes

[outin]

Install a piano lamp!

I had no idea how badly I saw until I got the lamp, it's like my sight-reading went to a whole new level

I still have trouble fixing my gaze when my eyes are tired (the right eye has a mind of his own), but reading is not so frustating anymore...

I have been doing my obligatory sight-reading exercise every day for weeks now (well, I may have missed a couple of days) and yesterday I got bored with the child stuff (things like the Mikrokosmos). Did the first page or so of Ballade 1 instead... very slow but recognizable  

[muleski]

Hi, how is your sight reading generally?  I should practise but I don't. I'm concentrating (still) mainly on one piece & have little time to practise anyway, so sight reading doesn't get a look in, excuse the pun..

[outin]

Hi, how is your sight reading generally?  I should practise but I don't. I'm concentrating (still) mainly on one piece & have little time to practise anyway, so sight reading doesn't get a look in, excuse the pun..

Well...it's certainly better than before...depends a lot on the quality of the material, some things I find easier but others very difficult, and it's not just about technical difficulty, but the way notation is written and the key signature. Can't do anything fast.

The biggest issue is that I get tired very soon when I have to sight read...15 minutes or even less is what I can handle.

I am very slow to memorize, so I really want to learn to read better, there's so much that I want to play...I'll never be able to memorize it all. So I try to include at least a little bit of sight reading to my daily practice, even if it's just a few lines of a new piece. Luckily I have a huge amount of books, so I won't get bored. On a bad day I might just take a couple of pages from an easy method book. When I feel up to it I try out something more difficult and just see whether I can make the piece somehow resemble the real thing...

I am terribly bad in remembering op and other numbers, so I sometimes play this game: I sight read randomly from my stack of Scarlatti books and try to recognize the piece, after all I've heard most of them at some point. The better I read the sooner I know what I am playing

[muleski]

I'm very much the same when learning the next new bit of my nemesis piece.  Very slow & get tired very quickly.  I should practise simple sight reading exercises as my sight reading is hopeless!

I'm sure you'll improve, you have already as you've said & you seem determined to plug away at it. Good luck!

[brogers70]

It took longer than 5 minutes, but my sight reading improved after I had my cataracts removed.

[j_menz]

Install a piano lamp!

Who'd a thunk actually being able to see the page would help you read from it? 

But on the subject, I'd also suggest that anyone who has bi or multi focal lenses seriously consider getting a special pair of glasses for piano. Talk to your optometrist. Makes a world of difference.

[outin]

It's been about a month now since I started seriously practicing sight reading every day. I see progress but could be better...I still struggle with the reading part. I don't have to look at my hands. Actually I prefer not to, even if I play from memory I often look at the wall or close my eyes, because staring at the black and white keys too much tends to mess my eyes.

But I still have trouble reading the notes... Sometimes it's just because of the type set, but also notes are not always where they should be. As long as I don't have to read individual notes but "words" instead it goes fine, but sometimes when there are stray notes, arpeggios or a complicated chord which I can't recognize fast I am in trouble, takes ages to figure out what's printed on the page...a lot more practice needed I guess...

But generally I enjoy the idea of being able to play things directly from the score, even if not full tempo. Hopefully one day I don't have to worry about memorizing anymore

[rachmaninoff_forever]

But on the subject, I'd also suggest that anyone who has bi or multi focal lenses seriously consider getting a special pair of glasses for piano. Talk to your optometrist. Makes a world of difference.

What would I say to my eye doctor?

I have glasses.  I play the piano.  I need piano glasses.

He would probably laugh at me.

[outin]

What would I say to my eye doctor?

I have glasses.  I play the piano.  I need piano glasses.

He would probably laugh at me.

Don't think so...

The last time I got a new pair I discussed this with the optician. Unfortunately the pair I got didnät turn out the be that suitable for piano, they are much better with the computer. Must try again next time...It's difficult because you cannot really try them out on the piano before buying them 

[j_menz]

What would I say to my eye doctor?

I have glasses.  I play the piano.  I need piano glasses.

He would probably laugh at me.

You say: "I play the piano, I need a special pair made up with a different optimal focal length of about this [show distance you sit away from the score]"

He will understand. They get things like this all the time, and are pleased to be able to help. I've had several different optometrists, and they have all known what to do.

[hfmadopter]

You say: "I play the piano, I need a special pair made up with a different optimal focal length of about this [show distance you sit away from the score]"

He will understand. They get things like this all the time, and are pleased to be able to help. I've had several different optometrists, and they have all known what to do.

My line of work doesn't make bifocals overly practical, besides that I have to different astigmatisms, one in each eye requiring different corrections in each eye. So I separate distance and reading glasses. The optometrist suggested a simple solution for piano a third pair of glasses with one to powers less than my normal reading glasses. However, he suggested that I actually would be best off with cheap drug store reading glasses of about 1.25 magnification. I tried that, it was a little better than my standard reading glasses ( less curve to the keyboard). Then I thought I will look for a pair that fits better ( I have a large polack head). i was in the hardware store , there was this little rack of reading glasses with a sign sign 50%off. For 5 bucks I bought a 1.00 pair that fit nice and probably nobody ever would want. But they work great.

Lighting, I have ceiling lights in the living room, I have two directed at the keyboard and music stand of my grand. Haven't thought to do something with the digital yet so I just turn up the overall power. I used to have a lamp, through the years it got broken.. Maybe I'll look into one of those again for the digital. Good idea, sometimes we just keep working along and forget to address the simple essentials !