Next level in sight reading

[expressman70]

Hi all,

Irrelevant post sort of to rep, however sight reading def does help learning any rep.

I can sight read pretty well at slower tempo but would like to increase my abilities to faster.

Sometimes I struggle even with easier pieces in fast tempo like allegro.

I am already beginning to play with a metronome and that seems like it helps.. But what can you recommend If you are a good sight reader?

What was a tipping point that boosted your sight reading game? Does analyzing scores without playing at all just to build sense of direction help?

My goal is to be able to nail violin sonatas by Beethoven and trios/chamber music of all sorts like butter.

Thank you and have a lovely day!

MM

[adodd81802]

When you said nail Violin sonatas, do you mean you only play Violin? or am I being ignorant? Learning to read just one stave is A LOT easier than 2+

RE Piano, A lot of people have said Choral pieces are the best way to sight read, as it gets you into the habit of not looking at the notes individually, but looking at shapes / spaces.

This is particularly the case when you're not simply working with treble/base clefs.

Also learn melodies via the general shape, not looking note by note but just seeing the notes go up, go down, and recognize in general, the intervals.

I don't think there is a quick way of improving, I consider it like learning a language, and if you've ever seen a 5/6 year old read a book, they will often sound out words letter by letter until they've repeated that word so much that they remember instantly how the word sounds. I feel reading music can be considered a similar thing.

[expressman70]

Hey,

Thanks for reply,

And no what I meant was Beethovens violin sonatas, where the accompaniment is quite intense, look it up.

I am already able to look at shapes, but speed and bad habits are probably next steps.

[dogperson]

When you talk about Beethoven violin sonatas, I'm not sure if you are discussing playing them well or actually sight reading them well.  Sight reading will lag behind playing somewhere around 2 grade levels: so you need to be able to play at the level of the sonatas first.  I really believe you are discussing 'reading' music, and labeling it as sight-reading in some of this post?   You need to see this as two separate skills:  sight-reading as the ability to play music for the first time, reasonably accurately, without stopping, and at the tempo marked.

Ways to progress at sight-reading: to do a lot, lot, lot of it every day.  If it is marked allegro, you must start with easy pieces, set the metronome and play through at allegro--- no stopping, no matter what.  Sight-read everything you can get your hands on-- multiple genres, composers, even hymns.  The internet can be your friend for this:  imslp, free music downloads, music 'previews prior to purchase', etc.  Look for anthologies of used music. 

Certainly the ability to recognize intervals and patterns is a huge help.  You need to recognize a Cmaj inverted arpeggio without reading every note.

Bad habits?  You need to be getting rid of those as you are reading/learning repertoire. Sight reading is not the time for that. 

Ways to progress at reading music is a separate consideration.

[expressman70]

By bad habits I mean I think I tend to keep looking at same measure that I am playing. But thank you for reply, I do want to be able to actually sight read those sonatas in speed. My teacher is capable of doing that.