# Falling into a sight reading trap



## Aloevera

Hi folks, I began to go back to sight reading piano after a long period of giving that up. Going in, I was fairly fluent it treble clef especially since i can sight read on violin without too much of a problem whereas bass clef is horrible. I knew in advance that bass clef essentially reads as one line below what it would be in the treble clef. I knew that was a bad way to remember notes but in the heat of the moment the mind goes absolutely blank in trying to remember the note independently of the trick. Now its gotten slightly better except the problem is now because of it I've lost fluency even on treble clef because of the trick. For example before I knew in the top of my head that an e is the top line of treble clef but now I'm hesitant on whether it is a G or an E, and basically I have to take too much time to think about it. Furthermore because my sight reading is so bad, I've also developed this bad habit where I have to take a passage and memorize it so that I don't have to look at the sheet before moving on to the next phrase, so I don't get real practice in sight reading. It feels more like I have to decode it then memorize it rather than sight read. I'm really not sure how to fix this because I'm already a bit deep into it.


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## Nate Miller

the best thing for any sight reading is to read something every day. I would try and find some sight reading material that is a bit easier than what you are playing right now. Even if its a kid's book with one note in each hand. 

you also might want to just grab some music in bass clef and play one handed to help your bass clef reading. Anything written for double bass, cello music that is scored in the bass clef, trombone parts, baritone vocal solos...its all good stuff for reading practice.

what you don't want to do is read something that is hard enough that you have to work through each phrase like you are doing. That really doesn't help your sight reading as much as you would think. 

and remember that for sight reading, you want to read something that you are not familiar with, no matter how easy the stuff you pick out to read happens to be, the important thing is to sight read something every day


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## Aloevera

Nate Miller said:


> the best thing for any sight reading is to read something every day. I would try and find some sight reading material that is a bit easier than what you are playing right now. Even if its a kid's book with one note in each hand.
> 
> you also might want to just grab some music in bass clef and play one handed to help your bass clef reading. Anything written for double bass, cello music that is scored in the bass clef, trombone parts, baritone vocal solos...its all good stuff for reading practice.
> 
> what you don't want to do is read something that is hard enough that you have to work through each phrase like you are doing. That really doesn't help your sight reading as much as you would think.
> 
> and remember that for sight reading, you want to read something that you are not familiar with, no matter how easy the stuff you pick out to read happens to be, the important thing is to sight read something every day


Yeah thats true, my sight reading seemed to be getting better when picking up an easier piece, but getting worse after picking up a harder one. I'll probably go back to easier pieces or atleast use it as a warmup. Thank you


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## Krummhorn

Sight Reading is a learned ability that takes some people a great deal of time to master. My piano and later on my organ teacher were very helpful in learning to sight read. 

My choir director can throw virtually anything at me and I can read it easily. Most church organist position interviews/auditions WILL require you to sight read as part of the hiring process.


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## ArtOfTheFugueState

Like any mistake made when playing music, you must _unlearn_ the mistake before you can move on, no matter how tedious or boring it may prove to be. In this case, it is a question of fundamental music theory - if you don't get it to the point you can do it cold, you won't be able to progress.

Maybe take it back a step - instead of sight-reading, take that time to label each note (of a two-part texture) as quickly as possible until you have all your bad habits unlearned. When you are able to do that with absolute fluency, then you will be able to sight-read effectively without hangups. Also,

practice,
practice,
practice.


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## Guest

You shouldn't really be reading it. You should be recognizing it on sight. When you encounter notes combinations, you should simply know that pattern rather than trying to read it from scratch every time. As soon as you see it, you know what to play. As others say, you just have to keep practicing. Just like reading this post--you don't sound out each letter and then combine them to sound out each word. You just read right through it. You kind of have to train yourself to do that with music.


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## Dan Ante

Aloevera said:


> . For example before I knew in the top of my head that an e is the top line of treble clef but now I'm hesitant on whether it is a G or an E,


 I know I am being pin pricking but the top line is F it is the top space that is E.


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## Dan Ante

Victor Redseal said:


> You shouldn't really be reading it. You should be recognizing it on sight. When you encounter notes combinations, you should simply know that pattern rather than trying to read it from scratch every time. As soon as you see it, you know what to play. As others say, you just have to keep practicing. Just like reading this post--you don't sound out each letter and then combine them to sound out each word. You just read right through it. You kind of have to train yourself to do that with music.


What if it's a completely new unseen melody that has a load of accidentals so that you can't recognise it. 
How then do *you* recognise it ?


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## Taggart

Dan Ante said:


> What if it's a completely new unseen melody that has a load of accidentals so that you can't recognise it.
> How then do *you* recognise it ?


Practice. Sight reading shouldn't be sit down , play - it should be sit down, read through then play. Check the key signature, is it in a minor key, why are the accidentals there, where are they? Then you have some idea of the pattern.


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## Dan Ante

Taggart said:


> Practice. Sight reading shouldn't be sit down , play - it should be sit down, read through then play. Check the key signature, is it in a minor key, why are the accidentals there, where are they? Then you have some idea of the pattern.


No you don't read through you play at first sight


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## Taplow

Dan Ante said:


> No you don't read through you play at first sight


If you are auditioning, you will be given time (and indeed, be expected) to look over the excerpt and absorb it before playing. Read any literature on sight reading and it will give the same advice: take time to look it over before beginning to play.


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## Dan Ante

Taplow said:


> If you are auditioning, you will be given time (and indeed, be expected) to look over the excerpt and absorb it before playing. Read any literature on sight reading and it will give the same advice: take time to look it over before beginning to play.


As part of an examination test maybe but in the big wide world of pro and even semi pro musicians you will be expected to play at first sight if you are a standin player you just do not have time to go through a score.


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## eugeneonagain

Taggart said:


> Practice. Sight reading shouldn't be sit down , play - it should be sit down, read through then play. Check the key signature, is it in a minor key, why are the accidentals there, where are they? Then you have some idea of the pattern.


Completely agree with you. I don't doubt that there are times when one will be required to read something cold, but they are not the bread and butter of all sight-reading. I'm tired of hearing this view repeated.

Most of the times I have faced with reading pieces I hadn't expected was performance exams and when I auditioned for a quintet.

The only think I would mention is that a lot of orchestra players (strings, brass, woodwind) like all the accidentals to be marked s they occur, whereas keyboard players are accustomed to checking the key signatures.


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## Nate Miller

when I read something, I always check the time signature, the key signature, and then I look for the "road map"

that means I am looking for the repeats, the overall form (where does it go back to on the repeat, is it a Da capo form, where is the end...) that sort of stuff

and what Eugene says about the bread and butter of sight reading is true. the only situations I can think of when you are dead cold sight reading would be in the studio recording advertising jingles and at auditions. Most of the sight reading I actually run into is when I'm running through new music with people I play with


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## SightReadingSounds

It seems that you are comparing your skills of today with those of yesterday and the reason you seem to be failing is because you are attempting sight reading at a tempo that you used to be able to do.

If you are having issues particularly in the bass clef then you may need some extra practise focusing on just the left hand, and it should be done initially at a slow tempo and steadily increased as you limber up and become more dexterous. Take a look at this passage with the hands separated at 40 BPM:






The important thing is that you be patient and do some daily focused practise.

A free zip with 3 4-bar exercises with click and no click from 20BPM to 180BPM in 20BPM increments on mp3, pdf and with hands together and separated: https://www.patreon.com/SightReadingSounds

With the hands separated you could just focus on the left hand and build up to being able to play the exercises comfortably at 180BPM. Here is a suggested change of routine as part of your practise schedule:

Monday: play the passage at 20 BPM with hands separated

Tuesday: play the passage at 40 BPM with hands separated and at 20 BPM with hands together

Wednesday: play the passage at 60 BPM with hands separated and at 40 BPM with hands together

Thursday: play the passage at 80 BPM with hands separated and at 60 BPM with hands together

Friday: play the passage at 100 BPM with hands separated and at 80 BPM with hands together

Regards,

Sight Reading Sounds


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## Classicalinheart

As most have pointed out I too believe its a matter of experience and persistence so you should do it daily and start with easier to read notes


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