How good are you at sightreading? (1 Viewer)

babydoll_

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If you're a musician you'll know what I'm talking about

I'm really terrible at it, when I did exam piano, I used to screw it up so bad, so does anyone have any hints?
 

bubz :D

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i'm not good but not too bad, i guess :p
what grade are you on now? my teacher says the best way to improve is to dig out preliminary, first/second/third grade pieces and try to sightread them like you do in the AMEB exams. my sis did that a few times every day [she used to be a horrible sightreader], and she did OK in her exam :)
 

xiao1985

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omg... lolz, i am absolutely hopeless in sight readin... all i do is practice until i noe where the keys r..... guess dat's how n00b playz, ='( oh well, satisified enuf tho, since i am goin for no gradez newaz....
 

iambored

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Originally posted by xiao1985
omg... lolz, i am absolutely hopeless in sight readin... all i do is practice until i noe where the keys r.....
yeah, i can't sight read. i practice till i know the sond off vy heart
 

xiao1985

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Originally posted by babydoll_
yeah its hella easier than sightreading
still. i can't learn a new song properly... cuz lyk sometimes, practice to learn the keys off by heart jsut doens't work... lyk turkish march, i can't play the middle part even if i practice 24 7... ><"
 

glycerine

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yeah i can sightread perfectly for clarinet, but for piano and violin i look at it and am like WTF?
 

hurrotisrobbo

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Umm... I can't. :D

I'm still at the 'So... Every Good Boy... No... it's in the middle isn't it... F... A... C... E.... No... C... That's it. *Hits key*' stage. :D
 

Toodulu

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if you play enough then sightreading gets easier. with classical music (the alberti bass or whatever it's called) and pop songs, you could basically sightread what you can and make up the rest. although you prob won't need to, i've yet to see a particularly difficult arrangement for a song. (i want christopher o'reilly scores!)
 

ND

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I used to sightread competently on guitar (the reason i say 'used to' is cos i haven't touched my guitar for over a year). I started with these books my music teacher gave me (which were pretty simple), then moved on to Paganini violin scores (though i could never come close to sighreading that stuff at full tempo).
 

EmmaKate

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I am 16 years old, have finished my letters on both piano, violin and viola (which has alto clef as well). Here are my tips;
Count out loud as you play, and dont start off too fast.
Practice one short piece each day
if you make a mistake, keep going at the same tempo
Rhythm is more important than notes, so keep the pace and the rhythm.
Dont waste your time worrying about sight reading and if you can, start looking at doing some accompanying, or joining an orchestra or band.
MOST OF ALL though, sight-reading what playing an instrument is about. I've been playing for over ten years and after it comes to you, through hard work, its the best feeling in the world
 

AsyLum

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/me loves sight reading.....

/me hates remembering
 

babydoll_

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Originally posted by AsyLum
/me loves sight reading.....

/me hates remembering
im reversed...
bah, i've gone so far back that i'm starting to use the 'every good boy deserves fruit' system

thanks for the tips emmakate :D
 

SKA

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i play the piano.. n im currently doing grade 8
the last grade ..yessss
lol

sightreading tips

dont try n figure out the note... just say ur playing a note n u wanna find the next 1 just think of it in steps

so if the note is the next 1 up u play the next note... u dont wait there figuring out what letter the note is

do u get me??? i dunno if i explained it good enuf
 

anti

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I have perfect pitch, sightreading is a process of figuring out which notes NOT to play.

I haven't sightread anything for an exam for years. Generally my process was - time signature, key signature, first note, melody, get the gist of the bass, try to put them together in your head, get the last bar right. Particularly the last bit.

When I'm playing pop music progressions are usually pretty simple and you can make 'em up if you can't remember them anyway..
 

xiao1985

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ohhhhh...... om*g....... all da elite hardcores... how DID u guys...

*sobz* no comments... guess i will just give up instruments for this life..... i will pick it up nxt time around, if i can.... =p bleh

dunno... i guess it cums wif time, lyk how long u 've bein practicin... it just cums to u lyk in 0.000000001 seconds wut note it is..... me doin alrite in treble clef (was it?? damn i forgot, the G thing), but still hafin trouble in the base clef.....
 
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sugaryblue

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Originally posted by babydoll_
If you're a musician you'll know what I'm talking about

I'm really terrible at it, when I did exam piano, I used to screw it up so bad, so does anyone have any hints?
I am below average for sight reading :(

I don't know why, it takes me a long long time in order to learn a piece of music
 

:: ck ::

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i was alrite (2 yrs ago) when i sight read

i prac'd using a sightreading book for grade 8 everyday... do two pieces a day.. bleh

its bitchy to work on but if u keep doing it.. ull improve.. and u can tell that u've improved and its the best feeling in the world :D
 

virgin^sexy

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grrr i want perfect pitch!!!

but yeh when i used to do exams for piano and violin, sight reading was more my strong point than things like the aural and the scales.
 

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