Questions tagged [sight-reading]
Playing or singing a piece directly from sheet music, without prior rehearsing or studying.
152
questions
15
votes
8answers
2k views
When you read sheet music do you read the notes or the intervals?
I have found myself doing both but not sure which is the right way. Sometimes I see a note then I can see the next note is a 4th above it so I play it but I actually don't know what note I just played ...
1
vote
3answers
122 views
How do people become proficient at sight-reading in keys where there is no material in those keys suitable for their sight-reading level?
On a mission to improve my piano sight-reading, I've been systematically working my way through all major and minor keys, 'living' in a given key for a few weeks before moving to the next.
Whilst ...
10
votes
11answers
5k views
What's left for musicians to learn if they can sight-read?
It seems skilled musicians can can sight-read even advanced pieces.
What's left for musicians if they can sight-read advanced pieces? It seems to me there must be something left to do - otherwise ...
4
votes
2answers
81 views
Practicing jumps in piano without looking: Is there any progressive method?
This is kind of a common question here, but one point I haven't seen addressed in detail:
While sight-reading, it is recommended to practice jumps (over an octave) without looking, which is difficult,...
2
votes
2answers
126 views
Note Reading Newbie Issue for piano
I'm new to piano and I'm working with Michael Aaron's Grade 1 piano book. I have question with respect to the following "Note Reading Tests":
Why is it that in the exercise above, they identify the ...
0
votes
3answers
69 views
Problems regarding reading music [closed]
I am self learning music(Piano) right now from various sources:
Youtube
Books (John Schaum mainly)
I am having trouble in reading sheets a few times. How would you recommend me to go about it? Any ...
0
votes
4answers
111 views
How do you interpret this in sheet music?
I am new to reading sheet music and how do you interpret this? I did not understand why is there a rest in the middle of the beamed notes. Thanks in advance.
Edit : The time signature is 6/8 and its ...
2
votes
2answers
81 views
Is there a system of writing scores where people write down the key and the scale degrees instead of black dots?
Is there a system of writing scores where people write down the key and the scale degrees instead of black dots?
edit for clarification:
What I mean is that each note in a standard diatonic key has ...
2
votes
3answers
85 views
General technique and sight-reading recommendations for piano [closed]
I played piano for many years in an "informal school", which helped me get some experience. I started when I was really young and learnt almost no classical music, mainly movie soundracks and modern ...
1
vote
4answers
2k views
How to sight read piano sheet faster in any key?
So I learned this trick from youtube that you can read notes relatively.
I can see that the first 2 notes in this piece is a G4, instead of figuring out what the third note is, I just press the key a ...
0
votes
4answers
136 views
Sight reading outside the piano
It is hard for me to practice lately the piano. But i really want to sight read well and keep advancing, even if it is outside of it.
Is it possible to sight read outside the piano by reading piano ...
0
votes
6answers
106 views
recipes of piano sight-play for a self-learner
Are there any recipes/shortcuts that can train a piano self-learner into being able to sight-play, at least simple pieces? How to overcome the difficulty of constantly checking the keyboard while ...
10
votes
4answers
2k views
Should I always use scale fingering when sight reading?
I'm practising sight-reading using https://sightreading.training/ which randomly generates notes for practice.
If I'm practising in the key of C Major, should I stick to C Major scale fingering/hand ...
12
votes
10answers
3k views
How do I improve in sight reading?
Preparing for my Grade 8 AMEB examination in piano but my sight reading is atrocious. For keys within the bass and treble clef staves, I can recognize and locate their positions fairly well but for ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
How should I write this passage to make it the most readable?
Been writing something and was wondering how I should notate these measures to ensure readability.
These three ideas are floating around in my head but if anyone else has input please send it my way.
4
votes
3answers
997 views
Is the beaming of this score following a vocal practice or it is just outdated and obscuring the beat?
The source is c.1770...
https://imslp.org/wiki/Scots_Songs_for_Voice_and_Harpsichord_(Bremner%2C_Robert)
...first book.
I can see that the beaming matches the words of the vocal part. But it ...
3
votes
1answer
333 views
How to arrange a song written on piano for guitar?
I am starting to learn classical guitar, and one of my goals is to learn how to sight read standard musical notation. However, I am beginning to notice that it's hard to find guitar sheet music for a ...
10
votes
8answers
5k views
Is the purpose of sheet music to be played along to? Or a guide for learning and reference during playing?
When I'm learning new songs on piano (about to take grade 1 for an idea of where I'm at) I use the sheet music to learn what notes to play.
Once I've learnt the song, I tend to no longer be so much ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
Should these notes be played as a chord or one after another?
A fairly basic sight reading question coming up... Are these notes (highlighted) intended to be played as a single chord or one after the other? They are so close together that they could be played as ...
4
votes
3answers
209 views
Problems reading sheet music with visual disability
I'm not really sure if "visual disability" is correctly said since english is not my native language and had to use Google Translator.
My worries are about reading sheet music.
I'm trying to learn ...
4
votes
2answers
410 views
Arthur Somervell: 1000 Exercises - Meaning of this notation
Arthur Somervell's uses the following notation on his One Thousand Exercises
Is it a standard notation? What's the meaning?
14
votes
4answers
2k views
Is it better practice to read straight from sheet music rather than memorize it?
My music teacher sometimes tells me too memorize a song, but sometimes also tells me to read straight from sheet music. This confuses me as I am unsure which one is better practice. Is it better ...
0
votes
5answers
564 views
Can you please explain why 'white' soul means accented on the first and third beat while 'black' soul is on the second and fourth? [closed]
Can you please explain why 'white' soul rhythm means accented on the first and third beat while 'black' soul rhythm is on the second and fourth?
4
votes
4answers
727 views
How to develop an internal intuition for note timings?
I have identified three main problems holding back my piano sight reading, and this is the last of them.
Although I can play notes with the right timing by very slowly counting it out aloud ("1-2-3-4,...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Learning to quickly identify valid fingering for piano?
I have identified three main problems holding back my piano sight-reading, and this is the second biggest.
I can work out fingerings by trial and error, but some very experienced pianists just devise ...
7
votes
3answers
836 views
Knowing where to put hands without looking at the keyboard?
I've identified three main problems holding me back from better sight reading on the piano, and this is the biggest one: I need to look away to find the keys for my hands. On a computer I can type ...
0
votes
3answers
89 views
Small instrument to check my sight singing [closed]
I practice sight singing in the morning. I need some way to check if what I vocalize is correct.
What is very small instrument I can do it with (barring a smartphone that I don't want to turn on in ...
5
votes
4answers
2k views
Mnemonics for Tenor Clef
I've been transcribing orchestral arrangements into MuseScore, and have encountered my first Tenor Clef.
I searched online for "Tenor Clef Mnemonic" and other help-with-tenor-clef queries, with no ...
6
votes
1answer
866 views
How do I Read Bansuri Notation
How do I read Bansuri Notation
Mumbai theme - A R Rahman
I know SA RE GA MA PA DHA NI SA, and the concept of low and high octaves.
How do I correlate the letters. And where are the letter ...
-1
votes
1answer
100 views
what can we do when we're struggling with rhythmic notation? [closed]
How can a music teacher help his pupils who have no rhythm feeling at all, who are not able to count or speak in a rhythmical way? How can we improve rhythm reading? Is there a helping method for ...
6
votes
6answers
1k views
(How much) should I focus on sight reading if my end goal is being able to play by ear on piano?
So my technical ability is ahead of my sight reading ability. And I haven't practiced my ear at all. My end goal is to eventually be able to play any song by ear and put my own variation on it. I'm ...
4
votes
3answers
777 views
Is reading bass clef by reference to the corresponding position in treble clef a bad learning method?
I've taught myself to play the piano when I was young, but I never really learned to read sheet music. Usually I would just look at a synthesia tutorial online or try to do it by ear (which I'm not ...
3
votes
2answers
523 views
How, and how long does it take to learn sight singing by yourself?
I have been playing violin for about 6 years now, and I can read music for it pretty easily. The thing is, I attribute that to me having the muscle memory related to positions on the violin, as I don'...
13
votes
6answers
4k views
How can I help a piano student who doesn't slow down to read the notes
I have a student who, when he tries, can figure out what notes he's looking at on the score at a decent pace. He couldn't sit down and sight-read something fluidly, but the foundation is there.
The ...
-2
votes
1answer
241 views
What are the solfege syllables? [duplicate]
Are they C,D,E,F,G,A or do re me fa so la to do? I have an online assignment due and my classmates say it’s CDEFGA but I’m confused.
3
votes
2answers
651 views
Vocals : How to practice accidental notes in sight singing
So I have been practicing sight singing since last 5-6 months. I think I'm able to read the notes in the scales quite easily using the solfege method (each scale somewhat resembling the Do-Re-Mi ...
2
votes
2answers
139 views
Music Note Flashcards [duplicate]
Beginner looking to improve music note recognition, particularly for bass clef and tenor clef (I'm proficient in treble). Any suggestions besides just slugging my way through music?
Unlike the other ...
4
votes
3answers
289 views
Are there exercises or techniques to improve sight reading?
Short story: The question is self-explanatory
Long story:
I play the piano and I know how to read scores, and I always struggle a little bit to learn new pieces of my level because my reading is very ...
3
votes
5answers
550 views
Sight reading chords—pay attention to bass, treble, or none of the above?
I am currently a very novice piano player trying to get by with Czerny's Op. 599 Practical Exercises for Beginners. As suggested, I'm playing the exercises by sight reading the notation, minimizing ...
0
votes
2answers
544 views
Three Treble Clefs
What does it mean when there is a layout like this, and each has a treble clef. There is no bass clef. How is this played?
2
votes
6answers
846 views
How should I teach myself sight-reading?
How would I go about teaching myself how to sight read for piano, should I practice out of a sight reading book? Or should I take a piece of music with a lower grade level (such as Bach) and sight ...
2
votes
2answers
155 views
Shaped notes to standard notation
I grew up reading shaped notes and have a firm grasp on this. However, it is necessary that I become better at reading standard notation. I understand how it works since both methods are essentially ...
1
vote
3answers
231 views
How guitarist that cannot sight read work?
now, I'm learning guitar sight reading because want to prepare for being session musician ( I'm new and have no any experience for now ).
I wonder, I have heard some guitarist cannot read music sheet....
2
votes
3answers
913 views
When you look at (piano) sheet music, how do you “think about” which notes are being referred to?
Trying to learn to read sheet music on my own; the best way to phrase my question is with a quick example: "Canon in D Major". I look at the sheet and I see the scale from this:
I get the whole ...
1
vote
1answer
137 views
Help with scales - want to become a professional pianist and sight reader [duplicate]
I need help with reading piano pieces with key signatures that have sharps or flats (other than C Major or A Minor). I learnt to sight read music using intervals (but do have a very good grasp on ...
0
votes
1answer
93 views
Sight reading process for this instance
I've been terrible at sight reading for a long time, however recently I've decided to grow my skill at it. I was wondering if my approach is correct for this instance of sight reading.
So I look at ...
0
votes
3answers
419 views
What's the best technique to sight read fast big band scores?
I've recently joined a big band. I play second alto saxophone. I do well enough when playing the slower pieces. But I struggle to read the quicker swing pieces. What's the best technique to play ...
27
votes
12answers
7k views
Is it really mandatory to practise sight reading at the piano?
I have seen many questions & answers regarding practising sight reading the right way etc. But I couldn't find the answer to my question whether it is even that important to practise sight reading....
3
votes
2answers
617 views
How can I to learn sight-singing, transcribe, and sight-reading?
I'm curious what the best route would be to become proficient in sight singing & ear training, along with polishing my technique on my preferred instruments (guitar & piano). I have a broad ...
21
votes
6answers
4k views
Is it ok for a choir to learn by listening?
I'm in a high school choir and we just got a new teacher. He is adamant that we don't listen to rehearsal tracks or recordings, because "real musicians don't." Is there merit to this? Is it better to ...
