I am a pianist and piano teacher. I have also played flute and now I play alto sax too. I am an exceptional sight-reader when playing the flute or the sax. However, when playing the piano, my main instrument, I am terrible at it.
Since my training was in piano performance (I have 2 undergraduate degrees and a Master in Performance), I could get by easily thanks to a wonderful ear and an extraordinary memory. I have been blaming my poor sight-reading skills on my easiness to memorize music and ignoring this important skill for years.
Because of this huge discrepancy between reading flute/sax and reading piano music, I suspect my problems are looking vertically (the 2 staffs). Finally I have some free time to dedicate myself to the subject. During the last 15 years, I have read all articles about it and I never find an answer to my problem. Last month, I read an article that discussed the “same old” tips (i.e. count, look ahead, don’t stop, etc.). The author wrapped up the article by saying that people either have the skill or not. From that moment on, I decided to find out whether this author is right or wrong.
I would like to initiate here a fresh conversation about sight-reading. The thing that concerns me the most is the “eye coordination”. Where and how do good sight-readers look? I have been practicing an hour a day for the last month and no matter how slow I do it, I cannot describe what my eyes are doing. I have contacted a “developmental optometrist” to find out if there is some research on the subject. I will post a note here when or if I get an answer.
Let me tell you what I can do:
-I have a great sense of rhythm and I can count ☺
-I do not stop or correct
-I do not need to look at the keyboard
-I can improvise good fingering
Let me tell you I cannot do:
- I have a hard time remembering accidentals other then the ones on the key signature
- I do not look ahead
- I have never practiced sight-reading ☹
So, I am starting there. Practicing an hour a day. I have been at it for one month now and I find myself reading faster beat-by-beat and still cannot look ahead. My sense of the keyboard has improved a lot and I am having lots of fun with the exception of the Hymns (I’ll be talking about these later… don’t miss that post!). I will also post the repertoire I’ve been covering.
For now, can you describe what your eyes are doing while reading music?
About Me
- Cynthia Irion
- Masters in Piano Performance-UT, Bachelor in Piano Performance-GA, Bachelor in Piano Performance-Brazil, Member of CSMTA, Member of BAMTA, Former president of OMTA-Linn Benton District, Piano teacher for 30 years Awards: MTNA Southern Division-College Level, Award of Recognition VA, 1990 TMTA - Wurlitzer Piano Winner TN, 1989 GMTA Winner-College Level GA,1989 International Piano Competition - award of recognition Brasil, 1983 International Competition - Conservatorio Departamental de Musica - 2nd Place Uruguay, 1983 Naional Piano competition Scholarship UT TN,1989 Winner of the "Emma Gaillard Boice Music Award" Wesleyan College GA, 1989 Winner of the "Talent Award and Honors Day Scholarship" Wesleyan College GA, 1989 Winner of the "Susle MArtin Catchings Award in Piano" Wesleyan College GA, 1988 Winner of the "Research Fellowship Award" UFSM Brasil, 1986-87 Student of Psychology and Neuroscience at Colorado University
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Very interesting blog! I think many things play a role in good sight-reading. One of the most important things for me is my knowledge of harmony. For example when I play a V7 chord, I know it will resolve down a fifth 95% of the time, so even before I see the next chord, my hands are already preparing to play it. If there is a sharp, I also know that it will most likely resolve upwards and flats, downwards.
ReplyDeleteI always try and think of the harmonic progression more than the individual notes when I read - to look at the big picture rather than the details. If I see a scale, I just look at the first and last notes and the rhythm and play it. If I see an Alberti bass figure I always align the notes vertically in my mind into chords and even the chords I don't read as three or four notes, but as groups. I think of them according to their shape. For example when I see C-E-G I think of the closed hand position with the 2nd and 4th fingers lifted. I choose fingerings that allow me to change hand positions as little as possible. I also keep my eyes on the music, rarely looking at my hands.
So I guess reading music is for me a little like reading a foreign language. If I understand the language, then it's much easier for me to read, because I can anticipate what is about to come without actually looking at it. That is also why I have quite a bit of trouble sight-reading most atonal music. It's full of unusual chord shapes, scales, patterns; little or nothing can be anticipated and each not needs to be carefully observed - akin to reading Swahili. A Mozart Sonata is much easier to read for me because I understand the rules of his harmonic language.
Hi Craig,
ReplyDeleteYou have a very good point. Harmonic knowledge and "chunking"(see post "chunking behavior") are the strongest predictors of excellence in sight-reading. Students with a solid theory background as well as composition students re most of the time better at memorizing and at reading than piano students.
I will discuss, in future postings, several articles about it by Michelli,Sloboda,Lehmann, Woody, Nuki,etc.
I use my strong background in theory to memorize my pieces and yet, I think my sight-reading is weak. However, I am still trying to improve. Unlike you,I play more contemporary music, therefore I need all the help I can get. :)
I also agree with you that good choices of fingering make lots of difference (see post "fingering").
Your comparison with reading a foreign language is perfect. The PTS program helps me a lot because of such similarity. I also intend to write about reading text versus reading music.
Do you agree that other issues, such as "ocular discipline," can affect sight-reading skills ?
Thanks a bunch!