Sight Reading Factory

https://sightreadingfactory.com/

I just discovered this cool little site. You can type in the instrument, the level of difficulty, the key, and one or two other things, and--presto!--a little sight reading piece is created! I recommend that piano students sight read every day, and this is a great way to accomplish this.

Video #19 More Sight Reading Tips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7NaCC3KCDM

Robert Estrin gives sight reading tips.

1. Incorporate sight reading into your daily piano practice.

2. Playing with other musicians add in the objective of not correcting mistakes--to keep on going.

Video #13 Why Sight Reading is Important

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko9D8TdFNVg&index=3&list=PL_KsX1f0Qm3CxJ1I1LxU-0DD-P6A9AMWd

This Robert Estrin video addresses why learning to sight read is important. Here are some main reasons:
1. Sight reading will expand the amount of music that you will be able to play. There is a limited number of pieces that you master and you want to be capable of playing many more.
2. It's essential for playing with other musicians--you must listen to each other and keep moving ahead even if you make a mistake.
3. It helps to maximize the effectiveness of your practice because it allows you to zero in on the trouble areas. You will then know what parts to practice more.

Video #5: Secrets of Sight Reading

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31ag-P4fBvg&list=RDO6AAkGBc0eg&index=5

A great Robert Estrin video on learning to sight read. Some of the points he points out:

1. It's a matter of keeping your eyes on the music.

2. Don't look at your hands or you'll lose where you are.

3. Count like crazy.

4. Just keep going. Don't stop and correct (which is human nature).

5. A good idea: Play with another musician. Stay with them. Add dynamics. Balance. Even if you don't get all the notes right. Listen to yourself and the other person.

Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

I've been studying a book by James W. Bastien called How to Teach Piano Successfully. Now I've been teaching piano a loooong time but I'm learning a lot.

One thing that I learned today that I will be incorporating into my teaching is the use of flashcards--not only for learning notes and musical symbols, but also for learning how to sight read.

I like the idea of showing a student a short musical phrase and having him identify the pattern/inversions/chords/fingering/etc. etc.

It seems like musical phrase flashcards are a great stepping stone to eventually sitting down a sight reading a complete piece of music.

Rhythm Matters

After a morning of giving piano lessons, I find myself counting rhythms out loud in my head for the rest of the day (1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and). Learning to play the correct rhythm is critical to being able to play the piano well. And thinking the rhythm in your head just doesn't cut it--especially for beginning pianists.

Even experienced pianists resort to counting the rhythm out loud for a tricky section of music.

Counting the rhythm out loud is also important when sight reading or when playing a piece for the first time. By doing so, the pianist can come much closer to what the piece was intended to sound like! He or she will avoid being tripped up by a complicated, or even a simple, rhythm just by counting out loud.

Before playing any piece of music, the wise pianist will always check the key signature (how many flats and sharps?) and the time signature.

How to Sight Read

1. Look over the whole piece. Carefully analyze each aspect of the music--the key signature, time signature, tempo, accidentals, fingering, key changes, tricky rhythm patterns, dynamic markings, key changes, unfamiliar notes, etc. 

2. Play through the piece. Don't stop if you make a mistake. This is an important habit to develop. When you accompany singing groups, you must keep going even if you mess up. Go as slow as you wish but keep going. 

3. Evaluate how you did. What mistakes did you make? What are the areas in which you can improve? 

4. Play the piece again, trying to correct the errors you made the first time through.