Martin Zimny: Improve Your Sight-Reading Skills!
Join us for an enlightening webinar on "Improve your Sight Reading Skills" designed for musicians and lovers of music of all kinds. In this session, we will explore why sight reading can be particularly challenging for various instruments and how consistent practice can enhance your ability to play new music with ease. You'll learn the benefits of sight reading, from quicker repertoire learning to improved performance skills. We'll delve into pattern recognition techniques, such as understanding intervals and chords, and how to detach from mental crutches like tablature or finger patterns. Additionally, practical exercises to improve rhythm and sight reading skills will be covered, helping you read music more efficiently and play with greater confidence. Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your sight reading abilities and enjoy the richness of playing a wide variety of music.
Follow this event link to tune in!
https://app.tonebase.co/piano/live/player/improve-your-sight-reading-skills-zimny
We are going to be using this thread to gather suggestions and questions!
- What questions do you have on this topic?
- Any particular area you would like me to focus on?
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How can I handle sight reading with leaps, like typical stride/waltz pattern? I need to look down so much, can't navigate the leaps "blind".
And how can I better use black keys to navigate? I know it is important, but I am so used to play white keys at the front and only move inwards when black keys require it. I get totally confused when I try to Braille-read along black keys to know where I am.
I am so frustrated, because I know about not looking down, interval and shape recognition, looking ahead etc. I've been practicing SR daily and with strategy for 2 years now (Cory Hall, Pianomarvel and easy pieces grade 1 and 2), but progress is soooo slow (Pianomarvel SASR score is jumping around between 600 and 640, was 570-605 in January, so improvement, but oh so tiny steps!). And as soon as there are leaps or weird position changes or many accidentals or too much going on left and right or a little more speed, reading TWO staffs feels impossible for me.
I don't even aim for true sight reading, I'd just be happy if I could follow the music when playing my lesson pieces. But 90% of the time I need to memorize the pieces as soon as I reach around 50% of final tempo, because I can't read quick enough. I play grade 5-6 repertoire and can't even sightread most grade 2 pieces fluently at half tempo.
I feel like this is the main factor that slows me down. Very often I have the impression that remembering what comes next takes so much concentration, and that my fingers could play the passages already, so if I'd just be able to READ I could learn pieces much quicker. :(
