Hi everyone! I realise there will be a variety of opinions on this subject. Though I’m nailing my colours to the mast here I always welcome a discussion! 1 Year PROGRESS (Sight Reading)
SIGHT READING Vs REPERTOIRE!
BOOKS I used for SIGHT READING in YEAR 1
HEAR inside my Favourite Sight Reading BOOKS
SEE inside my Best Sight Reading BOOKS
BOOKS I’m using!
Books I'm using as SIGHT READING material 90 mins a day (and I sometimes repeat books and read randomly through anything else I fancy):
Alfred's Basic Piano Library Lesson Books from levels 2a to level 6 (I'm currently on 5)
Alfred Basic Piano Library Recital books from levels 2 to 6 (I'm currently on 5)
Alfred's Premier Piano Course Performance books from 1a to 6 (I'm on 4) these have a CD
Alfred's Premier Piano Course Lesson Books from 1a to 6 (I’ve just finished 4)
I'm not being paid by Alfred, I came across the lesson book level 3 by chance and loved it.
Czerny Op 599 - Practical Method for Beginners on the Pianoforte - page 24, getting hard now!
I’m also back into the Paul Harris Improve Your Sight Reading and ABRSM Sight Reading books. I’m following these as I will be doing a game 7 and 8 exam one day (hopefully).
Traite Rhthmique - Michel Meriot - I think this is a solfege book (it has no clef) but I ignore the pitch and clap all the rhythms. Increases in difficulty quickly but you can go back around and try the exercises many times. It will drill note values in many rhythmic combinations and is a help to decode rhythm on sight as you get better at it. If you can’t get this book, I’m sure there are others. I will let you know if I find others.
Other Books I cycle through as general reading (skipping ones that are too hard and coming back to them another time)
42 Famous Classics Arranged for Easy Piano (this is another Afred - Alfred's Classic Editions)
Alfred's Basic Piano Library Christmas Book Level 3
My favourite, but it's pre-loved, old and possibly out of print....the 'Yellow Book' called
'Let us Have Music for Piano, Volume One, 74 famous Melodies' Arranged and Edited by Maxwell Eckstein
Piano Pieces for Adult Beginners - This was too hard at the start of the process but is becoming okay now
I’m beginning to love reading now and I’m so happy that even though I can’t play much at first sight (prima vista), I can take on pieces that previously I would have taken days or weeks over.
ABOUT ME:
I'm trying to fix my sight reading. Having played the piano for 6 years with zero sight reading skill (and no sign of it improving on it's own), I finally decided to clear the decks and hit it in April 2019.
I will share the process and books which I find helpful and unhelpful in case anyone else is thinking of fixing their reading tOO
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KathrynClark is an adult piano and viola student. She started piano at 34 years old as a complete beginner in 2014 and is aiming for ABRSM Grade 8 (at some point!). As of 2 years ago, she is also learning to play the viola.
Tags:
How to improve your sight reading
Improving my sight reading
Sight reading piano
Sight Reading Tips
Piano Sight Reading Tips
#SightreadingPiano #PianoVlog #PrimaVista
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