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kindofbluenote
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24 Sep 2007, 6:22 pm

I'm having difficulty with sight reading due to the common AS trait of not being able to process the information quickly enough. I can read music fine, and I'm a pretty good classical guitarist (I play Bach suites and things like that) but sight reading is killing me.

When learning a piece, I read it, and memorize it. No problem there. However I really want to be a better sight reader because (A) I'll be a better overall musician, (B) It'll expand my repertoire (C) I'm sick of playing alone, and want to do more ensemble work, but there's no time for memorization in those situations, and (D) I might even make some friends...

I know many of you are amazing classical musicians, and if you have any Aspie-related tips, I'd be eternally grateful. I figure you can unnderstand how difficult it is to have to play along with the group. It's almost like sensory overload, I can't concentrate on what I'm playing well enough to stay in time, or sometimes I lock up and can't play anything. It's like a conveyor belt that speeds up, and I'm lost.

Any practice tips, ideas, or anything?

Thanks!


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username88
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24 Sep 2007, 6:39 pm

This reminds me of when I was taking lessons on my piano. In the long run I was better off not using notes at all. Now I just... Well I actually gave up making music a while ago (Id like to start again), but anyway, I ended up playing by ear (if needed) and made my music more abstract and creative. Its easier for me to remember how it sounds than how it looks on paper.



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24 Sep 2007, 7:05 pm

Hey- don't worry sight reading is tough for everyone. That said, there are ways to get better at it. I have realized that I kind of try to "block out" everything around me through extreme focus on the music, sometimes it helps to lean towards the stand a bit. Also, the more you study and play scales, chords, arpeggios etc, the easier sight reading will be as these patterns crop up constantly. After that, just get some random book and read something out of it.


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Thelostcup
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24 Sep 2007, 7:22 pm

I find sight reading rather easy, my brain recognizes the symbols and takes appropriate action. Of course, it took years of practicing every day to get to the point.

I don't memorize music I read, just music I hear. So playing by ear takes longer, but I play even better when I have the tune memorized than when I sight read.



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24 Sep 2007, 7:54 pm

I found flash cards to be useful.


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24 Sep 2007, 8:15 pm

Orwell wrote:
Also, the more you study and play scales, chords, arpeggios etc, the easier sight reading will be as these patterns crop up constantly.


I agree with this. Patterns happen to show up in loads of songs, and I find I can almost know ahead of time where someone is going in a song I have never heard before. There just has to be a pattern I can recognize to do it.

I suppose you are sight reading to play at that moment and not for practice, so you don't have time to get familiar with the piece before playing with others?

When I've played with other folks, they were usually better than me and so I could sit back for a bit until I picked up the pattern of the song... verse, chorus, bridge, hook, etc.
This is really playing by ear though. Not what you were asking about.

There is something called Shape-Note Singing or Sacred Harp Singing.
Everyone has the same music with special shapes to the notes to aid in sight-reading it.
I first tried it in Fairbanks, Alaska. There is a group of Quakers who get together (same folks who run the Contra Dances) and sing this way.
It's very beautiful music. I think you hear some in the movie Cold Mountain, if memory serves me correct.

Maybe this could help?

------->SHAPE NOTE SINGING CLICK HERE


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kindofbluenote
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24 Sep 2007, 10:00 pm

Thanks for all the helpful tips! I'll try looking for more patterns, I never thought of that!

wsmac: I try to familiarize when possible, but there's too much going on in my head when I'm trying to play it with others for the first few times. I'm going to try to find others with the same problem, and practice with people sympathetic to the situation.

It's strange, if I work through a solo piece I can play some of the greatest music ever. I've given many performances and recitals. I work through the piece, and memorize it quickly. I don't memorize the notes, just the hand positions and sounds. I think I should try visualizing the notes when I play, rather than the position on the neck.

Thanks again, I knew I could count on you!


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Astreja
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25 Sep 2007, 11:03 pm

I sightread fairly well for voice and for three instruments - Piano, violin and clarinet. Not quite so fluid with guitar sightreading yet.

When I look at an unfamiliar piece of music, these are the things I see first:

1. The key signature, which pre-loads the scale and arpeggio patterns for that key into my brain.

2. The first couple of notes, which I cross-reference to the key of the piece to determine where I am in the scale. At this point I may start to hear the music in my head.

Once I've gotten the key firmly in mind, I glance through the upcoming bar of music and mentally highlight notes that fall on the beats. Usually those notes describe the harmonic structure that follows. For instance, if I've been playing an Alberti bass pattern with G in the bass, I glance ahead to see if and when the bass note changes.

After that, it's on to the hard work of pattern-spotting, concentrating initially on the pattern itself and then on the outlying notes (For instance, in a sequence that goes ABADABAEABAF# I would concentrate on the D-E-F).



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26 Sep 2007, 12:48 am

Practice sightreading (I know: sounds dumb). Sightread everything you can, but do it methodically.

First, take a squint at what you're going to sightread. Notice key changes, "hairy" parts (with lots of fast notes or complex rhythms). Estimate the fastest comfortable tempo you can play the piece at without missing anything or stopping. Set a metronome at that tempo. Then play the piece through without stopping (no matter what happens!). Don't go back for a post-mortem, as it's not helpful; just go on to the next item to read, and repeat the procedure.

If you do this consistently, I guarantee your sightreading will improve.



AspieMartian
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27 Sep 2007, 10:55 pm

Huh. Most Aspie musicians I've know, as well as myself, have been really good at sight reading. I'm a visual-spatial learner in spades (also a common Aspie trait) - not only I taught myself to read music without any difficulty, sight-reading has been quite natural for me.

Unfortuantely, there's no short cut witht his if you lack the intutive ability to sightread - you're just going to have to practice, a little each day. There are a lot of books for sightreading, or simply get a book of easy, beginner level etudes you don't know, and work through that. Don't do more than 15 minutes a day of sight reading - little each day it a lot better than a lot once or twice a day. After you do your sight reading, do something you're more comfortable with. That wil help your brain better integrate the newer skills it's learning from teh sight readin with what you already know.

Your problem seemed to be more that you're an auditory learner more than a visual learner, which typical of guitarists (I'm a guitarist too - but most guitarists are auditory learner who tend to have poor music reading skills because they pick up so much by ear). Are you by chance dyslexic? I know dyslexic musicians have these kinds of problems.