| If you are like most people, your performance of a | | | | technique, because you are using actual pieces, which |
| piece of music "at first sight" could probably stand | | | | can encompass all of these techniques and more. |
| some improvement. Oh, to be able to breeze through | | | | Let's talk more of those "tricks" that will get you on the |
| a brand new piece without all the stops and starts! | | | | road to better sight-reading. |
| What you may not realize is that sight-reading is an art | | | | First of all, you need a metronome. That's trick number |
| in itself, separate and apart from pianistic ability. Many | | | | one. |
| conservatory musicians, even many soloists, are not | | | | What A Metronome Does For Sight-Reading: |
| the great sight-readers you might expect. Sight-reading | | | | Have you ever played chess, or watched people play |
| is a special craft within the art of music that won't | | | | chess by time-clock? The object of time-clock chess |
| come automatically. | | | | is that each player has a stipulated amount of time in |
| You must work at it just as you work at technique, or | | | | which to make his or her move. They cannot exceed |
| interpretation. You could have the technique of a | | | | the amount of time allotted, or else the bell will sound |
| Horowitz on the keyboard, or a Segovia on the guitar, | | | | and s/he will be penalized. This is exactly how we use |
| but still be a laughable sight-reader. | | | | a metronome in sight-reading. We must make our |
| There are many tricks to the sight-reading game, no | | | | "move" to the next note, or next chord, within a set |
| matter which instrument you play. If these tricks can | | | | time period. |
| be used properly, and with regularity, two things will | | | | And that's the trick that gets our reflexes going. |
| happen: 1) your sight-reading improves, of course, and | | | | Sight-reading is nothing more than training our reflexes. |
| 2) your over-all technique automatically improves. And | | | | In order to do this we have to fight the time-clock. In |
| if you regiment yourself to a daily sight-reading | | | | the case of music, our time-clock is the metronome. It's |
| program, even just fifteen minutes' worth, your entire | | | | an absolute necessity if you are serious about |
| outlook on your instrument will change drastically in a | | | | becoming a good, or better sight-reader. Besides that, |
| matter days! | | | | you will find it invaluable for other practice purposes, |
| If you practice scales, for example, you only improve | | | | which we will deal with in the future. |
| your ability in playing scales. Nothing more. However, | | | | There are all kinds of reasons for having a |
| with sight-reading practice, you improve your scale | | | | metronome. So you might as well invest. |
| playing technique, your octave technique, your arpeggio | | | | |