Reading notation

[leemay001]

I can sure enough read the notation on sheet music but I need a way to speed up my reading. When I learn a piece I read the notation first, bit by bit, and play each section over and over until it sticks into memory. But is there any way I can learn to read it faster so I can play along without having to pause at each section? I think I made that clear, if not just ask... thanks
  ~Lee~

[bernhard]

Yes, there is a better way.

Just like when reading you do not go letter by letter, but rather recognise whole words (and ultra-fast readers take the whole page), when sight-readin gmusic you should take in patterns, rather than isolated notes. Also, learn to read the intervals, rather than the notes themselves.

It will take some time and focused effort to achieve this though. The best map for this particular territory is Howard Richman's book "Super sight-reading secrets". I think you can order it from his website. Follow the sequence of drills in the book and in a couple of months you should see an enormous difference.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Noah]

Try to analyse the piece, spot the melodic lines and phrases, and the harmonies. As Bernhard said, you need to get a general overview and feeling of the piece, just like you need to step back to admire a painting, because you can't see the whole picture if you're too close.
Apparently (never tried it myself) a good method is inventing a story to go with the music.

[leemay001]

Thanks. One more thing though, would it be a good idea to read a really basic piece note for note just in spare time eg. before bed. Just to get used to where each note is positioned so I can just look at the note and know what it is by it's position? Thanks again
    ~Lee~

[bernhard]

Yes. Of course you must also know each note's position on the staff. But this is a stage you want to get over as soon as possible.

It is really very similar to reading. (But easier in a certain way - more difficult in another way. More about that later). When learning to read, of course you must first learn the alphabet. So, yes, go through flash cards, drawing the letters, whatever makes you proficient in recognising the letters. But competent readers go one step further and read whole words, whole sentences, whole paragraphs and sometimes whole pages.

Reading music is easier than reading text, after all there are only seven notes (I know, I know, what about all the octaves and ledger lines? Still it is easier.)  and 26 letters in the alphabet (50 000 ideograms if you are Chinese!)

The area in which music is more difficult to read then text comes from another aspect. The other day someone asked me if I knew how to read German. I said, “of course, but I cannot understand a word!” . In fact anyone whose language use the Roman alphabet can "read" Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and so on, and yet not understand a single word. Now consider this:

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer inwaht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mind deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig huh?

(What about that, members of the Spelling Police Force?  )

In both cases, (me reading German and Cambridge University research) the crucial point is meaning. Competence in reading text comes with ability to discern meaning in what you read. Likewise competence in sight-reading comes with ability to discern meaning in music. So after getting the notes, so to speak, you must get the meaning of the piece. And what is the meaning of music? (Here is another good new topic!). Now the meaning of music is not like the meaning of a language. It has more to do with harmonic rules. I suggest you read Robert L. Jacobs “Understanding Harmony” (OUP) and Deryck Cooke “The language of music” (OUP) to get you started.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Daevren]

Its actually much easier to read chinese because they use so many characters, its just harder to learn it.

I read music pretty well but I sight read very bad. I practice it rarely because I think its much better to practice pure musical skills. Counterpoint, soflege, just listening to music etc.

[leemay001]

Bernhard: What you said made it a lot clearer for me. And that word scramble thing Made a lot of sense too. Thanks for you help  
   ~Lee~

[bernhard]

You are welcome.