Struggling with my limitations 🛑

navindra · 2025-02-25T06:09:07+00:00

It's painful to admit this, but after too long at Alfred's Adult All-In-One Adult Course, my music reading skills are shockingly non-existent. I've got nil f...

Nightowl

iternabe Thanks for posting the link, that video was very helpful. Dr Mortensen seems to really know what he's talking about and he was very firmly of the belief that there are no short cuts, people just need to put in the work. I also watched his video giving advice to parents of young adults who are aiming to make a career in music, via gaining a music diploma. That video was quite an eye opener and gave good advice about how to prepare students to pass the entrance audition and the need to manage expectations about the realities of a career in music. It seems that only the most elite students are able to carve out a career as concert pianists, while the vast majority will end up teaching music, perhaps alongside doing some performances/accompaniment work/writing music. This video contains very useful information for anyone dreaming of a career on stage.

thepianoplayer416 Thanks for the link - I might use that to work on basic staff reading - especially the bass notes.

Josephine

navindra It's not that I dislike it. I've been trying to stick to it out of principle, because that's what everyone recommends, including my teacher. Lately I have been finding it counter-productive in practice because it has made my progress crawl to a halt.

It's the same for me because there's such a big gap now in what I can play when I slowly read and memorize, and what I can play directly from sheetmusic. I think the difference is 5 grades or something like that.

lilypad

Josephine It's the same for me because there's such a big gap now in what I can play when I slowly read and memorize, and what I can play directly from sheetmusic. I think the difference is 5 grades or something like that.

That almost describes me. I try to observe a "self-judgement free zone" when I practice reading. I'm not always successful at the judging part either. If I can laugh, it helps.

pianoloverus

Josephine navindra It's not that I dislike it. I've been trying to stick to it out of principle, because that's what everyone recommends, including my teacher. Lately I have been finding it counter-productive in practice because it has made my progress crawl to a halt.

It's the same for me because there's such a big gap now in what I can play when I slowly read and memorize, and what I can play directly from sheetmusic. I think the difference is 5 grades or something like that.

What do you mean by "play directly play from the sheet music"? I have a feeling you mean play perfectly in terms of the notes and rhythms and without any stopping. But when you're sight reading or even reading a piece the second or 10th time, that level of reading should not be an expectation or a requirement.

pianoloverus

Josephine I'm sorry, I didn't see this reply for some reason. I meant playing without stopping with both hands together, but at a lower speed. With the pieces I'm memorizing I can't read left and right hand at the same time. Depending on what sort of music it is I first read the right hand of a measure, then left hand, then combine hands, or read an entire phrase right hand, then left hand, and then hands together. And it goes super slow. When notes are far apart from each other I have to do steps of thirds to get to the correct note. I can't see it at once which note it is.

When you're sight reading or reading a piece but not for the first time it's perfectly ok to stop or hesitate or even correct mistakes if necessary. The only time stopping or hesitating is not okay is when you're playing with other musicians which doesn't apply here. Based on your description of how difficult it is for you to sight read, I think you need to practice reading and sight reading much easier material for now. And you should make an attempt to sight read both hands at once by choosing material that's easy enough to accomplish this or by slowing down the tempo enough.

pianoloverus

Josephine I am not a teacher or psychologist but it's possible that even though very simple classical pieces might be boring compared to your usual pieces, if you are able to sight read them reasonably well that might be rewarding enough to make up for their relative lack of appeal.

LifelongBeginner

Josephine, I used to feel the same way, but now I look at sight-reading practice much more positively. Once I got over how much lower my reading level is, I went all in and got lots of music at that level. I also struggle with chronic tendonitis, which limits my ability to play certain pieces or even how much I can work on technique some weeks. But my sightreading books are always there for me: they never stress my arms, even just 10 minutes of it feels like I'm doing something towards my learning, and several months later, I am noticing some progress. Finally, after the slower process of practicing a performance piece, there's something liberating about taking out easier sheet music and playing, and thinking, "Wow, I'm actually moving along measure to measure and (mostly) getting this!"

Josephine

LifelongBeginner

That does sound fun and motivating 🙂

thepianoplayer416

I can sight-read some intermediate pieces that has no big jumps, big chords or tricky fingerings.

I'm working on a Bach piece with 20 bars that I played before. A lot of scale runs & tricky fingerings. The bigger issue is to get comfortable with the fingerings that work than re-learning the notes. On average I'm doing 2 bars a day so the end of the week I should be done with the top 10 bars.

The piece is like a Bach invention with both hands doing similar things alternating back & forth. I'd rather take my time to learn it well than to be able to play it from top to bottom in a few days.

pianoloverus

thepianoplayer416 I can sight-read some intermediate pieces that has no big jumps, big chords or tricky fingerings.

I'm working on a Bach piece with 20 bars that I played before. A lot of scale runs & tricky fingerings. The bigger issue is to get comfortable with the fingerings that work than re-learning the notes. On average I'm doing 2 bars a day so the end of the week I should be done with the top 10 bars.

The piece is like a Bach invention with both hands doing similar things alternating back & forth. I'd rather take my time to learn it well than to be able to play it from top to bottom in a few days.

If fingering is an issue and this is often the especially the case in Bach, It's a very good idea to write It in so you can use consistent fingering Probably learn the fingering More quickly also.

thepianoplayer416

pianoloverus
Not all scores have suggested fingerings. Especially a piece that is not frequently played. Like the piece in Em here which is more common as a guitar arrangement than the original for keyboard.

Have to try different ones to find the least awkward that would keep the flow of the music. You often find more than 1 fingerings that would work. As you practice, you may find alternative fingerings that are easier and make changes along the way.

The first time learning you're learning the notes & working out the best fingerings at the same time. Re-learning a piece after a while the focus is getting comfortable with whichever fingerings feel most natural.

pianoloverus

I never suggested all scores have fingerings. I only suggested one should write them in once one has figured it out which ones to use.

« Previous Page