Successful Sight-Reading with Skillful Eye Placement

[@markkautsky4316]

One important measure of how well a person understands a subject is how easily he can explain it to others. I value your ability to explain the material in your videos. Thank you Cory!

[@lararilaraaa]

Best trick: “read a lot of music”. I’ve been practcing my sight reading learning elementary and intermediate piano repertoire, to expand my “vocalubulary”. I love your channel! Sorry if my English is bad 🤣 I am thinking in Portuguese and writing in English

[@Zimzamzoom95]

@Josiah Jaime nobody gives a shit, and it's surprising that you would even consider otherwise

[@pearlfisher8988]

No one has ever given such good advice before, thank you.

[@mabdub]

You've given away a trade secret for free, that's what makes you a special soul and superior teacher. Bravo Maestro.

[@militaryandemergencyservic3286]

probably the BEST video I have ever seen on sight-reading! Thank you so much!

[@maxhynam1031]

I am finding your Sight reading and Harmony book to be a wonderful resource. I can't imagine the investnent of time and thought it's preparation involved, but it's beautifully considered throughout. A bonus that it is also founded on the Chorales. A resounding well done!!

[@BachScholar]

Wow, thank you!

[@johannesbrahms7414]

This is, indeed, a truly, very good piano sight-reading lesson! He gives very pointed advice on fundamentally necessary matters in an clear, objective manner. One walks out from the lesson having learned valuable advice and outlook at technique.

[@timothysalfarlie1312]

It’s called peripheral vision. It’s one of the tests you go through at the opticians. BTW, I have your sight reading book and use it a lot. Thank you

[@Aalii6]

Very useful and clear advice, thank you so much! Also, I bought your book and I am very happy with it. Furthermore, I would love to see more videos like this!

[@nonenone845]

that is a very useful trick

[@teemewgek683]

Thank you so much for teaching

[@robertofavilla3573]

Thank you so much ,marvellous suggestions!

[@hrobert745]

So helpful! Thanks!

[@catinthebookshelf]

Amazing advice. 😍I will try to apply it to the guitar and the piano. If I find time to practice 😅

[@victoza9232]

Wow. The last time I had watched your videos, you had a long ponytail. You look much better now, man.

[@BachScholar]

I shaved the tail off three years ago!

[@victoza9232]

@@BachScholar Smart decision. You look good, man!

[@AidanMmusic96]

This is excellent stuff, and will also be useful for improving my mallet percussion sight-reading, which was a skill I fiercely neglected at college. I have always been guilty of moving my neck down as the dynamic quietens, or looking at the keyboard at the total expense of reading the music (whether or not I’ve memorised the piece, which ‘ends up happening’ anyway). I’ve just started practicing scales while using peripheral vision (and occasionally not looking at the instrument at all, to improve proprioception) to get more comfortable at this whole thing. Thanks Cory! Edit: I agree with your idea of reading the music even when a piece is memorised - though I did that for my final grad school recital and the examiner deducted marks for not playing from memory!

[@jslonisch]

Great suggestion, I have just been re-reading an old piece that I have played from memory many times so this video is perfect timing.

[@brianreid-rutherford6871]

I tried your excellent suggestion to not lower ones neck, just the eyes. Sadly, if you wear reading spectacles, it doesn’t work. As my eyes lowered, without moving my neck, the keyboard was obliterated by the spectacle frames.

[@joshuawilliam4994]

Best teacher on youtube so far that I’ve encountered, i will try to purchase that book

[@zwurltech9047]

Great lesson, thank you! However: listen to your video with earphones and then learn how to improve your audio-quality.

[@weizhao7979]

Hello Cory, I just bought your book “sight-reading & harmony”. I am eagerly to improve my sight-reading skills. Do you have any suggestions how I can use the book efficiently? My biggest problem is reading treble and bass staves at the same time, and, I can’t find the correct keys without looking at the keyboard. But once I look at the keyboard, I can’t get back to the correct location of the sheet music.

[@manishbaj]

Should I look at the treble clef notes or the bass clef notes, the right hand notes or the left hand notes? How do people read notes for both the hands at the same time?!

[@cumbrianmountain]

Hi Manish. I would love to see a video on this subject too. I tend to look at the bass notes for the bar first and then scan the treble notes always looking ahead. I am not sure whether I am unusual but I don’t easily see both lines at the same time and especially when it gets complicated.

[@adriandreams]

Thank you as always for the thoughtfulness. Any tips around how far ahead you read at different times? or how many notes at a time you read? Or if you even learn to look at more than a measure at a time? Also are you looking at them vertically most of the time? Or sometimes looking at the treble and then down to bass clef? Any particular order for all this? Maybe bass notes and then treble or vice versa?

[@johndouglas7787]

Adrian Read vertical chords from bottom to top [lowest bass to highest treble ] recognizing interval spacing and use fingering that shapes the chord and allows the hand to remain in a relaxed position. There will always be exceptions depending on what is coming next. As for how far ahead to read depends on the tempo. Fast tempo will require you to look ahead more. If you are looking at the notes you are playing you are not looking ahead far enough. By looking ahead you can see out of your peripheral vision the pattern of scales, arpeggios, and chords that you are about to play. I have been an excellent sight reader even from an early age. I am 64 now. Playing old school church hymns will help with sight reading as you have to read multiple notes and intervals instantly.

[@adriandreams]

@@johndouglas7787 Thanks :). Helpful :).

[@toochukwutv5630]

How can I get this book from Nigeria Please.....

[@emmaatkinson4334]

I'm tempted by your book. You didn't mention reading ahead as another eye movement. Does your book cover this skill? I'm hoping it will come with more practice as I am often losing the rhythm because I haven't processed what I have read, hesitating at the end of the barline feeling pleased with myself (or when approaching the next system). Thank you for this video.

[@BachScholar]

No, there is nothing in my book about where to place your eyes. This is an entirely different topic. All other books on sight-reading cover where to place the eyes. My book focuses more on the music and building up your skills with four-part textures.

[@superpapy78]

Hello from FRANCE. Very interesting tips !!! i want to try them as soon as possible. Can you tell me the name of the piece you play as example? i think it will be easier for me to follow the piano sheet . Many thanks in advance. Dominique

[@loganbutler1016]

I got your sight reading book a few months ago and it totally works! I love the book! I have a question though - I have started filling in for the pianist at my church when she can't be there and the hymnal we use has shape notes "Best loved songs and hymns". I have looked for a version that uses standard notion but I don't believe one exists. We do have a larger print spiral bound hymnal for the pianist, but it is in shape notes too. These have been difficult for me to read and I was wondering if you had any suggestions for this. Thanks in advance!

[@88steps81]

Hi, i don't think that i'm good enough to sight read, or read in your understanding of that term yet. Do you think that it's a good idea to just read music, without actually playing piano at all?

[@usaroman]

Absolutely 🤗

[@lifespanwellnessbeauty-60i64]

The website doesn’t give a price or place to purchase the pdf. copy of the book. Am I just not seeing it?

[@JLamont45]

A question on fingering. Are these fingerings from you? Are they open to interpretation or should be followed exactly? I am studying your book and find it to be honestly the best resource for sight readers as it is challenging. An example of my question would be Grade 2 level 4 exercise 18 HT D minor BWV 275, 3rd measure treble cl E natural thumb crossing under to A. It feels smoother (to me) to play thumb (1) on E and stretch 2 to A. The rest of the passage fits the fingering. Great work, keep it up!!

[@BachScholar]

Everyone plays with different fingerings. The key is experimenting and trying out various options. Everyone doesn't have to play my fingerings.

[@patatje1434]

do you also speak out the note names as you read? i'm really strugling with sightreading ever since i started taking pianolessons four years ago

[@bidkonic]

Definitely not, you don't have the time to say the notes' names

[@TheSIGHTREADINGProject]

Hi Dr Cory. I have your book. I’ve found it very hard as my sight-reading was so low, but I’ll be going back to it soon. I respect what you said about it teaching absolute hand independence with its 1st species counterpoint compared to chordal intervalic reading (which has had to be my starting point). Love the ‘neck’ tip here. On top of breaking that rule I end up with my nose nearly on the page when trying to read!

[@opticalmixing23]

Please sight read Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji - Opus clavicembalisticum Ty

[@mikejunior80]

...and this is the main problem with my sight reading: the peripheral vision and it's not just with sight reading, it's with everything I do.

[@charlytorres1077]

Michael Humphrey you need to relax your eyes as much as you can God bless

[@mikejunior80]

...and I do this how@@charlytorres1077?

[@finngape8503]

Michael Humphrey practice

[@mikejunior80]

Yeah I know@@finngape8503. I'm just saying there might be a deficiency in the movement of my eye muscles.

[@TheSIGHTREADINGProject]

Hi Michael - don’t worry, there’s a sort of keyboard geography that builds up as sight reading grows even if the peripheral vision isn’t there. Like driving without looking at the wheel and gear stick. I’m going to try what Dr Cory says here as I tend to bend my neck down to look and like he says, I loose my place. I hadn’t thought about my peripheral vision until today but reading has been developing despite it, so you’ll be ok

[@petitchocolat6810]

Hi! I am really interest by your sight reading complète edition book but when I click on the link that send me on Amazon I cant find this book could you help me ?

[@BachScholar]

www.amazon.com/SIGHT-READING-HARMONY-Progressive-Keyboard-Four-Part/dp/0692911189

[@arthouston7361]

I am a decent sight reader for singing, considering I am not in a professional choir. That said, I am in my first year of learning piano, and the idea of anyone's "chorale" at this point seems out of my league. Is there a more elementary approach to sight reading for piano, aimed at beginners, or is that deemed to be unnecessary by the music world?

[@Az-jt2zp]

I've been learning piano with a teacher now just a few months less then a year, is it worth me getting and working through the sight-reading book now or later?

[@BachScholar]

Now

[@Az-jt2zp]

@@BachScholar well okay then. I'll get on it!

[@withoutword2888]

what if the tempo is much faster? u wouldnt have time to look down and back

[@philbarone4603]

I have his book and it’s great but I really have to talk to him about his choice in shirts lol!

[@duncanmwalimu7649]

How do I get the book?

[@levilew8259]

Hi Dr.Hall, I am very impressed with your book - "Sight-Reading & Harmony". That is really a fantastic work. But I have question when practice sight-reading, should we hum the melody in mind with alphabet (DEF#GABC#) or hum the melody with solfge ? Which way is much preferable when consider the harmonic function with music ?

[@BachScholar]

I never learned solfege, so I really can't answer that. But I think you should know the actual note names.

[@benpennington7532]

The whole thing boils down to, keep your head still and just move your eyes, oh and also read a lot of music even the stuff you have memorized. Maybe people would get more benefit from practicing for 17 of these minutes.

[@kashnigahbaruda]

This only works if you have hands

[@ravindrabanchhod1579]

Wow looking so handsome these days!