The Visual Music Tutor Advantage
Making Reading More
It is beyond the scope of this brief text to outline everything involved in developing sightreading technique, but here are a few pointers that can be practically implemented in every
PREVIEW playing
If you look before you leap, you will not be surprised. A mental
SLOW playing
Merely playing a piece, either hands separately or together, at a reduced tempo will prepare the students for the real playing. This is as critical as a preview. However, the writer’s experience as a teacher and as a student indi- cates that both the PREVIEW and SLOW
OUTLINE
The SMF provides the rhythmic and musical propulsion; the student is visually “forced” to play selected notes (a sketch or outline of the piece) in a visually guided rhythm
•Play only FIRST BEAT of each measure
•Play only FIRST AND THIRD BEATS of each measure (either duple or triple meter)
•Play ALL BEATS
•Play ALL NOTES, including subdivisions
•At the end of this short process, students or entire class have been visually guided through four separate play- throughs
SHADOW
Again, the SMF provides the propulsion while an “imaginary” perfect performance takes
•Move the fingers on top of keys without actually depressing any keys.
•“Play” along with these activities:
a)sing the note names,
b)sing the finger numbers, and
c)name each interval and direction
•Now, when the actual playing begins, the eyes have already read the score several times, and the fingers are “itching” to play
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