Why Practise Piano Sight Reading at E-MusicMaestro? RSS

HOW DO PEOPLE USUALLY PRACTISE SIGHT READING?

Any piece that has not been played before from notation can be used as sight reading material. There are also many publications for sight reading practice, for virtually all instruments and voice – but progress and success do depend on the availability of feedback and help from a teacher or otherwise accomplished musician.  The best way to practise sight reading is in the company of a good teacher, who can explain helpful strategies and give constructive feedback. Ideally, music students need to practise sight reading at home too because the more music we play from notation, the easier it is to sight read.

practising sight reading at home

Students working on sight reading at home, especially dyslexic learners, can experience problems and pitfalls : 

1. taking too long to prepare before playing
2. insecure key awareness
3. underestimating the need for rhythmic playing
4. overemphasising the need for completely accurate notes
5. underestimating the need for fluency
6. not noticing the performance detail
   
7. not knowing whether they are getting the examples right 
8. not realistically self-assessing their own performance
9. not sight reading a wide enough variety of musical styles
10. not trying a sufficient number of examples.

No wonder so few students feel confident about sight reading!

why is E-MusicMaestro sight reading practice a good idea?

E-MusicMaestro Piano Sight Reading was developed by professional musicians to help with practising piano sight reading at home, online. The examples cover every conceivable challenge that could be encountered in piano sight reading tests given at that grade by major examining boards such as ABRSM, Trinity College London, London College of Music and AMEB. Hearing how the piece should have sounded encourages self-assessment and promotes real understanding of music notation. The increased enjoyment of effective, online learning enhances motivation and speeds progress. 

This is how it works:

Place your tablet on the piano music stand, or position the computer in a convenient place where you can see it easily. Log in and find your sight reading package. The sight reading tests are video files, which are arranged in sets of 10 to give a sense of structure and achievement. Find the set that you need to try next. Click the link to start the video. First study the music for half a minute (like in an exam), then play it, then listen to how it should have sounded - and have another go if you wish. You can do one a day or you can move on to the next video straight away. Practising little and often tends to work best so one a day would be ideal unless you have an exam coming up very soon.

HOW IS E-musicmaestro different from other  piano sight reading packages?


E-MusicMaesto Piano Sight Reading is unique in offering so many helpful features: 

• The preparation timer gives an idea of how long it should take to prepare a piece of sight reading. Dyslexic learners may stop the video to allow for extra study time.
  
•  E-MusicMaestro Sight Reading may be increased to a large size on screen and is presented on a cream background, both of which make music reading easier for many dyslexic learners. 
  
• A chord is heard before beginning studying the piece, giving a feel for the mood and key.
  
• Each grade has at least 100 pieces, giving plenty of practice examples in a wide variety of styles.
  
• The pieces all feature titles which cleverly reflect the rhythm of the first few bars. 
  
• All the pieces have appealing tunes that are fun to play, in the style of real piano pieces. 
  
• The pieces were specially composed (as opposed to computer-generated) by a pianist who is also a music examiner and an experienced teacher. 
  
• The pieces reflect the difficulty and variety of tests in an exam.
  
• After playing the piece, it is heard performed with appropriate detail, at a well-judged pace, by a professional pianist on a conservatoire grand piano (not an electronic instrument).
  
• E-MusicMaestro Piano Sight Reading works across all platforms, including Android and iOS: iPad, all tablets, smartphones, laptops, Mac and PC desktop computers.

E-MusicMaestro does not aim to replace a teacher but it will help you, your child or your student to enjoy becoming a good piano music reader and to prepare successfully for the sight reading element of an early grade exam.  

E-MusicMaestro Sight Reading costs as little as £2.89 for 100 examples - try it now - free!