Vocalist.org archive


From:  Margaret Harrison <peggyh@i...>
Margaret Harrison <peggyh@i...>
Date:  Fri May 11, 2001  3:37 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] reading skills or rather a lack thereof.........


You're welcome. A Soprano on Her Head is not a theory book,
though. But it is written by a music teacher. I'm sure you
can find it on http://www.amazon.com.

Peggy

Nande wrote:
>
> Thanks for your story, Peggy! I recognize your piano-playing methods,
> as it is the exact same way I used to play the violin. I just never
> got over it and quit taking lessons when it became really difficult.
> Stupid in hindsight, but hey, I was only 12 at the time! :-))
>
> Also, thanx for the tip on the book, I'll try to find a copy.
> We do have some theory-books here in the Netherlands, but most of them
> are really heavy stuff and no fun at all.
>
> Nande
>
> --- In vocalist-temporary@y..., Margaret Harrison <> wrote:
> --- In
vocalist-temporary@y..., Margaret Harrison <> wrote:
> --- In
vocalist-temporary@y..., Margaret Harrison <peggyh@i...> wrote:
> >
> > I'll explain: I learned my first instrument, piano, at age
> > 9. And progressed really fast, as children of that age tend
> > to do who have some ability. But my memory was really
> > good. So I memorized the simple pieces I was playing at
> > the time right away, and played looking at my hands. And my
> > teacher at the time let me do this. So when I moved and
> > studied with a new teacher, my sightreading was horrendous.
> > Now I had the skill to decode the music at slow tempo, so I
> > could read some, but I had no facility. So to this day, my
> > piano sightreading, while it has improved, has never felt
> > fluent. And funny thing, as I improved my piano
> > sightreading, my ease in memorizing piano music diminished
> > markedly. What used to be easy and natural because work. I
> > think it's related.
> >
> > When I learned my next instrument, the viola, my only
> > interest was playing in the orchestra or ensembles. I had
> > little interest in playing solo works. I played an hour a
> > day at school orchestra rehearsal. And a two-hour evening
> > or two a week in community orchestra rehearsal. And found I
> > could play my parts as well as I needed to with minimal
> > additional practice. So I sight-read - day-in, day-out.
> > Year after year. More and more difficult music. And after
> > 10, 15, 20 years, I played pretty well and sight read
> > incredibly well. Playing in the orchestra all those years
> > gave me the great rhythmic sightreading skills. But I can't
> > play music on the viola without the paper in front of me. I
> > can't hear a melody and reproduce it on the instrument,
> > without consciously thinking about intervals.
> >
> > As a singer, I started with choral music. Sight-read good
> > to start with (with my college theory training under my
> > belt, and rhythmic skills and interval recognition from
> > orchestra viola-playing also transferred over) and I only
> > got better. Now I'm an excellent choral sightreaders.
> > Melodies in solo music memorize themselves though memorizing
> > the words gets harder and harder the older I get), but in
> > choral music - I have to have the book in front of me
> > (though I do know the Hallelujah Chorus by now, after about
> > 1000 repetitions!).
> >
> > The original writer might want to check out that great book
> > "Soprano on Her Ear", which deals with many musical and
> > learning issued, with some great insights on sight-reading
> > and memorization and lots of other good stuff.
> >
> > Also, next time, put the words on a card and trust yourself
> > on the notes and rhythms you've learned the way you know
> > works for you. They'll be so impressed that you learned it
> > so fast and can sing it without the music in front of you,
> > that they'll overlook a mistake or two.
> >
> > Peggy
> >
> > --
> > Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
> > "Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile"
> > mailto:peggyh@i...
>
>
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--
Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
"Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile"
mailto:peggyh@i...

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