Hi
I have started to take guitar as an extra subject in school, and next week we're going to have an exam. I don't care about the grade, but i would like not to fail. On the exam we have to be able to read notation and play directly from a music sheet (or what it's called) he gives us. I can't do that.. i have learned the notes, but i'm having problems with seeing it and then play it right away. Do you know any system of thought that helps?
- Ane
Wow, it sounds like your guitar class is about 100x better than the one was at my HS. I imagine NoteBoat will be showing up here with some amazing advice, so I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on this subject, especially because I'm a fairly weak sight reader myself.
Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life...
Playing 'at sight' takes practice. Don't stress about it, though... almost all teachers remember how tough it is to learn to read at sight, and just about every instrumental competition will give reading pieces about 2 levels below the student's performance abilities. If the music you've been working on in class is eighth notes, you will probably see mostly whole and half notes, with some quarter notes. There also won't be many (or maybe even any) accidentals for a first reading test.
Also, you will probably get to control the tempo unless it's marked on the sheet music. Count slow, don't just go charging into it.
One of the really tough things about learning to read is that you've probably already played through all the music you have - so it's now a combination of sight and memory that guides you through it. To learn to sight read, you need to practice with music you've never seen before. You might be able to check out song books from your local library to work with... or if you have a music career in mind, invest in a fake book (most have hundreds of songs) and play a tune or two at sight every day.
If you can't get new music to practice with, take the music you already have and play it backwards. That will defeat the memory part.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
wow.. thanks.
*sighs* then i guess i just have to sit down and practice. But concerning the level; i am at least two levels under where i should be, if i look at the homework we get and the playing of the younger boys who love to show off that they're becoming so good. I'm still stuck on the first song we got. That's my catch 22 - i am scared to pick up the guitar because i know i will suck at playing (and i want to play well), but i will never get better if i don't play.
And when I feel it is a challenge to just play - i get really discouraged (sp?) by the sight reading.
"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it." - Greg Anderson
Thank you - I'll tell that to my teacher. He'll be thrilled.
"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it." - Greg Anderson
That is my philosophy, because if i can't be a great player then i just want to have a good time while playing. It just seems like that is something american highschools have forgotten... america in general, actually.
Don't be too hard on your teachers: teaching music in a classroom setting is tricky, you have to combine discipline and goal fixing with the spiritual experience that is music.
You have to face up to the fact that if your teacher didn't assign tests and goals, that someone in your class would probably be ignoring the class all together. A lot of kids in HS aren't self motivated enough to go at their own pace at an instrument.
Consider yourself wise and mature and just do the best you can.
Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life...
yeah - you're right. The teacher is a very nice guy, and most of the class is doing great progress. I'm just fed up with myself and my slowness.. difficult to keep the perspective. Thanks for all the help anyway - I printed out the main notes with their respective tabs that were on one of the lessons. Now i just hope it will all change overnight, because i've heard that's usually the case :roll: :lol:
Ane
