Sight Reading Challenge

Hello and welcome back. Today we are going to continue to practice our sight reading by tackling a few more exercises from Sight Reading Trainer Book 2.
If you don't already have that book, I highly recommend that you purchase, download, and print that from our website.
It's going to be useful to have it available to use while you do this lesson.
So, pause the video if you need a moment to get it out, and join me at the piano to get started with today's sight reading challenge.
For starters, go ahead and find exercise number eight in your Sight Reading Trainer Book 2.
It should say C minor pentascale at the top of the page.
So all the exercises on this page, including number 8, are in the key of C minor,
and you'll play them using the C minor pentascale.
Now, this key signature happens to be the key signature for C minor. We haven't learned how to identify pentascale or the key
purely from the key signature, so just trust me for now. Actually, we've learned some key signatures,
but we haven't learned this one yet. So, I'm just telling you everything on this page is in C minor,
and step one is going to be to tap the rhythm while you count the beat.
Let's try that one together, ok? Can you count the beat out loud? Notice we're in 3/4, so we'll count 3 beats per measure
while we tap the rhythm that you see.
Try it with me. I'll count 3 beats, then we'll go. 1 2 3
1 2 3, 1 2 3
1 2 3, 1 2 3
1 2 3
Now, you might have noticed I was trying to follow the dynamics too.
It's good while you're practicing your rhythm to also try and notice the dynamics. We start soft,
we get a little louder, and then we end a pianissimo, or really soft.
Okay, try to pay attention to that as you do your rhythms.
Now step two is to point and identify the steps, skips, and repeats.
Okay, can you do that for me? Say start for the first note, and say all the steps, skips, and repeats. If you see an interval,
you know, go ahead and name the interval if it's bigger than a step. Go.
You should have said start, step down, step down, step down, step up, skip down a third, that's down a skip of a third,
step up, step up, step up, skip down, a third, step down.
Now, can you point and identify the letter names? In the C minor pentascale,
we will have an E-flat, so whenever you see an E, be sure to say E-flat.
So we'd have G F E-flat D E-flat, now you do the rest.
You should have said C D E-flat F D C.
Step 4 is place your hand in the correct pentascale or position.
This is a treble clef exercise, so we'll use our right hand.
And we're starting on this treble G, and we know we're in the C minor pentascale because that's given. All the exercises on this page are C minor.
So, go ahead and find that position, and that's step 4, now step 5 is play and sing the letter names.
So, I'd like you to press pause, and when you have an E-flat, make sure you say E-flat,
go ahead and press pause and sing the letter names out loud as you play.
Try and keep your eyes on the notes, not on your fingers.
Press pause to try that on your own, then press play to have me show you.
So that should have sounded like this, and remember I'm going to play piano to follow the dynamics.
G F E-flat D
E-flat C D E-flat F
D C
Alright, we're ready for the last step, which is step six. Play and count the beat.
So now you'll do it one more time while you count. 1 2 3, 1 2 3
Go ahead and try this on your own. Play and count the beat out loud on your own, press pause to do that, and then press play to go on.
All right, that should have sounded like this: 1 2 3, 1 2 3
1 2 3, 1 2 3,
1 2 3
Okay, time for our next sight reading challenge.
Let's go on to exercise number nine. We're in the bass clef this time. We're still in the key of C minor, so we use the C minor pentascale.
We're in the 4/4 time signature now.
So our step one is tap the rhythm while we count the beat.
See lots of eighth notes, so make sure that you get both of those into 1 beat.
let's count the beat out loud while we tap.
I'll give you 4 beats, then let's start. 1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4.
Next up is to point and identify the steps, skips, and repeats.
Can you press pause and say all the steps, skips, and repeats for this melody? Then press play to go on.
You should have said start, step down, step down, step up, step up, repeat, step down, repeat, skip down a third,
step up, repeat, repeat, repeat, step up, repeat, step up, step down, step down, step down, step down.
Now, step three is point and identify the letter names.
Can you do that? Remember, whenever you have an E, you'll say E-flat since we're in the C minor pentascale. So it starts with G F E-flat F G G F F D. Now will you say the rest?
You should have said E-flat E-flat E-flat E-flat F F G F E-flat D C.
We' ...