Sight Reading Challenge

Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph
Hoffman
and today it's time for another sight
reading challenge. The sight reading
challenges we're going to be working on
today come from Sight Reading Trainer
Book 2, which is available from our
website. So pause the video if you need a
minute to get your Sight Reading Trainer
Book 2 ready,
otherwise let's come to the piano to get
started. In your own Sight Reading Trainer
Book 2, please find exercise 67. This is
the one we're going to start with today.
We're going to do the six steps that you
can find in the start, at the beginning
of Sight Reading Trainer Book 2. That
first step says to tap the rhythm while
counting the beat. To count the beat
we'll need to know our time signature.
Our top number is 2, which tells us
we'll count 2 beats per measure. That
4 on the bottom tells us quarter
notes equal 1 beat. So remember that if
you have two eighth notes, you'll have to
fit both of them inside 1 beat because
two eighth notes equals one quarter note
beat. So it'll sound kind of like this.
1 2 1 2
Alright, now pause the video and on your
own I'd like you to count out loud 2
beats per measure, while you tap this
rhythm. Then press play and we'll try it
together.
Okay, let's tap this rhythm while we
count the beat. I'll give 2 beats to
prepare, and then we'll start. 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
Why did I get quieter here?
That's right, when we tap rhythms we're
going to try and follow the dynamics too.
We had a forte, and then here we suddenly
change to mezzo piano. Try and watch for
those subtle changes in dynamics, or in
this case maybe not so subtle. The next
step is to point and identify the steps,
skips, and repeats. We'll say start on A
for the first note. I knew this is an A
because we've got bass clef, or here's
the F line, G, A, and then we'll say step
up, repeat, down a third, step down, step
down. Whenever you have a skip of any
kind, please say the interval, okay? Now,
press pause and on your own I'd like you
to name all the steps, skips, and repeats,
and then press play and we'll try it together.
Okay, try saying it with me. Start on A, step
up, repeat, down a third, step down, step
down, up a fourth, repeat, step up, repeat, down a
third, step down, step down, up a fourth, repeat,
step up, repeat, down a third. Great, now
onward to step three, which is to point and
sing or speak the letter names. So, once
again press pause and say the letter
names. Now because of our key signature
over here, which puts us in the E major
pentascale, four sharps gives us E major,
there will be F-sharps and G-sharps, but if
you just want to say F and G for now,
when we put it on the keyboard we'll
worry about the sharps, but for now you
can just say the letter names, press
pause to identify all the letters, and
then press play to go on.
Okay, let's say the letters together. Try
and keep up with me. A B B G F E A A B B
G F E A A B B G. Now, let's try to play it
on the piano.
Alright, since exercise 67 is in the bass
clef, we'll use our left hand. Here's my
middle C and we need to cover up the E
major pentascale. You can see that first note
is A, just a little below middle C, so
we'll use this E major pentascale. Now, on
your own I'd like you to try steps five and
six, which is play and sing the letter
names, like measure one would be, A B B, and
then I'll let you figure out the rest,
and then also try step 6 to play and
count the beat like this 1 2 1 2.
Now, again I'll let you figure out the
rest. Press pause and try steps five and six,
play and sing the letter names, play and
count the beat out loud, then press play
and I'll show you the correct answer.
Okay, here's exercise 67. I will play and
count the beat, if you like you can try
playing along with me or you can just
listen, it's up to you. Here's what you
should have played on your own.
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
We're going to do one more sight reading exercise today, and that's number 69. So again in your own site reading
trainer book you can try and find this
exercise. Step one is to tap the rhythm
while counting the beat.
What's our time signature? If you said
4/4 you're correct.
So we will count 4 beats per measure
because of that top number. Because we
have a two-handed rhythm here, we're
going to try and tap both hands at the
same time. In order to do that
successfully, let's scan ahead what's
going to happen. What kind of rhythm is
the right hand performing? We're doing
all whole notes, so ...