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Has anyone else used this book to help with their sight-reading? I have been working out of it over the past few months and just recently reached the last couple of lessons. I gotta say, these last lessons were like hitting a brick wall. I honestly feel like I have been making progress up until this point, but that the final 2 pieces were just in a different league altogether. Did anyone else experience the same thing? My inclination is to go back to the beginning to see if working through it a second time will help, but I am really frustrated. Any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated.
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03-13-2009 07:18 PM
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sight-reading? Is that a problem?
But what follows? Reading sheetmusic or shit?
The problem with sight-reading for me is only, that I play from papers
and the long waý to transpose it to my ears, correct?
Times change, but not for sure
but guitars are a challenge, like any other instrument.
Sightreading is a secondary thing, but easy...
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That is so nonsensical it makes my head hurt.
Originally Posted by hubert54
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It's not nonsensical-it's merely how guitar players communicate when they live on the planet Neptune.....
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ok, guys, why u're commenting my "nonsensical-neptune-posting"?
help the guy above with his sightreading manual!
stay tuned
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I worked on that book a long time ago. I don't think I got thru the last pieces either. The book has a very structured programed course for sight reading, I liked that. However I didn't enjoy playing the music, I think he made the notes in the excercises kind of random to make it a challeng for sight reading.
What I like to do for sight reading is go thru books of fairly easy classical repetiore. I just sit down and read like I'm reading a book. For me the music is very enjoyable to play. If you know the classical grading structure, I'll attempt sight reading pieces up to level 4. Check out the Delcamp classical guitar forum, they're are hundreds of pieces from level 1 to level 4 (and hundreds more level 5 and up) and they're free.
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Thanks fep. I stepped away from it for a couple of days and am thinking I am going to move along those lines you suggest. I just felt like it was a "final exam" of sorts. I explained it my wife that is was as if I had been taking a course in Spanish and the final was in Italian. Well, maybe not that drastic, but you get the idea. I think sharpening my reading via classical pieces might be the way to go.
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I was taking Howard's seminars in LA when that book came out and a number of people in the class pointed the problem out to him (we all had the book). He hadn't realized how much material he omitted between the course proper and the last two lessons. We spent a day going over all the stuff that should've/could've been in the book. As it turned out, that omission got Howard involved in starting the Guitar Institute of American, although he didn't hang around long. We had an organizational meeting as a followup to the seminars. So, it ain't just you!
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Thanks Bluesguy. I feel much better now.
As a side note - what a great opportunity to have studied with Roberts. I appreciate you sharing this.
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It was definitely a cool experience. And intense...in a mellow, jazzy kind of way. Someone else noted on another thread how down to earth the real jazz cats were/are--Howard was a good example, being a real likable fellow as well as a good teacher.
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I do not know if the missing material was added to subsequent editions. I could only find a first (early?) edition on the 'Bay.
I feel like it has helped my sight reading quite a bit in that it helped me understand the process and presented some very practical exercises to illustrate each step along the way. The caveat being I was a LOUSY reader when I started in on it. I would consider myself a mediocre reader now, but I can hobble through a moderate-level piece with my dignity intact.
The unfortunate thing about it is that it is fairly hard to find and usually expensive when you do find it. Someone (cough, cough) should make this more readily available.
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Violin books might help? They're inexpensive...
Mazas, Kreutzer, Wolfhardt, are some of the authors. They have a manilla cover, thin, around 30 pages. The way the etudes outline melodies with a melodic use of the "vanilla" notes and follow with variations is a good way to learn to play in key while stretching it's boundaries. Lot's of repetitive rhythm teasers in there too.
I got my first guitar at ten years old and started lessons with my best friend's mom, Howard Roberts' wife! Doug told me his dad played guitar, but we were more interested in model cars, bicycles, and flooding the Roberts' backyard because mud was so fun!
If only I knew....
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berklee guitar method books are a great way to learn to read music. As usuall you can go through these books a dozen times but it still means you have to continuing on reading music. Its a never ending fundamental to do and a lot of people give that up cause its so important and demanding to do
in the real world of music.
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as been said above...get your hands on any music and read...just like you pick up a paperback and read it..
violin methods..clarinet methods..flute methods..the Rubank Method books for school bands and orchestras are great for sight reading...
Charles Colin (NYC) has some great sight reading books...as does Jamie Abersold...Berklee...Mel Bay...or just type "sight reading music" in your web browser window and see what you find...a botomless pit..
time on the instrument..pierre
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Hope this helps somebody, but the way I learned was to sit down one day and really pin down C major - A minor, so I knew it in my sleep. then sight reading was a lot easier,
not having to keep looking away meant that I could struggle through to the end of a page sometimes.
Since then I try to learn bits and pieces the same way, identifying the problem, breaking it down. Same with learning any piece of music, learn a few bars at a time, keep adding, when you get to a tricky part slow down and work on it more. You will get there, and the more you do it the better you will get at getting there.
that's my opinion at this time anyway.
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what i learned for HR was the easy part that is often overlooked....what not to read...if you see scale runs..arpeggio runs etc...you don't read what you already know..as you don't "read" words in text like.."and, if or what" etc
the other great point he brings out is...locating the highest and lowest note in a passage or several bars so you can locate a neck position for playing without having to search for the notes...and to make the piece flow better without hesitation.
i found that transposing some of the exercises and writing them out in several keys helped alot
play well
wolf
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Thanks for the insight Wolf. That does make quite a bit of sense (ie "what not to read"). Recently I have been finding myself naturally doing it and I stopped myself from doing it thinking that I was "cheating". Hopefully, it is just a sign that I am making some progress.
Sight-reading is now part of my daily practice routine. Lately I have been reading out of a Rubank clarinet method book and it seems to be helping.
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FEP and SHEL...you guys are hilarious! The nonsensical planet of Neptune!
Hey, I LOVE it when I get to laugh out loud on such a serious site. I think we need more Hubert posts...and responses.
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