DEAL EXPIRES IN 24 HOURS: if you want to get the hard copy version of 'Flying Colours' with FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE, use the code 'SVITZER FLYING' when purchasing from here: editionsvitzer.com/catalog/lzoh639qy8/c-23/p-1541 Thank you so much for watching this week's video! Apologies for the super late upload - it's been a crazy week for Marimbafest but we're back on top of it now. I'd love to know your sight reading stories in the comments below! #TheStudioFamily
Something very important that you forgot to say: always have your music in front of you, meaning if you’re playing a low part the stand should be at the low end, etc. This is something my director drills into us every time we sightread, as well as keeping your eyes on the music and never looking down.
One thing I do to practice sight reading is the sing through parts of the piece then try playing it. It makes it so you can practice ear training and playing at the same time!
Adam, Thank you for these videos, this channel, your energy....all of this. I wish I had had this as a resource when I was a high school or university student. You are giving so many more people access to the kind of educational resources that so many of us wish we could have tapped into as younger students. Kudos and thank you.
I would add that just like Adam mentioned in recognizing shapes/patterns of each group of eighth/sixteenth/thirty-second notes horizontally, learn to recognize vertical patterns - yes, intervals! Know what thirds, fourths, tri-tones, fifths, sixths, sevenths, and yes, Adam's favorite - octaves look like so that when one has vertical chords to read, seeing the 'interval stack' instead of reading each note in a chord bottom to top will help in accuracy and speed.
For example, if you are in grade 3 always try to take grade 4 pieces to sight read. Taking challenging pieces to sight read will seriously improve ur sight reading. Always continue to challenge yourself even if you are grade 8😂💕 I actually improved a lot when i played in concert band (i started piano first, then Chinese Orchestra). They always give us grade 4/5 pieces to sight read. Really helped me as i am playing in orchestra now
i love your videos! i just started playing mallet percussion this past year but funnily enough i’ve gotten pretty good at it! i’m glad for youtube because if it wasn’t for it i wouldn’t have gotten as good as i am now! it’s been fun though and i love it a lot, thanks for showing your love for mallets as well.
Because I’ve only been doing mallets a year, I try to sight read my friends trumpet or trombone music. And go to the drawer of music at my school and find old show music
I enjoy sight reading Bach. It's predictable but still throws some challenges at you. I personally there's no better way to practice sight reading than to just sight read.
Idk really where to practice besides corona keeping us all in i cant really practice mallets out of school i want to inprove my sight reading but i cant get the notes in my head right away i feel out of place being in an advanced band and the only thing im good at is scales but I feel terrible out my skills i just idk where to start my sight reeding skills
Hi adam😁 I hope that this isn’t too much to ask, but could you possibly recommend me a marimba solo? I am a sophomore in high school and playing marimba in the front ensemble. I am looking for a challenging and unique solo. Any suggestions? 🤞 thank you!!! 🙏
Sight reading is best worked on with a partner. Get a flute duet book. Go slow enough to play through the a whole duet. Also, make sure your eyes are on the music the whole time, postion the stand in the middle of the range. Don't play the same duets each time, that's not sight reading. He's my biggest tip: look for music that is at your level. For most people, start with whole notes, whole rest. You got to start somewhere. Remember, reading at sight is a skill, not a competition. Work on the easy stuff. Most of the literature for wind ensemble is two mallets. Four mallet sight comes after two mallet sight reading, at least it did for me. One more thing, break up your sight reading skills. As you get good at reading easy whole notes and half notes, decide before hand if you can read at sight, at tempo. If not at tempo, go slow enough that you get most, if not all the notes. Never stop and go back. I'm confident that all percussionist can read relatively well with in a few months. By well, I mean all the right notes. It really isn't hard when you sequence the right material. Recap, find partners to read stuff you never read before. Read it once and assess from there. One more tip, record your reading. If you hear less than 3 mistakes, consider that a success. Everyone percussionist can do this. Best wishes to everyone.
DEAL EXPIRES IN 24 HOURS: if you want to get the hard copy version of 'Flying Colours' with FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE, use the code 'SVITZER FLYING' when purchasing from here: editionsvitzer.com/catalog/lzoh639qy8/c-23/p-1541
Thank you so much for watching this week's video! Apologies for the super late upload - it's been a crazy week for Marimbafest but we're back on top of it now. I'd love to know your sight reading stories in the comments below!
#TheStudioFamily
Something very important that you forgot to say: always have your music in front of you, meaning if you’re playing a low part the stand should be at the low end, etc. This is something my director drills into us every time we sightread, as well as keeping your eyes on the music and never looking down.
One thing I do to practice sight reading is the sing through parts of the piece then try playing it. It makes it so you can practice ear training and playing at the same time!
Adam, Thank you for these videos, this channel, your energy....all of this.
I wish I had had this as a resource when I was a high school or university student. You are giving so many more people access to the kind of educational resources that so many of us wish we could have tapped into as younger students. Kudos and thank you.
I would add that just like Adam mentioned in recognizing shapes/patterns of each group of eighth/sixteenth/thirty-second notes horizontally, learn to recognize vertical patterns - yes, intervals! Know what thirds, fourths, tri-tones, fifths, sixths, sevenths, and yes, Adam's favorite - octaves look like so that when one has vertical chords to read, seeing the 'interval stack' instead of reading each note in a chord bottom to top will help in accuracy and speed.
I can sightread without even looking at the music
Step 1: Learn it ahead of time
Step 2: Play it
For example, if you are in grade 3 always try to take grade 4 pieces to sight read. Taking challenging pieces to sight read will seriously improve ur sight reading.
Always continue to challenge yourself even if you are grade 8😂💕
I actually improved a lot when i played in concert band (i started piano first, then Chinese Orchestra). They always give us grade 4/5 pieces to sight read. Really helped me as i am playing in orchestra now
that intro bell sounds exactly like my schools bell
Thank you for the tips Adam! 😁👍 keep it up
i love your videos! i just started playing mallet percussion this past year but funnily enough i’ve gotten pretty good at it! i’m glad for youtube because if it wasn’t for it i wouldn’t have gotten as good as i am now! it’s been fun though and i love it a lot, thanks for showing your love for mallets as well.
Adam tans vids are the best
Because I’ve only been doing mallets a year, I try to sight read my friends trumpet or trombone music. And go to the drawer of music at my school and find old show music
I enjoy sight reading Bach. It's predictable but still throws some challenges at you. I personally there's no better way to practice sight reading than to just sight read.
Idk really where to practice besides corona keeping us all in i cant really practice mallets out of school i want to inprove my sight reading but i cant get the notes in my head right away i feel out of place being in an advanced band and the only thing im good at is scales but I feel terrible out my skills i just idk where to start my sight reeding skills
I would like to see a review of Resta Jay Jean Geoffroy's & ErHo mallets Pro V's
Playing a piece while singing the phrase ahead. Pretty difficult for me. For now...
Hi adam😁 I hope that this isn’t too much to ask, but could you possibly recommend me a marimba solo? I am a sophomore in high school and playing marimba in the front ensemble. I am looking for a challenging and unique solo. Any suggestions? 🤞 thank you!!! 🙏
Sight reading is best worked on with a partner. Get a flute duet book. Go slow enough to play through the a whole duet. Also, make sure your eyes are on the music the whole time, postion the stand in the middle of the range. Don't play the same duets each time, that's not sight reading. He's my biggest tip: look for music that is at your level. For most people, start with whole notes, whole rest. You got to start somewhere. Remember, reading at sight is a skill, not a competition. Work on the easy stuff. Most of the literature for wind ensemble is two mallets. Four mallet sight comes after two mallet sight reading, at least it did for me. One more thing, break up your sight reading skills. As you get good at reading easy whole notes and half notes, decide before hand if you can read at sight, at tempo. If not at tempo, go slow enough that you get most, if not all the notes. Never stop and go back. I'm confident that all percussionist can read relatively well with in a few months. By well, I mean all the right notes. It really isn't hard when you sequence the right material. Recap, find partners to read stuff you never read before. Read it once and assess from there. One more tip, record your reading. If you hear less than 3 mistakes, consider that a success. Everyone percussionist can do this. Best wishes to everyone.
Does the difficulty of sight reading have to do with the genre of music? I dont want to play classical, just pop.
I’m pretty sure percussionists are always worse than other band people at sight reading except for professionals