Piano, Guided Sight-Reading: A New Approach to Piano Study

by Leonhard Deutsch

Sight-Reading is more than an 'extra' skill at the piano. To the author, it was the object of a lifetime exploration with non-professional students.Although progressive teachers in the early 1950s recognized the importance of sight-reading for their pupils, no effective method of teaching it had emerged until this book was published.Topics covered The story and problems of sight-reading * the correct way to practice sight-reading * the basis of pianistic skill * the musical ear and manual dexterity * how to break away from piecemeal reading * time and rhythm * learning to keep time * complicated fingering * how repetition works * how velocity is developed * finger agility and technical exercises * expressive playing * how to develop pianistic memory * sight reading versus repertoire

Genres: Music

107 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1978

Reviews

[Altivo Overo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent advice to students and teachers of piano. Deutsch studied learning processes and motivation, and found (correctly in my experience) that the traditional methods of teaching, laden as they are with technical exercises, are particularly ineffective for students who do not intend to become professional pianists. For the student who seeks personal pleasure from sitting at the keyboard and playing, music sight reading is a master key that needs more emphasis and recognition.

The author provides specific approaches and methods, some of which were considered highly unorthodox when he first advanced his thesis. However, I can say from personal experience that he is right in many respects. Neither playing by ear nor the technical approach that requires memorization and mastery of one piece at a time and constant rehearsal to maintain a repertoire are appropriate for the casual player. The ability to sight read and play a variety of music in various formats and styles is much more valuable, and most importantly, can easily be taught.

Unfortunately, traditional keyboard teachers still tend to shy away from this approach. The student should take it upon himself or herself to learn sight reading and become proficient at reading music in general.

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was written in 1950 and as a result the material is dated. I found a few interesting tips in respect of sight reading, but that was the extent of the book's usefulness to me.