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
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're ready step four. Place your hand in the correct position or pentascale.
We're in bass clef this time, so here's our middle C. We've got to find the C minor pentascale below that. Go ahead and get your hand in position.
And then once again on your own, I'd like you to try step five and six.
Go ahead and try both together as you press pause, play and sing the letter names for step five,
and then play and count the beat out loud. Press pause to try that, and then press play to go on.
Okay, here's what that should sound like. I'll show you step six. We had:
1 2 3 4
Okay, let's tackle another sight reading challenge.
Next up, we're going to turn the page in our Sight Reading Challenge Book 2, which brings us to some exercises which are called
the white key challenges.
In these there's no key signature, which you can see, and so that tells us we'll be on only the white keys.
Also, your hands won't be in a certain pentascale position.
You'll have to look at the first note for each hand, and check out the finger number to figure out the hand position.
We'll get to that in just a minute though, first we're going to start with step one, which is tap the rhythm while counting the beat.
and we're going to do exercise thirteen here together.
So from the time signature, how many beats per measure will we be counting?
If you said three you're correct. It's that top number that always tells us how many beats we count per measure.
So, since we have a treble staff and a bass staff joined in our grand staff here,
you'll need your left hand and right hand available to tap.
Your left hand will tap all the bass staff notes,
and your right hand will tap all of these treble staff notes.
So either on your lap or any flat surface.
I will point and count the beat with you while you count out loud and tap.
Also, let's follow the dynamics. So if you see this P here, you know that means piano for playing quietly.
So we'll tap quietly, and then here we'll crescendo a little louder, louder, louder to the end. We'll end up louder than we started.
So, get ready to tap with your left hand. I'll count 3 beats to get us ready, and then we'll start.
Get ready to tap. Left hand begins.
1 2 3
1 2 3, 1 2 3
Now, if you need another try on that feel free to rewind and try it again, making sure that you're following both left hand and right hand,
and when you're ready let's go on to step two, which is point and identify the steps, skips, and repeats.
Can you try that on your own? We'll say start for the first note, go.
Now let's pause here. This looks like it might be a big skip, but if you look carefully this is B
moving up to middle C,
which is actually just a step apart. It looks like a big gap because we're jumping from base clef to treble clef,
but remember that B to middle C is just a step away. So this is a step up. Now you keep going. Repeat, now go on your own.
This time it is a skip down, because we're going from E, double skip down to A. That's the interval of a fifth down.
Okay, the correct answer you should have said is start, repeat, step up, step up, repeat, step up, step up, step up, step down, skip down a fifth.
Now, step three is point and identify the letter names.
Can you try that on your own?
What's this first note here?
If you said A, you're correct.
Now let's keep going from there.
Can you say the letter names on your own? Pause the video and go through, point and name all the letter names, then press play to go on.
The correct answer is A A B C C D E F E A
Now let's come to the piano keys to do step four.
Step four is to find our correct position.
Remember like I said, in a white key challenge we're not in a pentascale. We'll be using only white keys, and we'll have to look at
the starting note and starting finger number to figure out the position.
So looking at this first note in the bass staff, what letter name do you see?
If you said A, you're correct,
and it's the A right below just a skip below middle C,
and then what finger number do you see?
If you said finger 2, you're correct.
My finger 1 is thumb, finger 2 on A, places us on these white keys.
Remember this isn't the E major or minor pentascale, this is just this group of five white keys.
Then for a right hand, tell me the letter name of the first note.
If you said C or middle C, you're correct.
And it asks for a finger 1 in the score,
so we'll place our finger 1 on middle C,
and we're on this: just series of white keys for our position for this sight-reading exercise.
Okay, so go ahead and find this position,
and that's our step four.
Now, step five is to play and sing the letter names.
And then step six is to play and count the beat.
I'll ask you to do steps five and six on your own.
Press pause, remember to try to follow the dynamics. We'll start off piano, and then crescendo with the crescendo mark.
Try steps five and six on your own then press play to go on.
Good, now will you try to do step six with me?
Like I said, let's try and follow the dynamics. We'll count the beat out loud and play.
I'll count 3 beats to get us started, and then we'll go for it.
Hands in position 1 2 3
1 2 3, 1 2 3
Nice work today doing our sight reading challenge.
On your own, I strongly encourage you to practice your sight reading every day.
Work your way through Sight Reading Trainer Book 2, doing one or two exercises each day using those same six steps we used in this lesson.
The six steps are also printed at the start of Sight Reading Trainer Book 2 for your reference.
A little sight reading every day will go a long way to helping you master the skill of sight reading.
Happy practicing, and see you next time!
Yes, I did it!
Did what?
I made the first tasteable piece of music!
Lickable, tasty sheet music.
Really?
Yep! Now even if you can't see, the notes you can simply taste them!
So you really just lick the page?
Yep and you're gonna love it!
Treble G is grape flavored, A's are avocado flavored, and if the notes are staccato, I add some hot sauce to give them, you know, that jumpy sound.
Uh, did you run these flavors by Chef?
No, why?
Nevermind, well let's see, I mean, let's taste this music of yours!
Okay, well, I had it here just a second ago.
Maybe you dropped it on your way here?
Maybe, well we gotta go back and find it. Come on!
Ahh, Shark!
Looking for something?
Yes, in fact my new invention, tasteable music. You haven't seen it, have you?
Yes I have.
You have? Well, show me please.
Oh, you'd like to see it?
Stop teasing me, of course I'd like to see it!
Are you sure?
For the last time, yes!
Okay, just jump inside my belly, and you will see it.
What?
You mean you ate my tasteable music?
Yep, and now it's time for dessert.
Oh, no thanks. Come on Princess, time to run!
Come here dessert! Ahhhhh
Yeah, honestly, the grape did clash a little with the avocado, but who am I to complain.