Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman,
and in this lesson we're going to practice combining two skills:
the skill of sight reading with our new skill of counting the beat.
For this lesson, it will be helpful to have your own copy of Sight Reading Trainer Book 1,
which is available on the Hoffman Academy Website.
For our lesson today, let's get started with exercise number 66.
Pause the video if you need a moment to get your Sight Reading Trainer Book 1 ready,
otherwise let's check out exercise 66.
Here's exercise 66 which you can find on page 14 of your Sight Reading Trainer Book 1.
On page 13 you'll find seven steps that I'd like you to do
each time you come to a new exercise. So we're going to practice going through those seven steps together
right now with this exercise.
Step one is to identify the clef and the time signature.
So, can you tell me the clef?
It's a treble clef and the time signature is 4/4.
Always important to check that before you start to play.
Number two is tap the rhythm while counting the beat.
So you can just tap it right on your lap. I'm going to tap it right here,
and as we tap we'll count the beat. So these whole notes of course will get 4 beats each.
When we get to these half notes, remember this first half note will get beats 1 and 2,
then when we get to beat 3,
we'll tap for this half note, and then hold through beat 4, like this:
1 2 3 4
Now try it with me.
Count the beat out loud while you tap.
1 2, ready go:
1 2 3 4
Great.
Step three is to point to each note on the page identifying steps, skips, or repeats.
When we have a skip let's identify the interval.
So we'll say start for the first note,
and then right here you can see we go from this treble G, we skip
that line number one down to this first ledger line which is middle C.
What interval is that?
If you set a fifth you're correct.
Line, skip a line, to a line will always be a fifth or a double skip.
So we'll say skip down a fifth skip,
skip up a fifth, repeat,
and then what's this last interval?
Another skip down a fifth.
You'll notice we have all G's and C's,
which brings us to step four: point to each note while singing the letter names.
Here's our G.
So we'll sing G, C
G, G, C
Did you notice I was trying to hold each note for the correct rhythm as well.
Can you sing with me and point?
Ready, go:
G C
G G C
To help me keep track of how many beats, I'm tapping with my finger.
You might try that as well.
Now let's come to the piano for steps five through seven.
Step five is to place your hand in the correct position on the piano.
In general, when we see a treble clef we'll use the right hand. Bass clef we'll use left hand.
So, which hand are we using this time?
The right hand.
Now, to know where to place it you look for the first note
and look for a finger number over or under that note.
So, what do you see?
Here we have a treble G with finger 5. So, can you place your finger 5 on treble G on your piano?
So, that should look like this.
Your finger 5 right here on treble G.
You'll notice in this melody we have all treble G's and middle C's.
So we'll need those two fingers.
Now, remember with sight-reading you're going to be figuring out these notes by yourself
as much as possible. So, let's see if you can do step six on your own.
I'd like you to pause the video and try and play
each note as you sing the letter names, and then press play and we'll try it together.
Let's try this together. Finger 5 on G, and remember try to hold
each note for the right amount of time. These whole notes will hold for 4 beats.
Ready, go:
G C
G G C
Great.
Last step is to play while you count the beat out loud.
That will sound like this:
1 2 3 4
Now, pause the video and try that on your own.
Play each note while you count the beat out loud.
Remember, for good sight-reading you keep your eyes on the notes,
not on your fingers.
Trust your hands, trust your fingers, they're not going anywhere.
Keep your eyes on the notes, and let your fingers just feel where they're supposed to play.
Let your eyes guide your fingers
Now let's check out exercise number 68 next.
We're going to be jumping around a little bit on page 14.
I just want to try a few together. On your own,
I'd like you to go through all of the exercises, trying two or three lines a day.
So, remember step one is: identify the clef and time signature.
What's our clef?
Treble clef, and what's the time signature?
Once again it's 4/4.
It's always that top number that tells us how many beats per measure.
So we'll be counting 1 2 3 4
If you don't check, or if you don't remember to check your time signature,
you might be counting the wrong number of beats.
Here we've got 4 beats per measure.
So once again we'll count 2 beats for this first half note,
2 beats for this half note, then we continue with that same rhythm in measure two.
Once we get to quarter notes now we'll have 1 beat per
note. Every quarter note gets its own beat 1 2 3 4, then we finish with a whole note 1 2 3 4.
Let's try tapping that rhythm.
Count the beat out loud
as we tap I'll count 4 beats to get us started.
1 2 3 4
Great.
Now, step three
is to point to each note on the page and say if the notes are stepping, skipping, or repeating.
So, can you try it on your own this time? If you have an interval remember to say
like up a fifth for this first one, or repeat.
Now, try on your own. Say start,
up a fifth, repeat,.. keep going on your own.
The correct answer is: start, up a fifth, repeat, down a fifth, repeat,
skip up a fifth, skip down a fifth, up a fifth, down a fifth.
Now, can you sing the letter names with me?
Starts on a what?
If you said C you're correct. So let's sing the letter names, and
try and think of how many beats each note should get as well as we sing C,
or what's this note?
it's a G. Here we go, ready, start.
C G
G C
C G C G
C
Great, let's come to the piano to play it.
Now, step five is find the correct hand position.
Are we treble clef or bass cleft? Right hand or left hand?
It's right hand because once again we're in the treble clef.
What's the first note? Tell me its letter name.
It's C, and what's the finger number?
Finger 1.
So, finger 1 on C.
There's your position.
Now, once again I'd like you to try to read these notes on your own.
Keep your eyes on the notes not on your fingers. Once you're in position,
you can just focus on the page.
Press pause and try to play this on your own, and then press play and we'll try it together.
Let's try playing it together now. We're going to sing the letter names as we play.
Start with C, finger 1.
I'll count 4 beats and then we'll start 1 2 3 4
C G G C
C G C G C
How did you do at keeping your eyes on the page?
If you feel like you need more practice with that, if your eyes are glancing down at your fingers,
maybe pause and try it again, or rewind and try it with me.
So, this time we are counting out loud, always out loud, and play.
I'll count 4 beats, and then let's try it together.
Count with me 1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
How are you doing it keeping your eyes on the music.
Let's finish with one more. This time exercise 69.
Step 1: identify the clef and time signature.
So, what clef, or I should say clefs, do we have this time?
We've got a treble clef and a bass clef joined together with this brace in what we call the grand staff.
Now, the reason we use a grand stuff is our right hand will take care of all the notes up here.
Our left hand has to take care of all the notes on this bottom staff.
So we're going to be using both hands for this exercise,
and our time signature is what?
once again we've got 4/4, the top number tells us 4 beats per measure.
Now, step two is to tap the rhythm while counting the beat.
So this time we have a slightly more advanced challenge, which is
we're going to tap the appropriate hand,
and this is why I don't have you clap these rhythms; I have you tap them because
you're going to tap with your right hand
for these treble clef notes. You're going to tap with your left hand for any notes down here.
Notice that the hands take turns. Beat 1 is with the right hand.
Beat 2 is this quarter note again in the right hand, and the starting on beat 3
the left hand takes over and holds for 2 beats. 3 4
So with tapping it's going to look like this in measure one. The right hand taps 1 2
and then the left hand taps 3 4. Then we do that again 1 2 3 4. Then here who taps first?
This time it's the left hand for 2 beats. 1 2 3, and then on beat 4 the
right hand taps, and then 1 2 3 4 for that last measure.
Let's write in the counts here. In your own music for if it's helpful to you, feel free to write in the counts.
Professional musicians do this all the time. I'll do this in my own music when I want to see where the beats go.
I'll write it in.
Let's try tapping this rhythm.
Tap your right hand, tap your left hand.
Remember right hand taps all the notes up here, left hand taps the notes on the bottom.
Count the beat with me.
I'll count 4 beats to get it started.
1 2 3 4 right hand
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4 left hand
1 2 3 4
Again I'm tapping up here. You can tap on your lap or wherever is convenient for you.
Now step three is to point to each note on the page,
and say if the notes are stepping, skipping, or repeating.
So, let's try this together. Start, repeat, and then what happens?
This is a middle C.
Middle C for bass clef, but still a middle C so it's down a fifth,
up a fifth, repeat, down a fifth, repeat, repeat, up a fifth, down a fifth.
Step four is: point to each note while singing the letter names.
What's the letter name for this note?
If you said G you're correct.
Another G and what's this one?
That's a C. Let's sing the letters while you point with me. Go:
G G C
C C G C
Let's try and play it.
Our next step is place our hand, or this time hands, in the correct position on the piano.
So, let's look at the first note our right hand plays.
What's it's letter name?
It's treble G. With which finger?
Finger 2 this time. Can you wiggle your finger 2?
It's this one.
Now place that on treble G, and then you can let your other fingers just naturally fall wherever they do
naturally,
right? And then the left hand,
what's the first note the left hand plays?
If you said C or middle C you're correct.
and what finger does it ask for this time?
Once again a finger 2. Wiggle your left hand finger 2.
It's this one. Remember, thumbs are 1, so that's 2. We place 2 on middle C.
If you scan through all the notes, you'll remember it's
all G's and C's, so these are really the only two notes were worrying about this time.
Now, so this one will sound like this. We've got:
G G C
C C G C
Notice how the hands have to take turns this time.
Pause the video, and now try that on your own.
Then press play to go on to the next step.
For our last stept, step seven, we're going to play and count the beat.
Let's see if you can pause the video
and do this on your own. It will sound like this. I'll just show you the first measure.
1 2 3 4
Now, again I want you as much as possible to be figuring this out on your own so pause the video,
and try playing
while you count the beat out loud, then press play to go on.
Let's try it together now. Play while we count the beat out loud.
I'll count 4 beats to get us started.
1 2 3 4
Great job!
So, today we sight-read exercise 66, we sight-read 68, and 69.
On your own I'd like you to try these others as well.
The first time you try one of these go through all seven of those steps,
but when you come back the next day,
you might want to just try it and go straight to playing it while counting the beat out loud.
Don't feel like you have to master these or like
polish it. This isn't repertoire practice.
Sight reading isn't mastering. Sight reading is playing through a piece
on your first try. We want you to gain the skill
of just being able to see notes and play them without a lot of practicing.
So, don't feel like you need to do these over and over again,
just go through the steps and then move on to the next one.
Let's also take a look ahead at page 15 in Sight Reading Trainer Book 1 to see what's coming.
Again, I'd like you to try on your own.
I want you to notice again it's so important to follow the steps,
and step one is to identify the clef.
You'll notice on this page we get some bass clef
all by itself. Which hand plays the bass clef generally speaking?
Almost always that would be for the left hand,
so I'd like you to use left hand when you're using the bass clef
for these exercises. You'll notice for exercise 74 once again we have a grand staff, so you use both hands.
I also really encourage you to count out loud when you're doing your practicing.
There's nothing better for learning to keep a really steady beat,
and like I mentioned, professional musicians use that tool all the time.
So now that we're in bass clef, when you're doing say exercise 72, what would be this first note?
If you said bass F you're correct. Remember, in the left hand your finger 5
is your pinky and so you'll put that finger 5 on F,
and then your finger 1 will be available for this middle C.
Great job today working on your sight reading skills.
Thanks for watching and learning with me, and happy practicing!
It's now time for Poetry Time with Scuba.
Ah, thank you. (Clears throat)
Count the beat, stomp your feet. Pickles are sour, and candy is sweet.
Always play every day,
your piano skills will blow you away!
Thank you, thank you!
And here's one more! I'll do this one solo.
Piano is a fun thing to do,
I like it as much as the zoo.
Yes, penguins are fine, they can stand in a line.
And sharks, they can never chase you at the zoo,
but they can chase you on the piano.
What?!
Who let Sharky in for poetry time?
I let myself in.
I happen to like poetry too.
Huh?
Here's my poem:
When you run I think it's fun.
Grah!
Ahh! This way Scuba!