Piano Practice - Lesson #11 - Sight Reading with Mnemonics

Sight reading is an essential skill for musicians, allowing them to play new pieces of music without prior practice. However, it can be challenging to memorize new notes and rhythms quickly, especially for beginners.

Mnemonic

A mnemonic is a memory aid that helps associate new information with something familiar, making it easier to recall. Mnemonics can be a helpful tool for improving sight reading by making the learning process more memorable and efficient.

Mnemonics are memory aids that can help you improve your sight-reading skills by making it easier to remember the notes on the staff. Here is how you can use mnemonics to improve your sight-reading:

Treble Clef

To remember the notes in the treble clef, you can use the mnemonic "Every Good Boy Does Fine." The first letter of each word represents the notes on the staff: E, G, B, D, and F. Alternatively, you can use FACE for the spaces of the treble clef.

Bass Clef

For the bass clef, you can use the mnemonic "Good Burritos Don't Fall Apart" The first letter of each word represents the notes on the staff: G, B, D, F, and A.

Note Names

Mnemonics can be used to remember the names of notes on the staff. For example, the mnemonic "All Cows Eat Grass" can help a student remember the notes on the spaces of the bass clef (A, C, E, G).

Intervals

Mnemonics can be used to remember the distance between notes, such as the whole tone (W) and semitone (H) intervals. For example, "Whole Tone, Half Tone" can help a student remember the difference between the two intervals.

Scales

Mnemonics can be used to remember the sequence of notes in a scale, such as the major scale. For example, "W-W-H-W-W-W-H" can help a student remember the sequence of whole and half steps in a major scale (Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half).

Rhythms

Mnemonics can be used to remember rhythm patterns, such as 8th, 16th, and 32nd notes. For example, "One and Two and Three and Four" can help a student count and play 8th notes in a steady rhythm.

By using mnemonics, you can easily remember the notes on the staff and their relationships to each other. This will make it easier for you to sight-read new pieces and increase your overall musical ability.

Additionally, practicing sight-reading regularly can further improve your mnemonic memory. Using mnemonics can make sight reading less intimidating and more enjoyable, as students can focus on playing the music instead of trying to remember the notes and rhythms. Mnemonics can also be personalized to suit each student's learning style, allowing them to choose the mnemonic that works best for them.

In conclusion, mnemonics are a helpful tool for improving your sight-reading skills. By using mnemonics to remember the notes on the staff, their relationships to each other, and the order of notes in scales and chords, you can make sight-reading a much easier and more enjoyable experience, especially, when associating new information with something familiar, students can remember notes, intervals, scales, and rhythms more easily, allowing them to focus on playing the music.

Encouraging students to use mnemonics as a part of their sight reading practice can help them develop their musical skills and confidence in playing new pieces of music.

PRACTICE

Here's an easy piece of music sheet utilising both hands at the same time, that you play to start off as practice exercises. This piece will help you improve hand independence, speed, and dexterity.

Music Piece: On the Nature of Daylight (Intro only) Sheet Music: adapted from Max Richter's "Blue Notebooks"

Score: by Biyi Akinpelu (@bileckme)