When accessing the sight-reading for the ABRSM exam, we have 21 points at stake. The pieces and scales should be the main focus. You know what will be asked and are pretty much guaranteed a pass by conquering these two parts. The sight reading will help the student to access their pieces faster and is where we can achieve a really good score.
What is the examiner looking for?
The easiest way to think about it is to separate it into 3 aspects of musical fluency.
- Rhythm
- Note accuracy
- Articulation and Dynamics
By getting all of these elements correct you will get top marks.
Part 1
How do we work on these features?
First of all, we need a method book and there is no better than Paul Harris’s, Improve Your Sight-Reading. Each chapter introduces a new key and rhythmic idea adding difficulty at each stage. The last few chapters then review these concepts.
I always ask my students to work on sight reading the way I ask them to start learning new pieces. I give a set of practice steps which are specific and not ambiguous. I do not like ambiguous teaching instructions! A student should always know precisely how to practice.
These are the practice steps that I use, on average, to work on stages 1-7 of the Paul Harris book.
1st set of steps:
- Tap and count the rhythm of the exercise out loud
- Work out the key and play the scales, 5 finger scales and arpeggios (if appropriate)
- Find starting position (use the thumb as a guide)
- Play through counting out loud
Notes: The tapping of the rhythm should always be worked on till there is no hesitation. Rhythm is learnt and recognised in the same way as any other vocabulary.
To play 5 finger scales, as I call them, use fingers 1-5 to go up and back down the first 5 notes of each of the scale’s modes. After each mode is played follow it with the triad (naming it if possible). This would mean that the individual would have played the first 5 notes of each mode, ascending and descending, following with the associated triad each time. This should be performed returning back down the scale as well as going up it. Positions 1-7, as well as 7-1.
Part 2 (stages 8 and 9 of the Paul Harris book)
Once this is mastered we need to start preparing a method for the execution of this during the exam. This part will create a method for practising the sight-reading, which will be very similar to how the student would structure their approach to the sight-reading in the exam.
I would also recommend that the student buys the ABSRM specimen sight-reading tests for the relevant grade to practice these further.
2nd set of steps (to be used nearer the exam):
- Key and starting position
- Play through silently whilst counting out loud. Counting in your head would be done nearer the exam.
- Check for dynamics and in particular the starting dynamic
- Play out loud, counting out loud and without stopping.*
*It is important that the student counts out loud as it ensures that this is happening consistently. Often when counting in your head, we can stop without being aware of it. This process also emphasises the importance of rhythm with this test.
Analysing the correct key and starting position is a vital skill when approaching the sight-reading test. Once the key and starting position can be found in under 5 seconds, then the student has a lot of time to play through the remaining music. I always challenge students to find the key and starting position to a given sight-reading exercise (in the already open ABRSM specimen sight-reading test) as quickly as possible. This would be repeated and form part of their practice.
Part 3: Steps to be used in the exam
In the exam, the student is allowed to play the piece out loud as they prepare and they get 30 seconds. They should follow the below steps in the actual exam.
- Key and starting position
- Play through (out loud) counting out loud
- Check for dynamics and in particular the starting dynamic
- Play for real, counting in your head and don’t stop.
These final steps should be practised at least 2 lessons before the exam. Encourage the student to refrain from making any noises if they make a mistake as this can often give a mistake away that would have slipped through the net. Same goes for making faces and wincing.
Iterate that it is possible to make many errors and still get a great score.
In all sight reading exercises, the most important thing is that you don’t stop.
If a student plays the correct rhythm with the wrong notes completely but the correct dynamics and articulation, they will get a score in double figures. If they play all the correct notes, with no rhythm and no dynamics or articulation they will get a much lower score.
This common side effect when performing sight-reading tasks results from a fear of playing, and hearing, a note that is at the wrong pitch. For this, I have a very fun exercise.
Set of steps to conquer a fear of mistakes (to be used in the lesson but they can try at home too):
Step 1
- Lay hands flat on the piano with no concern of which note they are on.
- With no previous knowledge of the piece count them in. They must play the piano like a drum making a lot of awful noises.
Step 2
- Repeat but choose a 5 finger hand position, again, with no concern to which note they are on.
- Ask the student to play only the rhythm but using their fingers instead of their hands.
Step 3
- Find the starting hand position.
- Play and count out loud but pay close attention to moving up an down in pitch in line with the general direction that the pitch of the music goes.
This can then be developed further tagging on dynamics.
If the individual finds the correct starting position, plays the rhythm accurately, whilst moving in the correct general direction with a good awareness of dynamics, then they will get an excellent score.
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