bringing reading together

[berkleestudent]

So I've been struggling through reding and now I am wondering a timeframe of extreme profiniency. I generally put in two hours a day but its coming very sloly. I know the notes on the staff, iknow rhythms, but getting tunes up to speed during sightreading isn't coming. What now? It is an imparitive part of my studies here at Berklee!-Thanks Cody

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally posted by berkleestudent
So I've been struggling through reding and now I am wondering a timeframe of extreme profiniency. I generally put in two hours a day but its coming very sloly. I know the notes on the staff, iknow rhythms, but getting tunes up to speed during sightreading isn't coming. What now? It is an imparitive part of my studies here at Berklee!-Thanks Cody

I can imagine that there have been no replies to this because you yourself are in a better position to get the answers to this than most of us, who aren't lucky enough to be on a full-time music course or any sort of music learning! Wouldn't it be better to ask your teachers the answer to this question - I would have thought that that's what they are there for?!

I mean, I'm sure that a lot people could suggest a guess at this, but surely it's got be better to ask your tutors/ teachers and set up a dialogue about this, rather than trusting to the lottery of who might be reading this thread?
If people say 20 years - this is going to be depressing becuase you've got so long to go - if they say "I mastered it in 2 months" - then this is probably going to be equally depressing - it's a "no-win" situation! Far better to ask a teacher who knows you and your playing and can give a resonable assessment, rather than us who know nothing about you?

[Edited by Bruce Lindfield on 10-23-2000 at 03:33 AM]

[Marty Forrer]

You're asking US? Seriously, though, It's not an overnight thing. It takes a long time, maybe years. It's a foreign language, after all, like Spanish or French, although somewhat easier than either of those! Patience is the keyword, dont EXPECT it to happen quickly.

[Tom14454]

Hey berklee student, if you want to have a timeframe on reading..... I'd give it about a 2 year period. That might sound long, but once you can read proficiently, everything comes into view much easier. Personally, I learned when I was in 4th grade (I'm in 11th now) and it was very frustrating and I used to think that reading was impossible (silly me!). Marty Forrer is absolutely right when he said it is like a language. At first you have to learn what certain punctuation and words look like, and after a while you don't even have to think what it is, you just know it? Clear as mud, right?

[berkleestudent]

Thank you very much for the reply. I've had to put in some extra time because symbols ofton look inverted(see orig. post) to me, but now that I have memorized the shapes of rests and the such in their inverted patterns, it's just a matter of time and effort. Thanks for the help

[bassdude]

It helps to have someone read with you. Playing in a band big band, Concert band or a smaller band with some unison parts will help you to know when when you are wrong and when you nail it.

[AHHA]

You had better learn it by the end of the semester or you won't graduate mister.

[fakeschenk]

Hey Berklee Guy,

Why don't you go ask Jim Stinnett What to do to improve your playing...

I'm sure he'd give you some great advise.