http://www.musicteachermag.com/readingskills.htm -------------
The question of what makes certain pieces of music difficult to master is not one which can always be resolved in specific technical terms. Consider, for instance, the great fugue from Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata, Op.106. The movement consists primarily of semiquavers, normally played at a speed of somewhere between 138-144 crotchets per minute. The same description could be applied to any number of Clementi or Czerny studies- certainly the demands on the playing mechanisms are often comparable. Yet what is it which makes the fugue from the Hammerklavier so very difficult to conquer, compared to so many other pieces of similar mechanical requirements? Assuming the fingers are adequately conditioned, there remains the sheer difficulty of learning the notes. In this sense, it is perhaps wrong to describe Beethoven's massive fugue as 'technically' difficulty - certainly the fingers are not required to do anything inordinate in terms of speed, strength, independence or control. However, there is a vast quantity of relatively unpredictably arranged notes. And it is in this that the chief difficulty lies. Thus what is really taxed is the musical literacy of the player, and technique (in the mechanical sense) to a much lesser degree.
This article discusses musical literacy as an essential component of the pianist's arsenal of skills. Firstly, literacy-based and non-literacy-based piano music will be discussed. Secondly, the nature of musical literacy as it applies to pianists will be analyzed. Finally, training methods for developing these skills to a high level will be disclosed.
'Literacy-Based' and 'Non-Literacy-Based' Piano Music
Music throughout most cultures and most of history has been predominantly a non-literate phenomenon. It has been transmitted through imitation, memory and enriched by improvisation. However, in Western art music, a system of notation has become central to composition, performance and our very conception of music. Could Bach's '48' Preludes and Fugues ever have composed and transmitted to the present day without notation? It seems unlikely. This music can be described as highly 'literacy-based.'
In contrast, despite the role of musical notation in the development and transmission of Western music, there are many piano works which appear to originate from a free, improvisational exploration of the instrument. From this emerges many works which can be described as 'non-literacy-based.' For example, consider Chopin's Etude, Op.10, No.1. The difficulty of reading the notes (hand displacement arpeggios, supported by a simple bass line in octaves) is fairly small, and certainly minimal compared to the considerable mechanical demands of performing the work at speed. Indeed, most of the piece is best taught via demonstration at the piano - something which would be inconceivable in the case of a Bach fugue. Where the mechanical difficulty is high in comparison to the notational difficulties, memorisation, rather than reading, becomes the natural mode of performance. Another example is the Etude, Op.25, No.11. Certainly the notation is complex, but before the piece can be performed, the various passages must be broken down into physical patterns, and re-assembled at the piano. There is a sense that the passage work originated from a direct relationship between the composer and the instrument, and its notation emerged later. To perform the piece, the student must re-establish a direct relationship between the instrument and the musical concept, with deciphering the notation only a starting point of the learning process.
The dichotomy between 'literacy-based' and 'non-literacy-based' piano music is easily seen in a comparison of the learning process of the Bach '48' and the Chopin Etudes. To perform the Bach Preludes and Fugues as a set, it is necessary to be able to sight-read them at least 80% accuracy and fluency. On the other hand, to perform the Chopin Etudes as a set, it is necessary to have them 80% memorised. (These percentage quantifications are, of course, necessarily approximate)
The characteristics which are typical of 'literary-based' and 'non-literacy-based' tendencies in piano music are listed below.
Literacy-BasedLimited use of exact repetition in immediate proximity
Difficult to memorise
Limited employment of obvious 'pianistic devices'
Tendency toward polyphonic textures (which are generally more readily conceived via notation than at the piano)
High relative notational difficulty (ie. difficulty of 'learning' the notes relative to 'playing' the notes)
Non-Literacy-BasedSignificant use of repetition
Easy to memorise
Significant employment of idiomatic 'pianist devices' (which are more readily conceived at the piano than via notation)
Tendency toward 'typical' pianist textures
High relative mechanical difficulty (ie. difficulty of 'playing' the notes relative to difficulty of 'learning' the notes)
Composers whose piano music is generally strongly literacy-based include Bach, Brahms, Reger and Schoenberg. Most of the works of Scarlatti, Czerny, Chopin and Debussy are less literacy-based.
The following are a few major items in the repertoire, which make very minimal mechanical demands, relative to the difficulty of simply 'reading the notes':
Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier;
Schubert, Sonatas;
Schumman, Symphonic Etudes;
Brahms, late piano pieces; and,
Berg, Piano Sonata.
These important works illustrate the necessity of cultivating efficient reading skills.
What is 'Music Literacy' to Pianists?Musical literacy cannot adequately be defined as being simply able to identify and interpret symbols for pitch and rhythm, any more than conventional literacy is simply being able to 'read and write.' Most people can read newspapers without difficulty - however, few can fluently understand Shakespeare or Milton, and fewer still can read in several languages. But as musicians, we are required to 'read' and understand musical scores of a range of historical origins, and in a variety of stylistic idioms.
Complete musical literacy must include each of the following :
the ability to identify and interpret symbols for pitch and rhythm;
a grasp of the harmonic and melodic syntax, and the ability to perceive the progression on the music in terms of this syntax;
a grasp of overall 'meaning' and form, and a perception of the final complete sound-picture from the score;
a perception of the historical, cultural and stylistic context of the piece, and how this affects interpretation; and,
a perception of the technical implications of a passage, eg. what fingering to use, where should changes of hand position occur, etc.
Many experienced pianists seem to read primarily according to (an often simplified) harmonic, melodic and rhythmic syntax, ie. perceiving complexes of notes in terms of chords or harmonic functions, and rhythms and melodies in terms of familiar patterns. In fact, this mode of reading generally produces the most fluent and musical immediate result. However, it does have its disadvantages, in that it is sometimes associated with a reduction of details, especially in accompanying parts, and an abridgement of more complex textures.
Obviously, for beginning and elementary pianists, music reading will tend to be entirely 'literal', rather than 'syntactic.' However, even relatively inexperienced pianists, from perhaps Grade 4 level, often begin to reduce details in reading music (for example, omitting left hand parts, omitting lower notes in double notes passages, etc.) This reflects a growing awareness that some parts tend to be of less importance than others, and a developing understanding of how our musical language works.
If the simplification associated with syntactic reading is generally necessary to be able to sight-read fluently, it can be detrimental to the process of 'reading for learning' (as opposed to reading for immediate execution, as is the case for sight-reading). For example, one may wish to play a fugue from Bach's Art of Fugue. It will not be difficult for an experienced pianist to perceive the music terms of harmonic progressions (in fact, there is likely to be a tendency to do this), and to produce something which is a reasonable aural approximation. If called upon to play the piece at sight, this is an adequate solution. However, in the process of learning properly, the tendency to do this, at the expense of voice leading, is likely to be problematic. The desire to achieve immediate fluency and rhythmic continuity may have to be curbed if one is undertaking 'reading for learning,' as opposed to 'sight-reading.' Thus 'reading for learning' may be characterised as having a tendency to be 'literal,' whereas 'sight-reading' may be characterised as having a tendency to be 'syntactic.'
At the beginning level this distinction will not yet be significant. At the very highest levels, the two modes of reading will tend once more to be reconciled.
The variations in musical literacy are not only qualitative (the extent to which reading is literal or syntactic), but are also quantitative (the rate at which the reading occurs). In principle, anyone (who plays the piano and can read music) could read through the fugue from the Hammerklavier, accurately, if he or she went sufficiently slowly. However, if the playing is extremely slow a kind of deconstruction occurs, whereby the musical meaning and sense is lost, making this type of playing of little value, even for learning purposes. To have reasonable chance of being able to learn any given piece, I believe it is necessary to be able to read it through at about 50% or more of the final speed (depending, to some extent, upon the nature of the piece - generally the longer and more 'literacy-based' the piece, the higher this percentage will be).
How to Develop Reading Skills There are no short cuts in the development of reading skills. There are, of course, various 'tricks' by which sight-reading may be improved (eg. preserving the continuity of beat at all times, omitting unnecessary notes, 'faking' cadenzas, etc.). However, this article is not concerned with sight-reading, but rather reading as a major part of the process of learning more complex, literacy-based repertoire.
The answer is, as may be expected practise! However, there remains the question of what and how to practise to develop reading skills.
The best material to work on for improving reading is that which exhibits most strongly the 'literacy-based' tendencies (the characteristics of which were described earlier). Music which exhibits the characteristics of being 'non-literacy-based,' like the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies or Czerny's Studies, is not generally well adapted for reading practice. However, the following criteria should also be sought in selected material for reading practice:
1) It must be possible for the player to determine aurally where wrong notes occur. In the baroque and classical repertoire, this is generally quite easy. However, consider some of Brahms' Intermezzi and Capriccios- although tonally organised, the high level of chromaticism and dissonance may make it sometimes not very obvious if wrong notes are played (depending upon the player's level of musical experience). In the music of composers like Scriabin, Debussy and Hindemith, wrong notes can easily pass unheeded, even by experienced players.
2) It should preferably be possible to determine readily where note are omitted. In a Bach Two-Part Invention, any missing notes are immediately clear. However, in music like the Liszt transcriptions of the Beethoven Symphonies, a very large portion of notes can be left out without causing much disturbance. Similarly in Schumman and Brahms notes may be omitted (especially from chords) without attracting the player's attention. While this kind of abridgement is, as mentioned, often desirable to achieve fluent sight-reading, it is a habit which can be dangerous in 'reading for learning.'
3) The music should preferably be reasonably effective, or at least musically plausible, at a variety of speeds. As it is likely the tempo will be reduced for reading purposes, the music must sound tolerable at a slower speed. Again, most baroque and classical music sounds acceptable if played slowly. On the other hand, it would sound absurd and be musically unbearable to play Liszt's Transcendental Etudes, Chopin's Waltzes, or anything of Grainger, at half speed.
4) The left and right hands should be ideally treated fairly equally, and exchange and share a variety of roles. If one was to practise reading by playing through Strauss Waltzes, for example, the bad habit of paying most attention to the right hand part will be perpetuated. On the other hand, polyphonic music will normally serve as an effective corrective.
5) The music should not be so difficult that it cannot be read accurately at 50% or higher of the 'final speed.' Any slower than this, and the musical meaning and relationships are lost, and the process becomes very discouraging and painful.
6) Music with a very high level of emotional intensity, such as the Chopin Ballades or Scriabin Preludes are generally not well adapted to reading practice, as the high emotional intensity (and the dissonance which is often associated with it) quickly exhausts the attention and concentration of the player.
The criteria above are all perhaps most strongly filled in the works of Bach, which are musically plausible if played at almost any tempo, in which wrong or missing notes are immediately obvious, and in which the hands are treated fairly equally. Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words are also well adapted to reading practice, as are Brahms' late piano pieces (for more experienced players). Strange as it may seem, Joseffy's School of Advanced Piano Playing and Brahms' 51 Exercises are also excellent material for reading practice.
Having selected an appropriate collection to work upon, a number of suggestions about how to train reading skills can be given.
1) Devote a substantial amount of time to the activity. In the long run, this time will be repaid with interest in the much greater rapidity with which new repertoire will be learnt.
2) Always continue to the end of what you undertake to play. If the average Grade7 or 8 student undertakes to read through a piece like the Fugue in A minor from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Vol.I (six pages long), it is likely that by the end of the second page, he or she will experience very strongly an urge to stop (try it!) However, persist! Soon the third and fourth pages will have passed, and then you are practically at the end. Gradually, greater concentration and mental endurance is developed, and in no time (3-5 years!) you will be reading through the entire '48.'
3) Do not correct mistakes in reading practice. This causes a stop in the forward progression. Rather, make a mental note of the mistake, and undertake not to make it the next time. Play the entire piece to the end, then play it again without the wrong note or mistake.
4) Avoid using the sustaining pedal for reading practice (even if the music demands it for performance), as this may allow inaccuracies and unclear articulation to escape unnoticed. Also the richer sonorities produced by the sustaining pedal, while attractive for performing purposes, quickly exhaust the ear.
ConclusionIn many cases, pieces are often assumed to be 'technically' difficult, when in reality the chief difficulty is not mechanical, but pertains rather to the complexity of simply 'learning the notes'. This is a difficulty which is addressed through the skills of 'reading for learning' (distinct from, but related to, 'sight-reading'). Well developed reading skills become essential to build the substantial repertoire necessary for the performer and teacher, as opposed merely to learning a few isolated pieces, which may suffice for examinations. While reading skills will develop, to some degree, simply as a matter of experience, it is advisable that practice time should be devoted to concentrated training of these skills. In the longer term, this time will prove a wise investment, as the amount of time required to learn complex repertoire items will be dramatically reduced.
