Reading bass and treble clefts simultaneously

[terryp]

My wife has no trouble doing so, even when they're separated by by an inch with the words for a half-dozen verses in between. If I focus on the treble, the bass is just a blur, and vise-versa. I can see the notes, but can't tell where they are on the staff unless I shift my eyes. Trying to focus in between doesn't work either, and it's not my glasses. She says 'it will come', but I don't see how. Can someone enlighten me?

[Don in E Texas]

Could always turn your head sideways - one eye on each clef.......na, that is not right!!

My suggestion is the one that Will mentions many times: "Break it down and slow it down". Do one hand at a time - one measure at a time.

I have the same problem (among other keyboard related problems) and I find Will's comment works for me...

don

[terryp]

That's what I do (break it down - not the sideways thing . But my wife can just start playing a new piece, reading both clefs at the same time. Maybe it's something the brain adapts to.

[Nursienurse]

Hi Terryp, I had the same trouble but it has gotten easier as time goes by. What I did at first was to write in pencil the name of the bass notes and after a while, I just started remembering them. Have fun and don't compare your progress to anyone else. We all learn in our own way and at our own pace. Have fun. Dotsy
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To make beautiful music, just play from the heart.

[MovementCode9]

Hello terryp. I assume you are talking about the ability to play a piece of music immediately from looking at sheet music you have never seen before. This is "sight reading". My guess is that a very small percentage of musicians, if you include students, amateurs and professionals can actually do this. Its an acquired skill attained through a long period of time and practice. I cannot sight read at this point, but of course would love to have this skill one day. I can tell you though, that the idea is to always look ahead to the next measure while you are playing the current one. Imagine you are reading something out of a book and saying what you are reading to a group of people. You would not just say one word at a time, you would always be looking ahead to the next words as you speak the previous. I hope this helps...Patrick
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"I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to" ~Elvis Presley.

[msteen]

Your wife is right; this is a skill that will come with time. Though how much time and how great a level of skill is probably up to several factors. First, for people like you and me, getting absolutely familiar with the 4 octave span of notes--from C two octaves below the middle and C two octaves above--is essential. Your fingers should just automatically go to the right notes without you counting them off mentally. For instance, all of us can plug middle C without even thinking about it. That's the way it should be for all the notes, and that's only going to come with lots of time and practice.
Second, we need to learn to read patterns rather than individual notes. If a triad starts on F and takes up the next two spaces, we should almost instinctively reach for F A B; there should be no drifting around looking for the root. And then we need to apply that pattern recognition to intervals too, and they're much harder. In sum, we need to KNOW the chords and know what they look like on the page so that we can form them immediately without having to build them note by note.
Finally, we need to develop an almost built-in feel for the rhythm so that we can play the quarter and eighth notes in the right timing to get actual music out of them.
How long will this take to do it with any degree of fluency? There's no way to tell. Given a huge amount of work and a degree of aptitude, it may come fairly quickly for you. Then again, it may never come and you'll be like most of us--working out the tune in small parts, hands separately and then together, building it up until you get it.
And even if you do get to the point where you can read, say, "The Reader's Digest Merry Christmas Songbook" at sight (my dream goal by the way), you have only to pick up a copy of Beethoven's Sonatas to know that there are certain mountains you just ain't never gonna climb.