Junior Cert Music sight reading

Cyclist101

I'm posting for my son. He plays piano at Grade 5 and knows a few chords on guitar. His music teacher in school reckons sight reading chords on the guitar is very easy and recommends he does it but his piano teacher is horrified at the thought and says he should do his sight reading on piano. Anyone any thoughts as to which he should do?

rainbowtrout

I presume with piano a student normally completes a grade over the course of a year, and it is likely that your son has 5 years experience on piano. You said 'he knows a few chords' on guitar, so maybe not that experienced. I would also presume that he is pretty good on piano if he is grade 5, surely this is the sensible option? Pick grade 5 pieces he is good at and practice them in the weeks coming up to the practical. Does he even know a song on guitar?

Alqua

It depends very much on what you mean by "a few chords". Is he a confident player? I would suggest err on the side of caution and stick with piano. If a chord comes up in the guitar sight reading that he has never learned, he's in trouble - whereas he could attempt anything the piano test will contain.

I would suggest he plays through a few of the past sight reading tests on both instruments, if he hasn't already done this. If he is Grade 5 piano he should have no problem with the JC sight reading.

Piano is on page 9 here and guitar on page 15:
https://www.examinations.ie/exam/JC_Music_Unprepared_Tests_Higher_Level.pdf

There are several available on the examinations website but I can't direct link to the page - go to Examinations.ie > Examination Material Archive > Music - practicals.

evolving_doors

Depends on the student/teacher ... a lot of piano teachers just cram the sight reading in a month before the grade exams!
Your sons piano teacher seems to know what he's capable of though. Make sure he has a photocopy of the sight reading examples to bring to his piano lesson... plus grade 3 sight reading pieces.
The trick is to actually practice sight reading the same piece till its perfect so the brain consolidates that style, not just try it and move on to the next piece.
Get the young lad to try and read the pieces away from the piano and imagine what they should sound like.

The Infinite Fart

I'm a music teacher myself and I would be inclined to agree with his school music teacher on this one on guitar being easier. There is only a certain pool of chords the sight reading can be made up of for guitar so if he knows his chords it could well be the easiest option for him. Secondly the rhythm he would have to strum to is a basic four crotchet beats in a bar unlike piano which has two different rhythms going on in both hands plus change of notes more regularly. Plus there are so many previous papers online which he can practise chords from. For piano I would usually find most students struggle with sight reading even at the higher levels, and unless they are really steady I would avoid at all costs. Maybe if he really wants to do piano get him to ask his teacher in school to listen to both and see which he would be awarded more marks for.

endacl

No brainer: Guitar.

Source: Me. Music teacher. His school music teacher knows just how stupifyingly easy this task is, because they are familiar with the syllabus. Piano teachers tend to be very parochial in their outlook and tend very quickly towards knickertwistedness.

As regards state exams, his school teacher has jurisdiction.

mirrorwall14

Music teacher here. Guitar standard is faaaar easier. If he’s halfway decent it will be easier than the piano

picturehangup

Yep, Guitar is the way to go here.

Agree with all of the above posters advocating same.

Keys are usually straightforward, usually D maj and G maj in there. Sometimes C. Also fond of A minor and D minor.


A very steady, crotchet pulse, downward strums ON THE BEAT, not too fast, but steady from beginning to end, is what SEC want.

If there is, for example a change of chord on the third beat, or sometimes as can happen, on the fourth beat, make sure to make the chord change precisely where directed in the bar.

If there are dynamics indicated (crescendo, decrescendo, etc) be sure to include those too.

If a seventh chord is included, usually the second last chord, eg D7, make sure the 7th in the chord can be heard.

Avoid muffled chords, clarity is king!

Hope this helps you decide. Piano SR can be tough, eg, nervous slips, incorrect rhythm, unsteadiness of tempo can easily cost marks.

evolving_doors

Actually what chords are on?

picturehangup

evolving_doors wrote: »

Actually what chords are on?

Depends on the key of the test. Usually straightforward chords. I am not a guitarist, but even LC students tell me that there was nothing particularly awkward, such as Bmaj, or B flat, and that's at LC level.

If the test is in D major, then expect chords of A major, GmajorA7, Eminor, and to a lesser extent B minor. All pretty typical.

evolving_doors

picturehangup wrote: »

Depends on the key of the test. Usually straightforward chords. I am not a guitarist, but even LC students tell me that there was nothing particularly awkward, such as Bmaj, or B flat, and that's at LC level.

If the test is in D major, then expect chords of A major, GmajorA7, Eminor, and to a lesser extent B minor. All pretty typical.

So it'd be diatonic chords really.
For the JC theory/composing its up to 2 sharps and flats. Would that transfer across to the guitar sight reading.
So potentially could they get Eb (in the key of Bb]?

picturehangup

Have never seen a test beyond 2 sharps and flats at JC for any instrument, but more familiar with the LC ones, which I reckon the JC students could easily execute in the best possible sense!! Students who take the guitar sight-reading do very well.
Ah, yes, understand your last question. Nope, they couldn't get Eb. It is a difficult chord to place on the guitar, and beyond the scope of the syllabus.
Though, with the new JC coming soon, God only knows what's coming down the tracks, but won't affect the OP's JC.
Have a cluster day shortly. Should be interesting, feel free to PM.