Our last showcase features highlights, updates and free resources from a selection of our collections for performing, sight-reading and teaching (previous showcases looked at practising, learning pieces and technique).
Sight-Reading
Improving your sight-reading has many benefits beyond simply getting a better mark in an examination. It allows you to play a wider range of music and gives you more opportunities to make music with others. Sight-reading also develops many other skills essential for overall musical development.
The following are some of the resources available on the Online Academy for practising sight-reading:
- Read Ahead – A selection of sample pieces and exercises from the Read Ahead curriculum for intermediate to advanced levels. Click here to view level 1, click here for level 2, click here for Level 3 or click here for Level 4.
- Advanced Sight-Reading Curriculum – A sight-reading curriculum for advanced pianists, based on a programme developed by Ken Johansen at the Peabody Institute. It provides a structured approach to improving sight-reading with detailed instructions, annotated pieces and exercises. Click here for an introduction or click here for a video tour of the curriculum.
- Preparing for an Exam (Sight Reading) – In these videos from our collection of piano examination resources, Graham Fitch gives some tips and ideas for incorporating sight-reading into lessons and daily practising. Click here to view.
Click here to view an index of all of our sight-reading resources.
NEW CONTENT: Three new days with several exercises and pieces have been added to Read Ahead Level 4. Click here to view.
FREE CONTENT:
- Advanced Sight-Reading Curriculum – Click here to view an article on keeping your eyes on the score and click here for a diagnostic test.
- Teaching & Developing Sight-reading Skills – A collection of free articles by Read Ahead developers Travis Hardaway and Ken Johansen on the Online Academy
Click here to view an index of all of our sight-reading resources.
Performing
Our performing section contains resources to help you overcome performance anxiety and to help you prepare for an examination or deliver a performance that reflects your full potential. It also contains a growing section of materials on learning how to improvise! Click here to view available content on the Online Academy.
FREE VIDEOS: Beyond Stage Fright – Managing Performance Nerves is a short course by Charlotte Tomlinson which aims to start you on the first steps of a journey to help you find ways to nerves for a more enjoyable performing experience. Click here to view the course index.
The Online Academy’s extensive library of resources for piano examinations now contains hundreds of videos on everything from repertoire through to technical requirements, performance preparation, sight-reading and other aspects. Click here to view an index of resources for current and past syllabuses.
NEW VIDEOS: We’ve just added four new videos on preparing for a performance to our collection of videos on preparing or a piano examination. These videos complement to our repertoire guides and cover topics including sight-reading, aural, technical tests (scales & arpeggios). Click here to view the series index.
Teaching
We’ve partnered with the Piano Teachers’ Course UK to create a collection of online modules based on their piano teacher training offering. Click here to view a listing of available modules on the Online Academy.
FREE VIDEO: Click here to view a free video by Ilga Pitkevica on using elementary patterns of steps and skips before the naming of notes to help with recognition of chord, scale and arpeggio patterns.
BONUS VIDEOS: Now that things are hopefully getting back to normal and playing duets is an option! Click here to view an introductory video on playing duets or click here to view the next video on pedalling decisions and avoiding getting in each other’s way!
Other showcases
Please click on one of the following links to see free content form previous showcases:
Practising the Piano Online Academy
The Practising the Piano Online Academy is the ultimate online resource for mastering the piano. It features a constantly growing library of over 300 articles, thousands of musical excerpts and hundreds of videos on topics including practising, piano technique and performing from leading experts. Please click here to find out more about the Online Academy or on one of the options below to subscribe:
- Monthly subscription – Subscribe for £9.99 a month to get full, unlimited access to all Online Academy articles and updates (click here to sign-up for this option)
- Annual subscription – Save over 15% on the monthly subscription with an annual subscription for £99.99 per year and get free eBooks and editions worth over £70! (click here to sign-up for this option)