DISCLAIMER: The following is not necessarily a good technique for sight reading work, but for memorization of a piece.
When approaching an entire pre-composed song or project that you want to learn, it's common to dive enthusiastically in with good intentions, only to get burned out quickly with overwhelm when your eyes glaze over by measure 10, and to notice that you still don't have any real ability to play skillfully through the section you just worked on. It's important here to remember the answer to the riddle:
Q: How do you eat an elephant?
A: One bite at a time!
So instead of trying to whork down the whole enchilada all at once at a run, I suggest the following learning technique, WITH A METRONOME:
1. Master beat 1, even if it's just one note. REALLY master it, as in playing it smoothly with no major train wrecks.
2. Master all the other notes between beat 1 and 2. See above.
3. Master beat 2. See step 1.
4. Master all the other notes between beat 2 and 3.
5. Continue until you've reached the end of measure 1.
6. MASTER measure 1, as in playing it smoothly with no major train wrecks.
7. Continue to measure 2, starting over at step 1.
8. Add a measure at a time in this way, starting over each time from the first measure and adding one note or beat to the end at a time, and don't go onto the next note or beat until you've mastered the whole passage, including the new note or beat.
Since you are eliminating time-wasting and eye-glazing unfocused playing, and reinforcing muscle memory each time on all the previous measures with constant repetition, you may be surprised at how much time this technique saves you in the long run. This is how I approach any new classical or through-composed piece, and it seriously ramps down my initial anxiety level knowing that I only have to worry about one new note at a time. For an added level of skill, try testing yourself on each pass for memorization by looking away from the sheet music!
-Tyson
