Sight Reading
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How To Become Better At Piano Sight ReadingBecoming an efficient piano or music sight reader takes a lot of practice. There are a few rules that will help speed up and help improve your sight reading abilities. Do you know that music sight reading skills and accompaniments skills are the two most important skills any pianist can possess? Piano Sight Reading Tip #1- Eyes are always a step ahead of handsWhen your hands are playing the first beat of a measure, the eyes are already glancing at the second beat of the same measure. Piano Sight Reading Tip #2 - Keeping a steady tempoIt is important to keep counting a steady tempo even if you miss a few notes here and there. It you are not used to counting rhythm out loud, you can start practicing by clapping. Watch for the smallest values of the piece. If the piece has eighth notes, then count 1& 2 & etc. Keep the tempo really slow in the beginning.Watch for keys - Always start a piece by knowing the key signatures. Check for the beginning and the last note/chord. They are usually the same chord. The chord of the last note will tell you what key it is. Once you know the key you can anticipate the black keys (sharps or flats of the key).
Interval Observation- Once you master the first three steps, this last step is crucial for precise note playing. Remember there are five lines and four spaces in any sheet music. Notes are written within lines and spaces. A. The distance between two notes are called interval. For example: C to D is a 2nd; C to E is a third; C to F is a fourth. B. When you have two notes that are on different lines, their interval are either 3rd, 5th, 7th, or 9th. C. When you have two notes that are on different spaces, their interval are also 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc. D. When you have two notes where one is a space note and the other one is a line note or vice versa, then the interval is 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th. E. When you have two notes where one note is a space note (1st space) and the other note is a line note right above the space note (2nd line), then it is a 2nd. Print out the following interval exercise, and determine if you can tell the interval within 2 second.
Keep eyes on the music. Use your peripheral vision to your fingers. Your fingers can learn to find their notes without your eyes. A good typist can type well without looking at the keyboard. A good pianist can read the music without looking at the piano keys. Piano Sight Reading |
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