sight reading music | piano sight reading

Becoming 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 hands

When 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 tempo

It 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.
Tips:

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.
If the lines are next to each other, (from line 1 to line 2, from line 2 to line 3, etc), the interval is a third.
If the notes are skipping one lines (from line 1 to line 3, from line 2 to line 4, etc), the interval is a fifth.

C. When you have two notes that are on different spaces, their interval are also 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc.
This is because they are skipping a line note. If the space are next to each other (from space 1 to space 2, from space 2 to space 3), the interval is a 3rd. If the notes are skipping one space (from space 1 to space 3, from space 2 to space 4), the
interval is a fifth.

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.
When you have two notes where one note is a space note (1st space), and the other note is a line note (3rd line, skip the 2nd line), it is a 4th.

Print out the following interval exercise, and determine if you can tell the interval within 2 second.
Develop the habit of reading sheet music by reading interval.
Interval Exercise 1

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.

5. If you combine the above steps and start paying attentions to interval of any sheet music you come across, I can almost guarantee your sight reading skills will improve within a short period of time.

Mastering The Art Of Piano Sight Reading

Are you frustrated with reading piano music? Whether you are slow on piano sight reading or just someone who wants to improve on your overall piano sight reading abilities, we have the right course for you.

The course will reveal the following secrets of sight reading to you:

1. How to read both treble clef and bass clef notes at the same time.

2. How to count the rhythm of any piece accurately while sight reading a new piece, as well as how to count music with lots of eighth notes and sixteenth notes.

3. The best way to read a group of notes at the same time and many more

This music sight reading dvd course comes with a 177 page manual, a computer CD ROM, and a DVD all of which provide step-by-step guidance on proper sight reading methods. You also get hundreds of exercises both on computer and in front of the piano keys to make you the best piano sight reader you can be.

[Suitable for late beginners and early intermediate player]

Improve Your Piano Sight Reading Course

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