Beginner hitting wrong notes

[vijaye7]

Hi,

I've been learning piano by myself since just over a month. Sometimes, I hit the wrong keys while reading the notes and playing and not looking at the keys. Is it normal with the beginners?

Vijay

[oscarr111111]

You mean pressing the wrong key using the wrong finger, with stationary hands in one position?  Or moving positions and not hitting the key you are aiming for (but playing the wrong key with the right finger)?

As a beginner I'd worry about neither of these.

[mikew3456]

i dont know how people do this

i went to a recital today and these kids were reading the music from the page, and they kept hitting the wrong notes or going off-beat, etc

im a complete beginner myself, and i try to just memorize what keys to press so i dont need the sheet music anymore. that seems the best way for me

[vijaye7]

Memorizing some music and playing allows you to look at the keys. But playing while looking at the notes is the problem. Being a beginner, sometimes (not all times) i go wayward with a note or 2. I dont mean totally playing awkwardly so that even I wont be able to listen my playing  .  Like you said, when I play a memorized piece, I have no problems at all. But I am more interested in Sight Reading first than memorizing.

[teresa_b]

Memorizing is fine, but you may not always want to memorize everything you would like to play, or at least play at. 

Sightreading is a skill that requires practice, so being a beginner you wouldn't be expected to read that accurately, especially at tempo.  You can practice sightreading--try reading slowly through easy pieces, and focus on looking ahead in the score and preparing your hands to go to those notes. 

Have fun!
Teresa

[vijaye7]

I agree with you, Teresa. Obviously nobody wants to memorize everything they play. Had I had that skill, I would have been a master on everything I do . Thanks for the advice. I have started doing that, playing slowly. Yes it does makes a difference.  Hoping to keep the same spirit all over.

[thorn]

something that helped me to get out of this was to practise just hitting certain notes with different fingers with my eyes shut.

it takes a while before you actually end up starting to get the notes you aim for but it does build up accuracy with that kind of thing because you are getting used to the shape and length of the keyboard in your mind.

you can also try doing different intervals with your eyes shut so you get used to the relative distances. makes sight-reading a whole lot easier anyway

[shortyshort]

I can't sight read to save my life. I memorise everything. I don't bother learning something if I don't like it. If I like it, I memorise it. It does take time though. I think that once a piece is memorised, I can then learn to actually PLAY it. I also practice playing with my eyes closed, opening them slightly when a hand jump is approaching.

I feel that when I hear people playing from the Music, they have no passion in their playing, as they're to busy reading the notes and stuff.

Each to their own, I suppose.

[e99angel]

Don't be too concerned about missing notes while you're concentrating on reading the piece. I like concentrating on learning the piece in general and focusing on corrections afterward.

I think sight reading is worth learning, but you don't have to start out being a good sight reader. I used to be completely incompetent at sight reading. However, after getting used to playing a lot of different pieces, I could sight read simpler music. Sight reading takes a lot of practice. However, at least for me, it's fun, and it makes it easier to learn new pieces.