The skill of sight-reading is an on-going learning process. If you are having trouble with harder pieces, begin sight-reading those pieces. Remember that when you are practicing sight-reading, you should consider not perfecting the piece or practicing over and over again. Once you start trying to perfect a piece of music or playing it consecutively, you are no longer sight-reading it. Also, remember to look at the key, accidentals and look ahead when you read. I would suggest sight-reading a piece once regardless how well or badly you did, you should then move on to another piece and come back to it the next day.
Here are more tips:
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.
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.