reading notes

[roiu12345]

when i read notes (i dont look at the piano only the paper) should i identify the note (A,E...) and then to assume the distance between the notes i pressed to the note i suppose the press  or to assume the ditance between the note i pressed to the note i suppose to press and then to identify the note?
help me. what is the best why to read notes?

[birba]

??   I don't get it.

[go12_3]

I think the best way is to have a teacher show you how to read notes, and it's a process that each and every student needs to go through....and each student learns to read notes at their own pace.  Can't rush a student to reading notes, I'd like to, but it would hinder the process.   

[lostinidlewonder]

1) Should I Identify the note THEN assume the distance.
2) Should I Assume the distance THEN identify the note.

Assuming that you define;
Identify as: Sight read and then observe the position on the keyboard.
Assume: Try to play the interval of notes without looking at hand, i,e: estimate the distance.


I would choose the 2nd option (but forget about checking if we played the right note because you hear it with your ears not eyes) because there is no need to identify the notes if you can play the position without observing it directly with your eyes. You need to get a sense of where you are at the piano with the fingers you are playing, a good mental exercise is to see the piano keyboard in your minds eye and move around it in random patterns constantly comparing it to a complete map of the entire keyboard. You can also hold single notes on the keyboard, close your eyes and visually observer where your hand moves as you play some notes.

Most people have no problems actually knowing where they are at the piano however they have difficulty controlling the position of all their fingers as they play. That is they know which notes they are around but they have no clue as to which fingering to use to play the passage the easiest way. When I get beginner students of mine to practice sight reading they often do not observe when the hand has to change position and the strange fingerings they come up with make the playing many levels more difficult. So a good sense of fingering crucial for good sight reading and being able to play without having to observe the fingers directly. The more wrong fingering you use the more you are forced to look at your hands to repair the awkward position.

[mcdiddy1]

I would help if you made you question a little more clear.

If you are trying to learn to read notes, start small and simple. Music learning comes from experiences and the more experiences you have ( even small ones) the better you will get. Also singing the note names out loud can help you develop and aural/tonal memory of the piece. Being able to hear the piece in your head will help you in the long run and developing general pattern recognition about skips, steps, leaps and intervals will help you learn to sight-read. Sight reading is all just recognizing patterns you have learned before.

The best way is pick a book of songs you know and enjoy and not too challenging...( like Broadway, movie music, Classic themes) and learn them. You will be able to detect when you made a mistake quickly because you would have already known the piece and gain the experience of playing it on the keyboard