Sightreading

[jzp93]

My 13 yo son has been playing piano since he was 7yo and has always been a good sightreader. Later on, I realized he was not reading the notes. He was reading by lines. If I ask him to name the notes he plays it takes him a few seconds. If I ask him to play the notes without naming them, he plays them way faster than he could read. I try not to teach him because he already has a teacher plus I read notes as do, re, mi, not A, B, C. Anyway, my questions is, what should I do to improve his reading the notes so someday he will be sightreading by reading the notes NOT the lines or is this not a big deal? His teacher is not that concerned about it but it's weird to see him learn Pathetique with good sight reading when he's NOT really reading the notes. (He goes to a Russian Music School and as young kids they play by using the lines not reading the notes and my son learned fast).

[mcdiddy1]

If he is playing Beethoven's Pathetique he has reached a level where reciting notes in unnecessary for him. The more repertoire he learns the faster he will be at note identification. If he is playing the right notes and playing musically that should be the least of your worries.

Saying notes out loud is a cognitive skill to check for understanding and doesn't not help with sight reading. It is difficult to say notes with the complexity of Beethoven with all the sharps and flats quickly at that stage.

If you want him to improve at sight reading, find simpler repertoire with easily recognizable tunes. Sight read up to tempo from beginning to end without stopping and try to do it constantly.  When we sight read music we recognize musical patterns not individual notes.Good sight read takes in account key signatures, meter signature intervals, chords,scales and minimal note reading skills.

Its is just like reading. We do not need to read every individual notes to understand what the person is saying. We read the first couple letters, recognize phrases , or get an over impression just by glancing over the sentence. Reading each individual note is to slow and unnecessary for fluid reading 

[jzp93]

Okay, now I understand. Thanks for clarifying that McDiddy1.
I've been worried that he's play ing advance pieces and not reading rigpht. No wonder I'm so slow w sightreading.