Sight reading: how fast can you read notes?

[dexterspg]

First of all, I am a a self-taught beginner piano hobbyist. Right now, my schedule is not flexible so I cannot enroll in a class yet.

My question is about sight-reading tips; when sight reading, do you read the bass and treble clef notes together? or do you finish first practicing the song with the right hand, then the left hand?

Another question, do I need to be able to read the notes instantly before sight reading? Because I am still doing the F A C E, Every Good Boy and so on, you know what i mean? Because I recognize the notes slowly, I delay and become out of beat.

Is it still early for me to sight read?

Most of the time, I am just learning fingering, scale, arpeggios and other concepts.

What are the other tips you have in mind that I need to practice to improve sight reading?

A follow-up question, I kind of also memorize some notes while trying to sight read, that makes me know already which note I will press, instead of sight reading. Does this defeat the purpose of sight reading?

Thank you  

[gleeok]

Another question, do I need to be able to read the notes instantly before sight reading? Because I am still doing the F A C E, Every Good Boy and so on, you know what i mean? Because I recognize the notes slowly, I delay and become out of beat.

I'm unexperienced as well, but is not sight-reading; "To read or perform (music, for example) without preparation or prior acquaintance."? Then I guess thats a requisition.

I also recognize the notes slowly, but everything comes together as practice proceeds, even though that is not sight-playing/reading, the music comes out anyways, so I guess its good haha.

A follow-up question, I kind of also memorize some notes while trying to sight read, that makes me know already which note I will press, instead of sight reading. Does this defeat the purpose of sight reading?

By the aforementioned definition I do think it goes against the purpose of sight reading.

I've sight-played/read some very simplistic pieces before, you should be able to do that if you have the basic knowledge and skill for reading notes. I'm pretty sure if you start out with very simple pieces and slowly pick harder ones you will improve on sight reading, but for sight reading I guess the idea here is to play stuff you never played before, otherwise you'll play sequences you already had memorized.

I hope my thoughts are useful in some way.

[cody_wickham]

Although I still flounder like a beached whale when it comes to sight reading.  I remember a music professor at my college told me you must read the staff's together as a whole.  And also when sight reading you have to create a buffer if you will of about two measures ahead so you have time to fix something if you get stuck before actually playing it.  How to do this correctly still eludes me but I hope it helps.

[hfmadopter]

Although I still flounder like a beached whale when it comes to sight reading.  I remember a music professor at my college told me you must read the staff's together as a whole.  And also when sight reading you have to create a buffer if you will of about two measures ahead so you have time to fix something if you get stuck before actually playing it.  How to do this correctly still eludes me but I hope it helps.

I call it leading the notes, to read ahead what you are playing, though I do not go two measures ahead. I read about  1/2 to one full measure ahead of what I'm actually playing. The term sight reading can apply to reading the music vs memorizing it or to just go cold turkey and play something you never played before by sight reading it. But that's totally my opinion ! After all, if you are playing with no music in the holder you are playing it memorized, if you are reading the music then well you are doing that by sight. All though at times my music is almost memorized and the sheets are up in the stand for reference and refreshing my mind. That is a different case though that happens during the transition to memorized pieces.

I'm getting older now so the memory doesn't do so hot, I do more reading of my music now.. I do feel that fully memorized music is when a person can really let loose with his or her full interpretation with out shackles. And others could be quoted as saying something different from my thoughts.

The OP is at such an early stage of development that this all applies in a very elementary way at this point. It's good to have it square in your mind though, as time goes by fast and hopefully advancement will be quick. Then it will apply more directly ! Right now it's kind of a hacking out of pieces of study music and theory stage. I have two students at this very same stage. One tries to memorize everything, the other claims to know absolutely nothing. At the same time it's so important to get the hands relaxed and in position and get counting ! So much more critical than sight reading vs not sight reading is concerned because as time evolves to more and more complicated music, rhythym and hand relaxing technique becomes fundamental.

[thesixthsensemusic]

Good, and important, question. I often prepare for new works by sight reading PDF files of sheet music to prepare for starting new pieces. If you can read music as well as you can read English, it is an invaluable asset to efficient practice and it saves you LOADS of frustration.

Here's what I'd do;

Download some sheet music of your favourite composers, but make sure you pick ones that are relatively easy to read, keys like C major, A minor, F and G major and D and E major. Then print the music, look up your favourite rendition of it on Youtube or perhaps take it from your CD collection. Do make sure though you also keep in mind to start with downtempo pieces as this also makes life a lot easier.

Then just try and recognise what is being played by reading the sheet music whilst listening.

As your reading skills increase, you can move on to progressively more difficult scales and compositions, but to maximize the effects of this 'training' it's best to move onto pieces with many black keys and large chords instead of fast-paced pianistic acrobatics, as it's harder to read but because of the tempo easier to follow. Generally, the fewer black keys the easier, and vice versa.