How to improve "sight reading" skill?

[karnta]

I am inspired to play piano by my teacher who is very good, indeed, at sight reading. He always show me how to play my currently learning piece which, of course,  is difficult for me and he can play it so easily and beautifully. Sometimes I ask him to play pieces I like, he also can easily play it by sight reading (with some wrong notes). And then I have thought, I want to be good at sight reading too. I don't want to be able to play well just a few pieces I'm practising. I want to be able to play any pieces (which are not too difficult) at least smoothly and listener can recognise what piece it is. How to improve this skill?

[bernhard]

Sight-reading is a very popular subject in the forum. There are many threads dealing with it. I recommend you get Howard Richmann’s “Supersight reading secrets” and follow his plan.

Here are a few threads on sight reading :

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,1871.msg14384.html#msg14384
(Reading notation – Richmann’s book – Cambridge word scramble example)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,1976.msg15962.html#msg15962
(Sight reading – Richmann’s book)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2406.msg20820.html#msg20820
(the grand staff)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2577.msg22247.html#msg22247
(Keyboard topography – how to find notes by touch)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2713.msg23282.html#msg23282
(Teaching bass clef – the full explanation for the grand staff)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2751.msg23710.html#msg23710
(detailed explanation of the sight-reading process)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2763.msg25148.html#msg25148
(music to develop sight reading from scratch)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,3205.msg28255.html#msg28255
(how not to look at the keys – Richmann’s reviews)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,3334.msg29381.html#msg29381
(Reading both staffs as a single grand staff - Reasons for working on scales - Detailed discussion of Richmann’s book)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4461.msg41580.html#msg41580
(Looking at the keys: Good or bad? exercises to help finding notes by touch. Good contributions by Chang).

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4506.msg42967.html#msg42967
(accompanying as a way to teach sightreading)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,5090.msg48850.html#msg48850
(the score is tabs for piano)



Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Dikai]

as a starter, play at the slowest speed possible at which you can play every single note perfectly.  if you cannot follow the correct tempo as a result, do not worry too much at this point since you're learning to sightread.  when you're given a music, play every single note correctly, before you know the next sets of notes you're going to play, don't press the keys yet, press the keys until you know it'll be perfect...  and take AS MUCH TIME as you need for preparing to play the next set of notes...  that's what you need to practicing b4 you start sightreading other music... it's a very good habit... also, it's good to know your scales very well, because music is built upon it...

the sight reading part, take one fairly difficult music (harder than you can usually play) from each period follow the above step through the music several times, you'll start to get a feel of how to mactch the higher/lower-end notes to the keyboard, and how to apply the understanding of scales to the music and such.  after several times, put these music away, pull some easier pieces out (those that are of your level), try the above steps, you'll find them much easier...

so... an example is, if you try to attempt to play the rach 3 conerto, once you get through the entire music (no matter how slowly, how poorly), when you put a chopin noctorne out afterwards, it's gonna feel much easier... true??

[timothy42b]

I think sightreading for the early beginner offers different challenges than for most on this forum.

I would suggest trying to figure out why you can't sightread and then following those links above to address those problems first, as an efficiency plan.

I think I know why I have trouble at my current level.  In the future I will probably have different trouble for different reasons.

Three things the beginner has to get past:  what do the notes and rhythms mean; where are the keys on the keyboards; how do you figure out fingering on the fly. 

In my case I have no trouble looking at the page and knowing what is to be played.  My difficulty starts with knowing the keyboard.  So, for me, following the link above about keyboard topography is the most useful starting point. 

You might be at thing 1, or thing 3, so your starting point may vary.  Master one and move on. 

[crotchet]

Bernhard, I have read your threads on sightreading and understanding notes on the treble and bass clefs.  In particular your suggestion of turning the score 90 degrees confuses me.  I consider myself a good sightreader.  I was forced into accompanying my sister who sang and I just had to 'keep going'.  It was sink or swim - so I swam.  This is certainly a great way to read music faster as you continually have to be looking ahead.  Now about the 90 degrees.  I have turned it but what do I see.  Sideways notes!  I can see making the staff look vertical instead of horizontal but how do you explain which note belongs to which key at this 90 degrees.  I may be missing something.  Can you help as this seems interesting.

[bernhard]

Bernhard, I have read your threads on sightreading and understanding notes on the treble and bass clefs.  In particular your suggestion of turning the score 90 degrees confuses me.  I consider myself a good sightreader.  I was forced into accompanying my sister who sang and I just had to 'keep going'.  It was sink or swim - so I swam.  This is certainly a great way to read music faster as you continually have to be looking ahead.  Now about the 90 degrees.  I have turned it but what do I see.  Sideways notes!  I can see making the staff look vertical instead of horizontal but how do you explain which note belongs to which key at this 90 degrees.  I may be missing something.  Can you help as this seems interesting.

Does this help?







Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[crotchet]

Oh, now I get it!  Thanks for the great illustrations.  I am going to try this out on my adult students.   What an approach, looks like the light bulb will go on with this one! Thanks again.

[bernhard]

Oh, now I get it!  Thanks for the great illustrations.  I am going to try this out on my adult students.   What an approach, looks like the light bulb will go on with this one! Thanks again.

Try it on the kids as well!

The way I do it:

Get a large enough card, and draw the lines so that they correspond (make them thick) to the keys. Put this card at the back fo the keys, so the student must locate the note in the score inthe card. From there it is easy to see the corresponding key easily (like in the first picture). I am not sure if this is understandable. But I think you will get the idea. This accelerates sight reading a lot, especially if you do not concentrate too much on the individual notes, but rather on the intervals.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Brian Healey]

I'll LMAO if twenty years from now, everybody is reading their music sideways! 

That is very interesting, though. I'm definitely going to try that one out the next time I have a beginner student.

Peace,
Bri

[karnta]

Thank you for so many opinions. There are so many good techniques I can count on.
But I want to narrow my question a bit. I daresay I can read notes very fast. I have no problem about reading. My problem is I can not play and read the next bar or phrase simultaneously. I always pause here and there all the time. It makes my sight reading not flowing. In other words, I can't seperate my mind between two hand and reading. If anyone got an idea how to improve. please help me.