Method(s) remember which key accidentals to play when sightreading

[tomp86]

Hi all. I'd really like to know how some of you remember which accidentals to play when reading from a piano sheet.

Some examples include:

Constantly keep in mind
1. Which accidentals # or flat to apply to a list of notes. eg # CFG (for A major)
or

2. The key you are currently playing eg. A major (and thats all) Then a subconcious association to #CFG is made without thought)
or

Do not think about the key at all beyond the
3.  initial reading of the key signature at the beginning of the piece
or

4. reading of the key signature on each line of the piece (seems distracting to me)

Please let me know the way you do it!

Many thanks. Tom P

[lostinidlewonder]

Learn your Major scales and from those your relative minors. If you merely want to keep track of what can be sharp or flat in the key signature google "Mnemonic key signature" and take your pick.

Also they are not called accidentals if they exist in the key signature.

[brogers70]

I just look at the key signature and the first few chords to see what key it's in. After that it's subconscious.

[ignomike]

This is definitely one of the hardest parts of sight reading for most learners.

Sort out your scales. I recommend just memorizing how many #/b are in each scale rather than what each #/b is as it's much easier (takes 5 mins lol).
Once that is done you can memorize the order of #/b's easily. I use Farmer Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle as it's reversible for the flats: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles Farmer. There are many other methods and Mnemonics, use what you like but separating the task into 2 parts and tackling them one at a time hugely cuts down on the work.

Once you know your scales you can try it out with pieces but try to stick with only one or two keys at most for a while until you get used to the key. Before each piece play though the scale once - preferably without looking!

However by far the best method for acclimating yourself to the key is to improvise within it. My improv is bad but I don't let that stop me. Again try to keep your eyes up as much as possible and feel free to start slow.

Do all of this and you can take a process that usually takes 4-5 years to passively learn down to just 6 months.

As brogers says it's subconscious for any good player but that's why we train.

[tomp86]

Learn your Major scales and from those your relative minors. If you merely want to keep track of what can be sharp or flat in the key signature google "Mnemonic key signature" and take your pick.

Also they are not called accidentals if they exist in the key signature.

Sort out your scales.

Can you please tell me the scale regimen I should use to improve my fluency in a key.  Eg. Should I

• Practice scales while looking at the scales on sheet music
• Practice playing multiple octaves ht using correct fingering
• "                                                      "  hands converging
• "                                                      "  hands diverging
• Gradually increase the speed of all of the above

[tomp86]

I just look at the key signature and the first few chords to see what key it's in. After that it's subconscious.

Cool. Thanks for letting me know what my ultimate goal should be 

[lostinidlewonder]

Can you please tell me the scale regimen I should use to improve my fluency in a key.  Eg. Should I

• Practice scales while looking at the scales on sheet music
• Practice playing multiple octaves ht using correct fingering
• "                                                      "  hands converging
• "                                                      "  hands diverging
• Gradually increase the speed of all of the above

I think you are overthinking, if you just want to learn the key signature so why not learn a single hand playing the ascending scale and memorise it. Also study the mnemonic it is very easy to do. This is not a highly complicated situation. Use the circle of fifths to tell you what major scales to learn as it will go through the entire key signature in an ordered fashion. Learning the scales allows you to feel the topography of the keysignature to the keyboard but there would be no harm to also just play a c major scale constantly and merely apply the key signature to that multiple times via the mnemonic. Also if you simply play the keysignatue notes you should see/hear a pattern in themselves on the piano, go experiment!

[keypeg]

Do not think about the key at all beyond the
3.  initial reading of the key signature at the beginning of the piece

Probably primarily this one.  You have to stay mindful as you go along. Also be aware that music can move to another key, especially the Dominant one.

Practising scales as suggested is good, but also to get the sound of the major scale in your head.  That way in the key of A major, if you miss a G# it will "sound wrong" to you.

You also want to know your major keys - the relative minor come from them.  Personally I'd avoid memnonics because a) you have to rattle through them all, b) if you're like me, the names will start changing. Father Charles can become Uncle Jed. 

For sharps: Play a C chord with your 5 fingers.  Move your hand to the top note (G), that's the key with one sharp which is right under the G. (F#).  Play the G chord.  Move your hand to the top note (D) - the next sharp is right under it (C#).  The key of D has both these sharps.  Move your hand to the top note (A) - ditto. This is a concrete way at the piano that you can get the circle of fifths, because you have 5 fingers.

[tomp86]

I think you are overthinking, if you just want to learn the key signature so why not learn a single hand playing the ascending scale and memorise it. Also study the mnemonic it is very easy to do. This is not a highly complicated situation. Use the circle of fifths to tell you what major scales to learn as it will go through the entire key signature in an ordered fashion. Learning the scales allows you to feel the topography of the keysignature to the keyboard but there would be no harm to also just play a c major scale constantly and merely apply the key signature to that multiple times via the mnemonic. Also if you simply play the keysignatue notes you should see/hear a pattern in themselves on the piano, go experiment!

Interesting Ben. Thanks. From the advice, I'm getting it seems like I've gone off on a tangent. It seems to me I need to get a good feeling of how a key should feel in the fingers so when I look at the notes on the page its subconscious.  The trickiest notes for me in keys with sharps of flats are the ones with large ledger lines cause I am able to sometimes calculate the interval but I have no idea what the note name is, thus not sure if it should be sharped or flatened. Thanks!

[tomp86]

Probably primarily this one.  You have to stay mindful as you go along. Also be aware that music can move to another key, especially the Dominant one.

Practising scales as suggested is good, but also to get the sound of the major scale in your head.  That way in the key of A major, if you miss a G# it will "sound wrong" to you.

You also want to know your major keys - the relative minor come from them.  Personally I'd avoid memnonics because a) you have to rattle through them all, b) if you're like me, the names will start changing. Father Charles can become Uncle Jed. 

For sharps: Play a C chord with your 5 fingers.  Move your hand to the top note (G), that's the key with one sharp which is right under the G. (F#).  Play the G chord.  Move your hand to the top note (D) - the next sharp is right under it (C#).  The key of D has both these sharps.  Move your hand to the top note (A) - ditto. This is a concrete way at the piano that you can get the circle of fifths, because you have 5 fingers.

Cool thank you keypeg for reassuring the sharp and flat should be done on the subconscious level. Good and interesting point about listing to the scales to determine the correct pitch. I also love that trick you have to find the sharps for the keys C G D A E B. I was wondering if there was also a tip for all the keys with flats in the signature?

[keypeg]

Cool thank you keypeg for reassuring the sharp and flat should be done on the subconscious level.

Not quite "subconscious" but once you have the key signature you don't have to keep reminding yourself every line, though you should watch out for changes since music does modulate.

[tomp86]

Not quite "subconscious" but once you have the key signature you don't have to keep reminding yourself every line, though you should watch out for changes since music does modulate.

Ok cool. I think I get what you mean. Sorta like speaking another language, you stay mindful of what language you are currently speaking. Although I'm no language expert but I'd assume it'd be similar

[brogers70]

Ok cool. I think I get what you mean. Sorta like speaking another language, you stay mindful of what language you are currently speaking. Although I'm no language expert but I'd assume it'd be similar

Right, in fact, I'd say that after a while the modulations won't bother you. I mean, if you're learning a classical sonata in D major (F# and C#), it's likely that the second theme will be in A major (F#,C#, and G#). Most of the time, the composer will not change the key signature to A major, for that section, he'll just add the G# as accidentals wherever it occurs. So once you are comfortable with the theory and common chord progressions, you'll know that you're in A major and you'll automatically sharp the G's until you move into another key. It all just gets easier over time, as long as you keep noticing the chord names and progressions.

[tomp86]

Right, in fact, I'd say that after a while the modulations won't bother you. I mean, if you're learning a classical sonata in D major (F# and C#), it's likely that the second theme will be in A major (F#,C#, and G#). Most of the time, the composer will not change the key signature to A major, for that section, he'll just add the G# as accidentals wherever it occurs. So once you are comfortable with the theory and common chord progressions, you'll know that you're in A major and you'll automatically sharp the G's until you move into another key. It all just gets easier over time, as long as you keep noticing the chord names and progressions.

Wow cool! Ok I'm make it a high priority for me to analyze and identify the chord names and progressions on each new piece I learn!