To play the piano well, it takes an artist years and years of study and practice. Sight-reading is important, not just for amateur musicians but for professional performers as well. It is an essential skill that must be mastered in order to truly excel in the musical arts.
Sight-reading involves performing a piece of music (in music notation) correctly that has never been seen before. It is also known as ‘prima vista’ which means ‘at first sight’ in Italian. This begs the question, “How can I improve my piano sight-reading”?
How can I improve my piano sight-reading? Piano sight-reading is the ability to play a piece of music properly on the first attempt. It is improved upon with practice (as little as fifteen minutes per day) and gets easier over time.
Now that you know what sight-reading is, let’s explore in more detail how to practice (and improve) it in relation to piano skill development. So, if you are ready to learn more, then let’s continue on…
What Does it Mean to Sight-Read Piano Music?
There is a difference between reading and sight-reading. Reading music is simply that, sitting down at your piano (or instrument) and interpreting the notes you see and the symbols on the page. Then, after you have gone over it, you proceed to play it. With sight-reading, however, you not only read the music but you play along on the piano (or with an instrument) as you read it. Essentially, you are performing the song at the same time you reading the notes.
Sight-reading requires a higher level of musical skill. Practice and patience are the only ways to truly develop it. Essentially, sight-reading is the process of repetition. The more you practice it, the faster your brain becomes at translating the notes on the page to the correct finger placement on the piano (or instrument).
Sight-reading music is an incredibly valuable skill for any well-rounded pianist (or musician). It unlocks a vast array of song treasures in which to play instantly and add to your musical repertoire. It accelerates the learning process and allows the musician to focus more on other elements of musicality, such as dynamics and emotion.
How Do You Practice Sight-Reading?
There are some tips and tricks to learning how to sight-read. They can be practiced daily as a way of developing this skill. These include the following ten points:
Learn Rhythmic Patterns
Familiarizing yourself with basic rhythmic patterns, such as three/four timing and four/four timing, is a good place to start. Practicing rhythmic exercises daily will develop your sight-reading ability.
Memorize Key Signatures
This is necessary is developing your sight-reading ability as you need to be aware of sharps and flats. This will likely take some time to perfect, however, it will make sight-reading easier in the long run!
Understand Your Scales
This is key to sight-reading development. By improving muscle memory (finger placement for each key signature), your hands will know immediately what to do upon hearing a new musical piece.
Avoid Looking At Your Hands
It is tempting to want to look down at your hands on the keyboard while practicing. Don’t! If you make a mistake, that’s ok. Making mistakes is how you truly learn to sight-read.
Practice A Variety Of Music
You never really know what genre of music you will be asked to play when it comes to sight-reading. Therefore, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with a variety of musical scores, from classical to jazz.
Look Over The Piece First
Before you begin to sight-read a song, take a few moments to look it over and commit it to memory. Read through the notes and tap out the rhythm. This will help you determine any rhythmic changes or page turns that could pose a problem.
Identify Annotations
There is more to sight-reading than musical notes and rhythmic patterns. Recognizing tempo and time signatures is key. A true measure of outstanding musicality is the ability to recognize dynamic changes in a song.
Mark The Piece
Though not usually recommended by teachers or theorists, in the case of sight-reading, it is helpful to put markings on the sheet music ahead of time. You can circle or highlight any areas you feel may give you trouble. These visual reminders will often aid in sight-reading developing.
Mentally Perform The Piece
Go over the entire song in your mind, from start to finish. Or, hum it out as you read it to help commit it to memory. Just as paying attention to specific details is essential to sight-reading development, so too is understanding a song in its entirety. Ask yourself the following questions: Where is the climax? What is the main melody? Are there any repeating patterns and if so, what are they? Does the piece have any definitive blocks?
Stay Calm And Play On
Sight-reading, like any musical skill, takes time and patience to perfect. The more you practice, the better you will become at it! So if you make a mistake, take a deep breath and keep going. By pushing your limits and testing your abilities, you become a better musician in the long run!
How to Improve Piano Sight Reading Quickly?
Now that you have the basic understanding of how to practice sight-reading, let’s look at the ways to improve this skill specific to piano players. The top three ways to quickly improve your piano sight-reading ability include:
Do not look at your fingers
Look only at the music, not at your hands. Constantly looking up at the music and down at your hands will stop the flow and boggle your mind! You want to build spatial awareness in relation to the keyboard so each finger will find its corresponding key naturally.
Learn chord patterns
Try to combine the notes into one block of music rather than playing each one separately. Hymnals are great for developing chord pattern recognition. Invest in a hymn book and practice, practice, practice!
Play chords slowly
Don’t rush the song, try to figure out complex chords one note at a time in a step-by-step manner. The key is to build the right connections between the music and your hand placement. Do not use a metronome. Keeping time is not what sight-reading is about.
How Do I Get Better at Sight-Reading Music?
In the beginning stages of learning to sight-read music, it is often recommended to invest in a book specifically designed for this. Make sure the book has the following:
- A good variety of musical examples to choose from
- Progresses in difficulty (gradually) from very easy to highly complicated
- Consists of both the treble and the bass clef
- A teaching component to it, especially that of rhythmic patterns
- Is easy to read and follow – large enough print to be able to read at a distance of at least two feet
- Is good quality and well-constructed – spiral bound and lays flat for less risk of falling off the piano’s music stand
Practicing as little as fifteen minutes per day will help you develop your sight-reading ability. Try the following four steps, as outlined below:
Start a practice journal
Get a journal and use it to track your progress each day.
Choose a piece of music and practice it
Using the book you purchased for sight-reading, choose a song and practice it for fifteen minutes. If you do not have a book, then go online and download sheet music for sight-reading.
Pick one musical element and focus on it
If you choose the rhythm, write the letter of the corresponding note above it on the sheet music. Then, say the notes out loud as you attempt to play them. Note: it is often frowned-upon to write on sheet music, however, in the case of sight-reading, it is the repetition of writing the note, reading the note, playing the note that develops both recognition and speed.
Use a timer
Try using an online or cell phone timer and set it for fifteen minutes. This is a good way to consciously create a goal for your skill development. The timer will keep track of how long you have been practicing without you having to think about it. You will stay on-task, not concerned with how much time is remaining but rather how much you are accomplishing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, sight-reading is the ability to see a new piece of music and then play it correctly on the first attempt. Sight-reading helps musicians learn to play songs quickly and with greater accuracy. By rhythmically and melodically recognizing patterns in songs and then immediately being able to play them, the musician has created an opportunity to spend more time on other musical elements, such as dynamics and emotion.
Sight-reading is the mark of a truly great pianist (musician) and is highly recommended for anyone wanting to excel in the musical arts. Now, it is time for you to get practicing. Good luck!
