April 26th, 2009 by admin

Sight-reading music is a common practice among piano players.  This is when you play a piece of music for the first time, even though it may be unfamiliar to you.  Though it is not common to play a song perfectly the first time through, here are 8 tips to make sight-reading music easier for you.

Tip # 1. Key Signature.  The key signature of the piece of music that you are about to play requires special attention.  Having the correct sharps and flats committed to memory makes your play much smoother and accurate. 

Tip # 2. Time Signature.  This is another basic characteristic of every piece of music that you must understand in order to sight-read.  You will need to know what kind of note gets one beat. One question to always ask is “how many beats in a measure”.

Tip # 3. Changes in Key and Time Signatures.  You need to examine your piece of music to see if the key or time signatures change.  Not knowing about a transition will obviously affect the quality of your play. 

Tip # 4. Starting and Ending Notes.  Starting and Ending notes are excellent reference points for your piano play. Make sure you are familiar with them.

Tip # 5. Note the Rhythm.  Refer to tip # 6 as well. It is easy to play simple melody notes. What makes for a much more interesting sound is the addition of chords, or the rhythm.  As you look through the song, you usually can get an idea of how it will go.  Knowing the rhythm up front makes the whole piece easier to play.

Tip # 6.  Play the Melody First.  Also look through the right hand melody line. It helps to play just the melody first if possible.  This will help give you an idea of the sound of the song and then you can put it all together and you will be able to identify the unique melodic line.

Tip # 7.  Check for Other Markings.  You should know all about loudness/softness, speed, and other technical aspects of music. Check the printed sheets for these markings and make a mental note of them. 

Tip # 8. Relax and Focus. This last tip is so important. Take a deep breath and relax yourself.  Focus on what you are about to play.  Try to play the song all the way through for your first sight-reading.  This gives you a general idea of what the song will sound like.  Later you can break it down and work on each measure or group of measures as you see fit. Keep in mind that we are playing music for the love of it, not as a chore.  

So, why exactly am I suggesting that you learn to sight-read instead of using the “learn-a-bit-at-a-time” method?  Sight-reading forces you to move forward at a faster pace until you finish the song, ultimately helping you learn to play music faster.  You can avoid bad habits of starting and stopping too often and delaying your progress on a specific piece of music.  Sight-reading is an important skill to learn if you wish to become a good piano player.

For more tips about learning to play piano, including a free mini-course, visit the Learning To Play Piano Today site.