Does anyone have any tips on how to sight read both hands at once? I have trouble playing both hands together most of the time. I'm wondering if any of you guys have tips on how to put the hands toghether. If I play one hand alone, I can read/sight read it fine with the correct rhythm and notes.

Hmmm, probably just sight-read a lot of pieces (hands together), first start at an easy level then gradually go to the next higher level and try to get used to the notes in both hands, then once you know which note is which then when you sight-read, you would automatically know which note to play :)
hope this helps!

Hmmm, probably just sight-read a lot of pieces (hands together), first start at an easy level then gradually go to the next higher level and try to get used to the notes in both hands, then once you know which note is which then when you sight-read, you would automatically know which note to play :)
hope this helps!

If the note is held, I can sight read it. For instance, if one hand is playing whole notes, half notes, dotted half notes, or dotted quarter notes, I can sight read it. As for notes, I can play most by doing quick math in my head through intrevals (ie. subtracting and adding).

What helped me a lot is that you play first with one hand, lets say your right. Once you have that mastered then play with your left until you can play those notes with no problem.
Then put the two together. Do it slowly at first until your fingers get used to it, then gradually make it faster until its the speed you want.

I hope that helps <3

hmmm.... this question comes up a lot. http://forums.ichigos.com/showthread.php?t=8666&highlight=sight+reading You should be able to find some help there. For some people sight reading comes naturally. For others, they have to practice a lot. Usually, if you have played piano for a really long time, it is a lot easier to sight read music with both hands. How long have you played piano?

Sight reading is just like any other musical skill or technique: it takes practice. Keep at it and you'll get better. :D

hmmm.... this question comes up a lot. http://forums.ichigos.com/showthread.php?t=8666&highlight=sight+reading You should be able to find some help there. For some people sight reading comes naturally. For others, they have to practice a lot. Usually, if you have played piano for a really long time, it is a lot easier to sight read music with both hands. How long have you played piano?

I've played piano for 11 months, on the first week of February, I'll be playing for a year. Pieces are only hard for me when the rhythm for both hands is faster than quarter notes, or if the two hands playing two completely different things. If it's only chords on one hand, I have no problem.

Sight reading is just like any other musical skill or technique: it takes practice. Keep at it and you'll get better. :D

I agree with Keshi, sight-reading for some people may take time and practice and since you've only played for almost a year, i think being where you are, you should be very proud... just be patient, practise hard and master your notes and techniques and i'm sure you'll be able to play anything you want. :)

I agree with Keshi, sight-reading for some people may take time and practice and since you've only played for almost a year, i think being where you are, you should be very proud... just be patient, practise hard and master your notes and techniques and i'm sure you'll be able to play anything you want. :)

I tried Itsumo Nando Demo from Spirited Away, I can play the notes on each hand by themselves perfectly, but when I put them together, it becomes a mess. Anyway, I have a CM test coming up April. Does anyone know how many and what parts there are for a level 4?

I dont really know... since it might be a little different to the tests i have in Australia but i think it should contain these kind of things:
-playing pieces
-ear test
-sight-reading
-scales
-knowledge/theory

I dont really know... since it might be a little different to the tests i have in Australia but i think it should contain these kind of things:
-playing pieces
-ear test
-sight-reading
-scales
-knowledge/theory

Okay thanks, well I found out the best way to sight read is to really know the notes. I should memorize where every note is in addition to using intrevals. The thread posted earlier helped.

Well, that was what i meant when i said:
"try to get used to the notes in both hands, then once you know which note is which then when you sight-read, you would automatically know which note to play".... in my first post... :D
that's why people who have played piano for a long time find sight-reading much easier, it's because they're used to their notes...
Well, i think you'll be able to sight-read perfectly in no time and i wish you all the best in the CM test! :thumb:

A good way to get comfortable with different notes, especially in different keys, is practicing scales, arpeggios, and chords. Start off with 1 octave in c major, and when you can do all the major/minor scales in one octave pretty well, add another octave and so forth. For rythm work, hm.......... I'll have to think about that and post it up later. Anyways, good luck!

P.S. what do you mean by CM test??? I have never seen or heard of them before oddly enough even though i have playing piano for close to seven years.

A good way to get comfortable with different notes, especially in different keys, is practicing scales, arpeggios, and chords. Start off with 1 octave in c major, and when you can do all the major/minor scales in one octave pretty well, add another octave and so forth. For rythm work, hm.......... I'll have to think about that and post it up later. Anyways, good luck!

P.S. what do you mean by CM test??? I have never seen or heard of them before oddly enough even though i have playing piano for close to seven years.

I already have to do scales and all that other theory stuff for my CM test that's coming up. My only problem is rhythm. The CM test is a test that has 8 levels, my piano teacher put me at a level 4 out of 8. Oddly, I don't know what CM stands for, but I never heard of it either. It's a test that says you passed their level of ____. The blank is whatever level you took. I don't know much about it because this is the first year I've heard of it as well as taking it.

Ummm... i think CM stands for Certificate of Merit and it's similar to normal music tests... and yeah, i dont really hear much about it

Sight-reading does come with a lot of memorization: The Keyboard, the "physical" intervals (not sounds), and also accuracy. Even though I'm playing some pretty high-up pieces, I've only "sight-read" them once or twice; after that I just broke them down and practiced them. Sight-reading can relate to learning a piece; it's good to go over it, entirely (VERY SLOWLY) once or twice, then don't "play through it" until you can actually play the sections at a fluent-enough level.

My advice to get better at sight-reading is to just take things extremely slowly, study your scores before-hand, and try not to make too many mistakes. If you can play a "piece perfectly at 'Grave'" then you know you've improved. . . I lecture a little bit (or just ramble XD) but studying your score and taking it slow are the two "easiest" ways to improve sight-reading.

you should just try both hands seperately at first then do it together
thats what i always do...its easy!^_^

Is sight reading really a matter of notes? I would guess that getting the rhythm correctly for both hands initially is much more difficult, especially for some odd pieces that have non-matching rhythms.

That depends on what you're more familiar with. I'm a percussionist, so I was always good with rhythm, and not as much with notes until recently. But in the end, sight reading comes with experience. I know most beginners don't want to hear that, but it really does.

For me, sight reading is more a matter of understanding the relationships between different notes and chords, then predicting them, rather than seeing set of notes on a sheet and instantly knowing where they are on the piano.

I'm only really familiar with the piano, but I have found that scales can help a lot, especially in anime pieces - at least those I have played. Just don't try to do too much at once.

For a piece to start off with for sight reading, I would recommend Suteki Da Ne from FF X. Predictable melody without being boring. It all comes down to practice in the end.

[QUOTE=Kendall;399183]For me, sight reading is more a matter of understanding the relationships between different notes and chords, then predicting them, rather than seeing set of notes on a sheet and instantly knowing where they are on the piano.
QUOTE]

Interesting... For me, sight reading just came gradually through lots of playing instruments. (both violin and piano) It usually helps me to look at the music for about a minute before playing it so that i can sort of hear the tune in my head.

Interesting... For me, sight reading just came gradually through lots of playing instruments. (both violin and piano) It usually helps me to look at the music for about a minute before playing it so that i can sort of hear the tune in my head.

Same with me there... ^_^
It's pretty cool because i still remember my first piano lesson and how i was struggling to find the notes on the sheet of paper on the piano and next thing i now i can sight read now!!! and i didnt even notice it! haha... pretty awesome!

That's probably about as far as you get from what I do :D

Can't get the song out of the sheet music - need to actually hear it. Interesting how different people do things in different ways. Just goes to show that there's no "right" one.

Haha... i listen to the music too... always help me to improve any areas and also to pick out my errors :)
For me, its read the sheet, get the tune/rhythm, play then listen to a professional person play it! :D..... then look back at the music sheet and go "OHHHHHHHH" :heh:

Haha... i listen to the music too... always help me to improve any areas and also to pick out my errors :)
For me, its read the sheet, get the tune/rhythm, play then listen to a professional person play it! :D..... then look back at the music sheet and go "OHHHHHHHH" :heh:

lol... Yeah I do that when I have trouble understanding what is going on in a piece or else I ask my private teacher.