I've been playing piano for a long time. I can play grade 8 pieces and such, however, I still suck beans at sight reading. How do you learn to do it?

We recently had to sight read in our orchestra for a music fesitval. Before you do anything, look at the key signature. Then look for anything else you may want to notice [Codas, accedentals, etc.] Before playing the piece, our orchestra conductor has us clap it, when we sight read. This usually works for us, but if it doesn't work for you you can always find other ways to do this.

If I were you, I would find random pieces of music and try and sight read them, doing one each day, and growing harder as you go. That should help.

Our conductor also tells us to "ta" the music before we play. Also, Just read ahead and if you mess up don't try to go back and fix it just read it through because that is the point of sight reading.

Good point, Septer. Never concentrate on mistakes that you made before in the song, it'll just mess up the entire song.

Just get random pieces of music from library/internet and play them. Don't treat it as a sight reading test, and don't try and get it perfect.. just slow down and stop and go back and whatever whenever you need to.. just get to the end.

The more you do this.. you'll find with time, the less you will need to go back or slow down or whatever.

Last bit of advice: always slow down the overall tempo anyway. There's no prizes for getting through something the quickest. In my piano exam last november, I was given a sight reading marked "Allegro" and played it at a tempo more like "moderato", and got like 19/21. So make stuff easy for yourself *nods*

Thanks a lot for the advice (our school is cheap, cant afford an orchestra:bleh: ) But your advice is great. Do any of you know any good pieces to try sight reading for practice? I've only got the grade practice books and I hate those songs with a passion.

My music teachers arent helping, they tell me your born with the gift to sight read and wont give me sheets or anything.

Also, If you write the letters on the sheet music to know what to play then stpop doing that.

My music teachers arent helping, they tell me your born with the gift to sight read and wont give me sheets or anything.


They're not being very good teachers if they aren't teaching you.. -.-

I sucked at sight reading when I first started but I practiced and got better..

If I were you, to practice I would search the internet for free sheet music [or if you have the money, buy some at a music store or something] and start sight reading some easier pieces, then as you improve, try intermidiate, and if you conquer that well enough then you can go ahead and try some advanced ones. Eventually, I think you'll get it.