| To play a piece of music you have never seen | | | | stop, until to reach the end. Yes, there will be |
| before takes a great deal of skill. So how is it, | | | | mistakes and that is part of the learning process. |
| some musicians can do this easily such as session | | | | You are learning to sight-read. It is a discipline that |
| musicians and others such as non professional | | | | professionals are forced to use and unfortunately, |
| players of all standards find sight reading so | | | | amateurs just don't get. They have to play |
| difficult. | | | | everything perfectly, which means lots of practice |
| Don't confuse learning to play a piece with | | | | on just one piece of music. |
| sight-reading a piece | | | | Become a better piano player |
| Many players confuse learning and playing a piece | | | | The more music you sight read the better you |
| of music with sight-reading. You also have to learn | | | | will understand music phrases you have never |
| how to sight read and this is completely different | | | | seen before, the more music phrases you play |
| from learning to play a piece of music. To sight | | | | the better you will get, the better you get the |
| read successfully does not necessarily mean | | | | easier the sight reading becomes. It's a vicious |
| playing the piece note for note but to get through | | | | circle, it's a great discipline and it will force you to |
| the piece from start to finish, in time, that means | | | | use all of your music knowledge. There are going |
| no slow downs or speed ups, perfect time. | | | | to be certain music phrases you just cannot play. |
| Stopping and starting | | | | This is an opportunity to practice that phrase and |
| As a professional musician you do not have the | | | | add it to memory, once it's practiced, you've got |
| luxury of stopping and starting as many non | | | | it forever. |
| professional players do, and there are a great deal | | | | To be a better sight-reader you music read lots |
| of very good amateur players that keep stopping | | | | and lots of sheet music. Styles of music should |
| and starting because they don't have the discipline | | | | vary, such as classical, jazz, rock and pop and |
| of a good sight reader. | | | | many more. Remember sight-reading is not about |
| Learn to sight-read | | | | practicing a piece of music but more about |
| The best way to learn how to sight read is to | | | | introducing yourself to lots of different music |
| find a piece of music you have never seen | | | | phrases and styles. |
| before, start playing at the beginning and don't | | | | |