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    Tips For Sight Reading

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    trsangma
    This document provides tips for improving piano sight reading skills. It outlines four main rules: 1) Keep eyes ahead of hands to anticipate notes, 2) Maintain a steady tempo even if missing notes, 3) Learn the key signature to anticipate sharps and flats, and 4) Observe intervals between notes by paying attention to lines and spaces. It describes how to determine intervals and provides exercises to practice interval identification. Regular practice of these sight reading techniques can lead to improved skills.

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    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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    Tips For Sight Reading

    Uploaded by

    trsangma
    109 views2 pages
    This document provides tips for improving piano sight reading skills. It outlines four main rules: 1) Keep eyes ahead of hands to anticipate notes, 2) Maintain a steady tempo even if missing notes, 3) Learn the key signature to anticipate sharps and flats, and 4) Observe intervals between notes by paying attention to lines and spaces. It describes how to determine intervals and provides exercises to practice interval identification. Regular practice of these sight reading techniques can lead to improved skills.

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    Tips for Sight Reading

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    This document provides tips for improving piano sight reading skills. It outlines four main rules: 1) Keep eyes ahead of hands to anticipate notes, 2) Maintain a steady tempo even if missing notes, 3) Learn the key signature to anticipate sharps and flats, and 4) Observe intervals between notes by paying attention to lines and spaces. It describes how to determine intervals and provides exercises to practice interval identification. Regular practice of these sight reading techniques can lead to improved skills.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    109 views2 pages

    Tips For Sight Reading

    Uploaded by

    trsangma
    This document provides tips for improving piano sight reading skills. It outlines four main rules: 1) Keep eyes ahead of hands to anticipate notes, 2) Maintain a steady tempo even if missing notes, 3) Learn the key signature to anticipate sharps and flats, and 4) Observe intervals between notes by paying attention to lines and spaces. It describes how to determine intervals and provides exercises to practice interval identification. Regular practice of these sight reading techniques can lead to improved skills.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
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    Do you know that music sight reading skills and accompaniments skills are the two most
    important skills any pianist can possess? Becoming an efficient piano or music sight reader
    takes a lot of practice. There are a few rules that will help speed up and improve your sight
    reading abilities.

    Rule #1- Eyes are always a step ahead of hands


    When your hands are playing the first beat of a measure, the eyes are already glancing at
    the second beat of the same measure.

    Rule #2 - Keeping a steady tempo


    It's important to keep counting a steady tempo even if you miss a few notes here and there.
    It you're not used to counting rhythm out loud, you can start practicing by clapping. Watch
    for the smallest values of the piece. If the piece has eighth notes, then count 1& 2 &, etc.
    Keep the tempo really slow in the beginning.

    Rule #3 - Watch for keys


    Always start a piece by knowing the key signatures. Check for the beginning and the last
    note/chord. They are usually the same chord. The chord of the last note will tell you what
    key it is. Once you know the key you can anticipate the black keys (sharps or flats of the
    key).

    Rule #4 - Interval Observation


    Once you master the first three steps, learning this last step is crucial for precise note
    playing. Remember there are five lines and four spaces in any sheet music. Notes are
    written within lines and spaces.

    Tips:
    A. The distance between two notes is called an interval. For example: C to D is a 2nd; C to
    E is a third; C to F is a fourth.

    B. When you have two notes that are on different lines, the interval is either 3rd, 5th, 7th or
    9th. If the lines are next to each other, (from line 1 to line 2, from line 2 to line 3, etc.), the
    interval is a third. If the notes skip one lines (from line 1 to line 3, from line 2 to line 4,
    etc.), the interval is a fifth.

    C. When you have two notes that are on different spaces, the interval is also 3rd, 5th, 7th,
    etc. This is because they skip a line note. If the spaces are next to each other (from space 1
    to space 2, from space 2 to space 3), the interval is a 3rd. If the notes skip one space (from
    space 1 to space 3, from space 2 to space 4), the interval is a fifth.

    D. When you have two notes where one is a space note and the other one is a line note or
    vice versa, then the interval is 2nd, 4th, 6th or 8th.

    E. When you have two notes where one note is a space note (1st space) and the other note is
    a line note right above the space note (2nd line), then it is a 2nd. When you have two notes
    where one note is a space note (1st space), and the other note is a line note (3rd line, skip
    the 2nd line), it's a 4th.
    Take a look at the following interval exercises and determine whether you can tell the
    interval within 2 seconds.

    You may print the sight reading exercise sheet and answer keys sheet.

    Develop the habit of reading sheet music by reading intervals.

    Keep your eyes on the music. Use your peripheral vision to watch your fingers. Your
    fingers can learn to find the notes without your eyes. A good typist can type well without
    looking at the keyboard. A good pianist can read the music without looking at the piano
    keys.

    If you combine the above steps and start paying attention to the intervals of any sheet music
    you come across, I can almost guarantee your sight reading skills will improve within a
    short period of time.

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