Sight Reading Tips Piano Pages   William Wieland
  • Sight read every day.
  • Play lots of unfamiliar, simple music.
  • Before you play:
    • count and quietly clap the opening rhythm and any difficult rhythms.
    • play a cadence pattern and/or scale in the key of the piece.
    • quickly scan the music for any obvious patterns, first in the right hand then the left hand.
  • Play slowly.
  • Look ahead.
  • Keep the beat going. Hit a few wrong notes rather than hesitate, stutter or stop.
  • Watch the music, not your hands. Occasionally have someone shield your hands from your field of vision.