10 Tips for Learning How to Sight Read Music

When you start your piano lessons in Holland Park, the idea of sight-reading might be daunting. It’s something that every beginner pianist has to come to terms with. Most people either love or hate sight-reading music. It’s a skill that will see you through your musical journey. Your Holland Park piano teacher will encourage you to learn how to sight read music.

The good news is that you can practice your sight reading at home between piano lessons in Holland Park. Being proactive and taking a little time each day to work on your sight reading can make a world of difference. Whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate pianist, you want to be practising as often as possible.

We’ve consulted our piano teachers in Holland Park to gather the best tips on how to learn how to sight read music. Make sure to bookmark this page to use it as a reference when you start practising your sight reading!

Ways to practice sight reading every day

There are tips that you can incorporate into your daily routine to help you practice your sight-reading.

1. Become familiar with different rhythms

Sight-reading will look different for various musicians depending on whether they’re an instrumentalist or vocalist. The one thing both groups have in common is the rhythm. You want to start by familiarising yourself with the different varieties of rhythm, which will help prepare you for any style of music.

2. Memorise the key signatures

One piece of advice you’ll get during your Holland Park piano lessons is to memorise your key signatures. When you’re sight-reading, you might need to know how many flats or sharps are coming up in the piece. This step will take time to learn, but it’s worth being patient and practising every day as it can be a gamechanger for your music. It will make sight-reading easier and your performance better.

3. Learn your scales

Every piano teacher in Holland Park will tell you the importance of learning your scales. When you learn your scales, it’s easier to tangibly memorise the different key signatures. It will also boost the muscle memory in your fingers and improve your hand placement for key signatures. You’ll be able to sight-read while your fingers are already getting to work.

4. Practise without your piano teacher

It’s easy to want to practice when someone is there to correct you. Your piano teacher might stand over your shoulder, ready to correct you if you go wrong. If you want to learn the art of sight-reading, you’ll have to get rid of your safety nets. Other safety nets include looking down at your hands as you try sight-reading at the same time. Your eyes should be firmly fixed on the page or in front of you, while your hands work their magic.

5. Practice sight-reading different music genres

You never know what you might need to sight-read during a piano lesson in Holland Park or a performance. You could be asked to perform anything from a slow jazz piece to a bold and vibrant tango. Every style of music has its own rhythms and scores. While it’s easy to choose one type of music and stick to it, you want to get out of your comfort zone. That way, when you get a new piece, you’ll already be familiar with the patterns and rhythms.

What to do before sight-reading during piano lessons in Holland Park

Let’s take a step back and consider what you should do before sight-reading. Your piano teacher in Holland Park may ask you to do some sight-reading during a class, or you might be practising at home.

6. Look over the piece first

Before you jump into playing a piece, take the time to examine it and mentally process what you’re reading. It can help to tap out the rhythm to give you a feel for the music and its structure. It’s also a good idea to look out for any page turns that might be problematic.

7.Look for annotations in the piece

Did you know that sight-reading is more than notes and rhythm? You want to look out for any annotations in the music, including dynamic changes or musical direction. You’ll also need to look out for the tempo and time signatures in case these change during the song. Mastering the art of following annotations will impress your Holland Park piano teacher.

8. Make notes on the paper or your iPad

Occasionally, you may be allowed to make markings on your sheet music before your Holland Park piano classes. If you can, then we recommend doing so. You can make a note of anywhere that might prove to be problematic or anything you may forget. When you’re sight-reading, your brain is processing so much information that it’s easy to forget things. Leave visual reminders anywhere that you might need a little extra help or forget about a nuanced point.

9. Imagine the piece in your head

Before you start sight-reading, sound the whole piece out in your head as though it was a mental performance. You can try humming along as you read to find the rhythm. You want to make sure you’re paying attention to the details of the music while considering the music overall. What’s the main melody of the song? Do any patterns repeat throughout?

What to consider when sight-reading during piano lessons

10. Relax and accept that mistakes happen

As a pianist, it’s easy to assume that you can settle for nothing less than perfect. The reality is that sight reading isn’t meant to be perfect. Don’t worry if you make a mistake while sight-reading during class. Your piano teacher in Holland Park will help you identify where the issue was. The best thing you can do after making a mistake is to keep going and stick to your practising schedule.

You can start your piano lessons and learn the art of sight-reading in Holland Park today by getting in touch with us at info@kensingtonpianolessons.com or by calling us at 020 3745 2868. You can also book your lessons with a Holland Park piano teacher directly through our online booking page.