There are so many different aspects to becoming good at playing the piano and if developing strong sight-reading skills is on your list, today’s post is for you!
Even beyond learning the note names, complex rhythms, and dynamics, there are skills like learning to play by ear and memorization.
Although all these random skills can seem unrelated, they each have their place in improving your overall musicianship.
Today’s post explores the very important but often overlooked skill of becoming a better sight reader.
We’ll explore exactly developing strong sight-reading skills means (hint: it’s not playing something perfectly!), why these skills are crucial to your development as a piano player, and my #1 recommendation for how to easily improve your sight reading skills.
Ready? Let’s get to it!
This post may contain affiliate links. As an affiliate of the Amazon associate program, Modacity, Dr. Josh Wright ProPractice, Piano University course by Zach Evans, Musicnotes, Playground Sessions, and Piano Marvel, I may receive a commission at no extra cost if you purchase through a link. Please see my full disclosure for further information and privacy policy.
I take no credit for the images appearing on this page. Specific photos are courtesy of Canva. Although I am a nurse practitioner, I am not YOUR medical provider. The information in this post is for informational purposes only. It does NOT replace individualized health information from a qualified medical professional. Please see a qualified medical professional for individualized assistance with your health and wellness.
My Piano Journey
In case you’re new to the blog, I want to take a minute to introduce myself and my background with the piano.
I started piano lessons with the local teacher when I was 7 years old.
Although there were times when I wasn’t super enthused about lessons, I always loved playing!
I remember sitting at church services or choir concerts, intently watching the accompanist and desperately wanting to be up there, playing with the group.
Throughout high school, I did have various opportunities to get involved in accompanying and loved it!
After graduation, I decided to study music in college. I was introduced to harder pieces than I’d ever imagined playing, but I stuck with it.
Although my full-time career is now in a different field, I remain passionate about playing the piano and regularly play piano and organ at several local churches.
I accompany whenever I can and also commit to a consistent practice routine.
I’ve also recently dipped back into taking private students, something I’m really enjoying.
This blog encourages others to explore their creative side by delving into learning to play the piano!
What is Sight Reading?
Understanding what sight reading is and is not is essential for understanding the topic.
Sight reading is seeing a piece of music for the first time and being able to play it.
The key to this skill is maintaining a steady tempo.
Strong sight-reading skills are about your ability to keep going, no matter what, regardless of wrong notes or inattention to the smaller details of a piece of piano music.
Strong sight-reading skills are not being able to play a piece perfectly.
Nor is it stopping and starting when you make a mistake.
Even the most advanced players in the world make mistakes while sight-reading.
It’s about your ability to maintain a consistent tempo with reasonable note accuracy.
Why Sight Reading Skills Are Important
Now that we have a solid understanding of sight reading let’s cover why you should invest time in developing this skill.
You’ll Learn Music Faster
If you spend significant amounts of time reading new music, then you’ll be able to read music with much less effort.
With continued practice, you’ll be able to briefly look over a new song, utilize pattern recognition, and play it more easily than you ever imagined possible!
And who doesn’t want to learn new music in less time?!
Your Confidence Improves
As you develop strong sight-reading skills, you’ll be able to learn music faster, and your overall confidence will skyrocket.
With time, you’ll find that songs you previously thought were completely out of your skill level will suddenly become approachable.
And if you’re playing music that inspires you, your love for playing will only deepen.
You’ll Develop Better Note Accuracy
Even though the goal of sight reading is not playing something note-by-note perfectly, you’ll naturally become better at accuracy.
You’ll also become familiar with all the different key signatures.
You Can Explore More Music
As alluded to, as you develop strong sight-reading skills, you can play a wider range of music.
This is one of the best ways to get outside your comfort zone and explore new musical genres!
You’ll Become a Better Accompanist
One of the best reasons to work on your sight-reading skills is to improve your ability to accompany others.
Whether you aspire to play with a band, vocalist, or even chamber music, learning to play with others is an incredibly valuable skill set.
It’s also incredibly inspiring to play with other gifted musicians because there’s just something about the level of intensity that increases!
Some of my fondest accompanying memories have been with musicians who share my passion for classical music!
Your Sense of Rhythm and Timing Will Improve
Sight reading forces you to keep moving regardless of what happens.
And with continued practice, this will help you improve your rhythm and timing.
This then translates to being able to play more complex music and being a well-rounded musician.
It’s all a win-win!
How to Become a Better Sight-Reader
As with most things, consistent practice is the only way to develop strong sight-reading skills.
Remember that this skill is about your ability to keep playing, regardless of small mistakes.
To better visualize the skill, imagine you’re accompanying a singer; your primary role is supporting their performance.
You provide the backbone of the song in the form of the tempo and rhythm, and the singer fills in the melody.
Frequent stops and starts would be highly distracting to the singer, so your goal is to keep going no matter what happens.
It’s also important to remember that you can only sight read a new piece once because once you’ve seen it, it’s no longer sight reading.
Sight reading is all about what you can do on your first try with the piece.
Organize Your Practice Sessions
Although there is no perfect practice regimen, you can make a practice plan and stick with it.
As I previously mentioned, there are so many aspects to becoming a good pianist.
Without conscious attention to improving each, nothing gets better.
One of the best ways to ensure regular progress on the keyboard is to plan your practice sessions.
You can make a plan a few minutes before you start your practice session or even a week in advance.
Specific elements to consider regularly adding to your practice routine include:
- Sight reading exercises
- Ear training exercises
- Exercises to improve your technique
- Repertoire
- Music theory
- Reflections about your practice session
You don’t have to add all these elements daily.
In fact, don’t try to do all of this every day.
You can, instead, take a longer-term approach and incorporate these elements regularly throughout the week.
For example, you can choose to practice sight reading on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and do ear training on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Your brain benefits from shorter sessions anyway, so make sure to make your sessions approachable.
Find Plenty of New Music
Because this skill is about your ability to play a piece of music at first sight, you’ll need plenty of new sheet music.
You’ll also want to set your starting point level of difficulty several levels lower than the pieces you’re currently playing.
For example, if you’re an intermediate player, start with very beginner pieces so you can establish patterns and feel that you’re progressing.
If you start trying to sight-read pieces at the level you’re currently playing at, you’ll likely become frustrated and quit.
Small wins add up, so start easy!
Remember that this is a new skill, and you’ll need to give yourself plenty of grace while you learn it.
Sources of new music:
- Hymnals are a great source of new music because you’re guaranteed to find an unfamiliar hymn or two.
- For a fee, you can become a member of a website such as Musescore and access thousands of songs from all genres.
- You can find a virtually unlimited supply of music arranged by technical ability on the International Music Score Library Project website.
And the next one is the best for improving your sight-reading performance!
Make it Fun!
Making it fun is one of the best ways to develop strong sight-reading skills.
And a program called Piano Marvel is hands down the best at making learning to sight read entertaining!
Through their signature program, the Standard Assessment of Sight Reading, they have artfully incorporated aspects of video gaming that make becoming a good sight-reader attainable in a reasonable amount of time.
The program was initially created by Aaron Garner, a piano teacher who had struggled to learn sight reading but felt it was a crucial skill.
With some ingenuity, he created a program that combines the principles of learning to play the piano with video gaming.
The result is a program used by piano teachers, universities, and all types of music programs across the country.
Piano Marvel even offers a 30-days-to-better sight-reading program, encouraging quick improvements in as little as 12 minutes daily.
Overview of Piano Marvel
Let’s briefly overview the Piano Marvel program if you’ve never heard of it.
Learn Piano With or Without a Teacher
Piano Marvel is designed to take you from knowing nothing about the instrument to being a fairly proficient piano player.
It’s also perfect if you’re somewhere in the middle.
There are various skill levels and relevant material to help you progress in your musical journey.
The Piano Marvel program is one of the only online platforms designed for use with a piano teacher, although it’s not mandatory.
Music Library
A membership to this platform also enables access to a huge library of sheet music across all genres.
This is particularly useful because if you play the music you love, you’ll stay engaged and look forward to practicing.
And new music is constantly being added to their library!
Sight Reading Tool
As mentioned previously, one of the biggest bonuses of this particular piano learning platform is the sight reading tool.
The program will give you a sight reading score when used with a digital piano or keyboard as opposed to an acoustic piano.
I love this because it’s similar to a video game score and encourages you to keep working to beat your previous high score.
Developing strong sight-reading skills will feel effortless!
And with a seemingly never-ending supply of new music, you don’t need to search for new music on your own.
I go even more in-depth into the pros and cons of Piano Marvel in the previous article, Piano Marvel: Ultimate Learning Tool or Just Hype?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sight reading, and why is it important?
Sight reading is the ability to play a piece of music at first sight. This skill is not about playing something perfectly the first time through but is more about one’s ability to keep a steady tempo.
Sight reading is a valuable skill that allows you to learn new music faster, improve your playing with other musicians, and become a more well-rounded pianist.
Can anyone learn sight reading?
Yes! With dedicated practice, anyone can get develop strong sight-reading skills.
What is the best online resource for improving my sight reading?
Piano Marvel has the absolute best online resource for improving sight reading skills.
Created by a piano teacher, the program gives you a score and ample opportunity for improvement when used with a digital or electric keyboard.
Does sight reading improve or get worse with age?
It does take focused work, but you can develop strong sight-reading skills at any age. Reaction times tend to slow with age, but there’s no reason why anyone can’t make gradual improvements in their ability to sight-read with the right practice routine.
Are you ever too young or old to improve your sight reading skills?
Absolutely not! Although adults can successfully improve their piano skills independently, it’s generally advised that younger children work with a piano teacher to ensure good musical foundations are set. Talk with your child’s teacher about how to incorporate elements of sight reading into their learning.
Final Thoughts
Regardless of your over-arching musical goals, developing strong sight-reading skills is a great way to improve as a piano player.
It’s a skill that’s often downplayed in most traditional learning programs but is, nonetheless, crucial for overall musical development.
And there are wide-reaching benefits for everyone who aspires to learn the piano, even if you have no aspirations of becoming a concert pianist.
With fun, engaging tools, such as Piano Marvel, don’t put fostering this crucial skill on the back burner.
Take this as your sign to jump on the sight reading bandwagon and start gaining the confidence at the keys that you’ve always desired!
If you’d like to explore a digital piano to use with Piano Marvel, this previous article has budget-friendly digital piano options.
2 thoughts on “How to Develop Strong Sight-Reading Skills at Any Age”