Master Sight Reading With These 6 Tips! |Piano Tips

[@oneirdaathnaram1376]

I think you really have nailed it down to the very most important pillars of sight-reading. The message that the rhythm is half the music, is very wise and profound, I think. Also: That it takes a long time and the need of daily, continous practice, is a very important remark, I'd say. I am teaching myself piano because I want to be able to understand scores better. Gradually I'm getting better. Very slowly, though. But I'm getting better. And: It's fun, if I don't rush and keep it constructive.

[@jeanlucchapelon]

Bravo It’s exactly right and that’s what I learn to the students and apply to myself !

[@fightingforfreedom5017]

Great tips ! Sight reading is much more than only reading the notes. I just figure that out by myself after 39 weeks playing the piano. And you just confirm it.

[@susiehodge1658]

Thanks!

[@Maurice-xk2zr]

Great remark (at the end of the vid) about how duet practicing can help one with keeping your focus on what's next / not worrying about a missed note. Hadn't thought about it like that. 🙏

[@PIANO_LAB]

Thank you! I am so glad that you found it helpful!

[@Alwpiano]

Hardest part of sight reading is rhythm - I agree. I listen to pieces first so I only have to deal with the notes.

[@willostrand6555]

Clear, helpful, and to the point. Great editing on the video and it made me chuckle a few times. Easily earned a subscriber

[@PIANO_LAB]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@laramirinjian]

Finally, a sight reading video that is short and to the point and 100% accurate information on best practices. Well done!

[@christianhwang314]

Why don’t you have more subs? You summarized so many helpful things concisely. Do you have a video on making scales sound even and buttery?

[@PIANO_LAB]

Thats a good question! Thanks for the support! I have a couple of videos in which I talk about Scale practice in general, but not specifically that. I'll add it to the list of upcoming videos. 👍

[@ikemyung8623]

Great tips, especially the last one. I think I learned to sigh-read by playing for choir rehearsals. Part of that is playing select parts (just the soprano and also, just the tenor part, etc.). This teaches your brain to be able to selectively focus on certain parts and "throw away" the rest of the musical texture. This automatically makes it easier to sight-read, because there is less to play, but at the same time, your eye is exposed to the whole texture. You sort of mention this idea in passing (play down beats) but this can be applied in so many different and really useful ways. An idea I have used is to use a 4-part hymn or choral and just play the notes that occur on the down beats, but one voice per beat (ex: beat 1 play the bass note; beat 2, the tenor; 3 the alto note; 4 soprano.). Keep this going through the hymn, always looking ahead to the new measure and never looking at the hands. In fact, the teacher or friend can cover each new measure one beat 1 or 2, which forces you to keep looking ahead. I know, it sounds almost tyrannical, but doing this for about 5 minutes can be almost game-like and is not so terrible.

[@GeorgeMarin-h4b]

VERY TRUE 0:00 Intro🎉😂❤

[@davidkelly1220]

Thanks

[@KevinRoddy]

Hi…these are great sight reading tips for harpists as well! Thanks for this advice!

[@KevinRoddy]

Hey Craig! Good point about learning to read rhythms from a rhythm book. I’m both a melodic musician (harp) and a percussive one, and believe that all musicians would benefit from adopting either side into their practice. If you are a percussionist, take on a melody instrument. If you are a melodic musician, take on a rhythm practice by investing a in a small drum. I would recommend a darbuka/doumbek or a frame drum. One will find their musicianship greatly increases by doing both practices! By the way, I get a lot out of your videos because a lot of your instruction can be easily adapted for harp.

[@Lawrencia-z9n]

I really like the tips and encouragement ☺

[@AlysonsPianoStudio]

Nice video!

[@AutumnSonderness]

Thank you, these tips are really helpful! :)

[@PIANO_LAB]

You're so welcome! Thanks for the support!!

[@dylancastle7649]

Great tips thanks

[@josephusk2787]

Very good tips and well-presented. Thank you!

[@salvadornieto7844]

good stuff

[@washykhasera8374]

Thanks a lot, Sir Craig. Very informative to a novice like myself! A very slow sight reader here. I really appreciate the sight reading piano lesson. - Following from Nairobi, Kenya.

[@James8dq]

Great video as always, if I may make a recommendation, can you make a video explaining the technique behind playing scales in double thirds? I’d very much appreciate it!

[@PIANO_LAB]

Thanks! I really appreciate the support! Yes, that is a great suggestion! I will add it to the list.

[@santoshgujar5237]

Thank you, Sir, 🙏🌺😇

[@alistairsolutions717]

Thanks for the tips 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@PIANOSTYLE100]

Good tips. Everyday sight reading is a helpful. practice. While watching, I had several Aha..moments. One was the illustration of straining to see the notes. Realized that I play familiar music without looking. As I watched your video; it occured to me that I should review the sheet music or book...before going to the piano bench. Especially review the ledger line notes. In jazz pieces, recognize -7b9 chords, etc.. that helps to see patterns and understand the music.

[@sofarsogod]

Thanks.

[@beckywalstead3366]

Thanks for the great tips.

[@PIANO_LAB]

You bet!

[@Gilloringsend]

Hi I love the ((possibly obvious yet not so) idea that a note is a letter and a chord a word.

[@honkymonkey9568]

thank you. that helped a lot.

[@arnaudripoll]

Thanks for the tips! How much time (approximately) did it take you to go from mediocre to great, and on average how much time did you spend each day sight reading during this period (accounting for missed days)?

[@davidmveleedou8919]

600 hours

[@EyesFoward]

I love Sight Reading even though it is difficult. I sight read for guitar.

[@Cb489]

Loved this video

[@curtpiazza1688]

Great advice!

[@yassinetazi8450]

Thanks a loot can you please make videos of great sheets to practice sight reading from beginner to reach a more advanced level (part 1/part2...)

[@pecfexfextus]

i recognise that book. it's the sightreading book by cory hall

[@JohnDufek]

I SUBSCRIBED!

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Merci for this. I'm a beginner and so haven't started sight reading yet. But my cat does play the piano (check out her videos) and so she is excited that we can start an activity together.

[@WarrenHenry]

2:14 GOLD👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@planetary-rendez-vous]

Not looking at your hands is WIZARDRY. You guys play knowing the piano by heart, given how large it is? Complex chords and jumps absolutely kill me.

[@maestro2033]

Rhythms and bringing the hands together

[@gracepierson3635]

Wow! What great tips! But do you have any tips on playing with 2 hands and how to know what each hand should be doing?

[@PIANO_LAB]

Lots more tips to come!

[@cami5054]

Can you suggest a good rhythm drills book ?

[@fixyjohnfixyjohn1735]

❤❤❤❤great

[@leilakhammar4225]

I still struggle to understand the concept of sight reading. Does that mean reading sheet music and trying to decipher patterns without playing. Or should we try to play a new piece every day.

[@musicteacher893]

hi there, do you have a recommendation for a book that contains small pieces of music for a sight reading beginner (not totally beginner) - thank you very much!

[@henrychamatata6926]

Brother.....can I have pdf for sight reading from initial grade

[@storieswizard]

How do you practice reading ledger lines? They are difficult for me.

[@carlus6432]

Memorizing them

[@markrevelle1]

excellent - I think tip four should probably be tip one...

[@MickyRat430]

I think I am the WORST sight reader ever, can never play any piece without memorizing it first...

[@ahyoungkim5809]

No I am

[@fucchi.]

same

[@sokatsui2051]

@@ahyoungkim5809no bud i am

[@jevinprince5687]

Just Practice Daily bro

[@OdogwuEneh]

Same😅

[@victoriairias7703]

It's so hard for me because my brain can't let go of the notes I played wrong. My body stops playing and wants to fix up what I did wrong... it hurts deep down inside to sight read not perfectly... so it's a battle, but I want to get better at it, and I know I need to work hard and not listen to my perfectionist self .

[@charlieseverson3534]

This is a great description of what happens to me. There's some block there. I can play guitar or sing and make mistakes with those and just let them go, but piano I just can't.

[@raitertothefuture]

Play slowly while keeping a good steady rhythm = faster progress

[@roxroe6731]

The biggest question to me when sigth reading is, do pianist sight read both right and left hand notes? For beginners, do you advice to sight read separately the melody from the base?

[@L3ver]

As a complete beginner, hands separate. When you have gotten the hang of reading any note in bass or treble clef almost straight away, start reading the top most note of the right hand, and the bottom most note of the left hand simultaneously. Then for example start reading 2 right hand notes 1 left hand note, then all notes, etc.

[@roxroe6731]

@@L3ver love this. Thanks for this advice. This way i dont have to think i have to identity the notes one by one in just One go. Grouping them is much more practical.

[@L3ver]

@@roxroe6731 This sort of thing is key! A great resource for doing this are hymnbooks / bach chorales as they have 4 part writing, which is mostly easily adaptable onto piano, and most of the voices are the same rhythm so you can focus on the notes while starting out. I still read through hymns to keep me from getting rusty.

[@roxroe6731]

@@L3ver thank you. Just perfect. Recently planning to buy some bach collection book this month. I'll definitely add some of his hyms.

[@L3ver]

@@roxroe6731 Happy practising. The benefit of Bach is that it's also just incredibly beautiful! Have fun.

[@zeroossi5967]

I hate sight-reading We need more viedos about the master Neil.

[@PIANO_LAB]

5 minutes a day, keeps the anxiety about sight-reading away! haha

[@zeroossi5967]

@@PIANO_LAB Could you please make a Viedo about ocean etude how to play it properly? I really struggle in some sections

[@PIANO_LAB]

Hi! yes, I will work on that over the next week. I was just looking over my list of video requests from viewers, and saw your request from some months ago. Sorry I haven't gotten to it yet, I will work on a video this week! Thank you for your support!

[@tommasobego4816]

5:01 If you are lonely, you can use a metronome as your partner.

[@martin-raison-music-composer]

I have a question that buggled me for a long time, let's say you sight read a F# sharp is written on the score, how do you read it? I mean the little voice in your head, does it say "F sharp" or does it just say "F" or even "Fi" ? Thanks :)

[@PIANO_LAB]

It says "F#"

[@martin-raison-music-composer]

@@PIANO_LAB Thanks for your answer !

[@LewisDeAlba]

another important step: . . . . Stop binging through KZbin when sight reading/practicing 🤣🤣

[@Tappist]

tip 2 is kinda like not looking at the keyboard while typing words out

[@Cofenotthatone]

Tip 4 says to what level everyone should go. That's OK,, but it should mention how to reach that level of sight reading fluency.

[@patrickwells4014]

I have a tip for you. Next time when you give a video on sight-reading please address the keyboard. Yes, the keyboard is one of the few things about sight-reading piano music that is never touched. I would appreciate it.

[@kiralighto2573]

We don't a viedo about sight reading we need tips for reading !

[@jollylawyer9999]

Have you seen Tom Brier the sight-reader?

[@PIANO_LAB]

Yep!

[@mateuszkozieja7537]

He was excellent 🤩

[@zitherzon2121]

Play the chords as fourths or fifths in the left hand and you'll never need to move it. Then play the melody note and one harmony note underneath in the right hand. Ask the women and girls to sing along. ( It will fool 90 percent of the people that you are an amazing sight-reading piano player reading sheet music.) A drunk guitar player Christmas 2023

[@katwilliams2950]

Illuminati confirmed

[@AgaSoulMaster]

I saw that too- what tf😂

[@cbmtrx]

Your spelling is like my sight reading 😂

[@winsomewalstead2157]

Not looking at your hands😂

[@PIANO_LAB]

Glad you enjoyed the vid!

[@bbymni]

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬ “and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭16‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

[@abipianotube9130]

Wwwwwwooooo

[@Azure_Gust931]

Not easy for a beginner

[@carlus6432]

If u start from the beginning it will be easier

[@namegoesfirstthenlastname1785]

This is just like when you started learning to read words. It's not a fast process, and you won't achieve anything if you don't read music daily like when you learned to read words. This takes practice, is another language.