You show up to your private lesson to see that a new piece is on the stand. All you see are a bunch of random dots and lines. Sure, you know how to read music, but after a few run-throughs and some practice. How are you going to decipher this puzzle on the spot? Thankfully, with a couple of minutes of internal prepping, you can be successful at sight reading.

I always tell my students to take some time to gather the following musical information:

Time signature-The top number tells us how many beats are in a measure, and the bottom one tells us which note gets the beat. Not sure what note the bottom number represents? Turn it into a fraction by putting a 1 over the top. For example, if the time signature is 4/4, remove the top 4 and put a 1. This fraction is 1/4, or a quarter. So the quarter notes gets the beat.

Key signature-Does this piece have any flats or sharps? If so, which ones? Not positive their names? There are two easy mnemonics you can memorize. For the order of the sharps, learn “Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Bagels.” It’ll also make you smile, which help you relax and therefore lower that heart rate. For flats, use BEAD.

Identify the naturals, flats, or sharps. This is very important. Knowing you have an F natural is different than identifying where that note is. You may have a couple in different octaves as well. In my professional opinion, playing the correct notes is the second most important factor.

Look for tricky rhythms-Staying on beat is the most important factor. So look for any ties (especially ones over multiple measures), syncopation, etc.

Bowings-Are there any bowings that may trip you up? This is the least important when sight-reading, so don’t get too hung up on this.

Set the tempo! Never start a new piece without determining how fast/slow you can comfortably play it at.

The take-off-Count one full measure, either out loud or in your head, before starting to play. This is crucial to staying on beat and playing the right rhythms.

There you have it! 7 simple steps to improving your sight reading. Why not give these a try today?

ps