How to Get MUCH Better at Piano Sight Reading

Do you want to learn how to sightread music like a pro? This piano tutorial will walk you through several tips and techniques on how you can master this ability. Learning how to sightread music to play the piece as it is written is especially useful for one's development in piano.

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🕘 Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:36 Tip Number 1
4:57 Tip Number 2
6:45 Tip Number 3
9:26 Tip Number 4
11:11 Tip Number 5

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Tutorials and Tips:

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[jazerleepiano]

Here are handy 🕘 Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:36 Tip Number 1
4:57 Tip Number 2
6:45 Tip Number 3
9:26 Tip Number 4
11:11 Tip Number 5

[zhihong]

The guy is very well spoken. Many years of careful learning and practicing. I'm watching his videos to learn speaking English as well.

I have been following your advice for several months now - trying to play simple church style hymns without looking at the keys. It has done wonders for my sight reading! One other thing I have found helpful when trying to learn more difficult music involving leaps is to practice short passages with eyes closed. This is very tough at first, but it really forces me to get that spatial awareness on the keyboard that you were talking about. The way I think about is is to remember the famous blind pianists. If they can do it, then surely the rest of us can if we try hard enough. What is your opinion about this?

[Feathers]

I have been playing piano without being able to sight read anything for years.

I have finally come to appreciate the value of music theory so I have a better understanding of exactly what I am composing.

My sight reading has always been neglected because I suck at it, however this video has been the most helpful guidance that simply just speaks to me and I finally feel that I can learn this incredible talent by following all the tips you have clearly demonstrated.

Thank you for your insights and instructions, this is a 10 out of 10 video 🙏👌👍👏👏👏

[jamesewanchook]

never look at your hands. that's the enemy of ear and body/ keyboard geography. I declare you are a very good teacher. Cheers from Vancouver.

[eugeniustheodidactus]

♥ I learned to TYPE in one semester of high-school and never looked down at a keyboard since. Why after 40 years of playing piano, did I just have the epiphany to approach _sight reading_ music in that way? Because you mentioned hand *positioning on the "G" ... not looking down!* Very similar to typing. Sight reading is a total separate thing to learn....discipline needed. Thank you so much!

[gloriaballard]

Oh my You are an incredible teacher!!! I’m self taught and have played for over a decade. Wish I had found you sooner, but so grateful to begin to learn correctly now. I am dedicated to learning better! You are life changing!

[susankurpeski]

I have been playing the piano for many years and was always a poor sight reader. Your video has given me a lot of wonderful instruction . Thank you Jazer.

[anthai]

I had some students that often forget which bars are coming. I assumed that they might not looking at the piece enough, they prefer looking at their hands while they’re playing. So I asked them to look more. After a while, they started move their heads up and down the sheet. But I found out that, They actually illustrated the movement of sight reading, they are not clearly understand what are they looking for on the music sheet. Thank you for the tips, I will try it by myself frist before teaching back to my students.

[littleemarshmallow]

I've been playing the piano for nine years now. Recently I found one of your videos and decided watching it. It turned out that I didn't do some things you said would help so I tried it out and found out that it actually really helped alot. I watched a few of your other videos too and learned very much from them. You pointed out things nobody told me before and thanks to you I finally managed to improve my playing again, since I was kinda stuck and not very motivated anymore, I just wasn't able to make a progress. Thanks to you and your videos I started to rediscover why I loved playing the piano so much. I really owe you one now. :)
Thanks for making those videos and please keep it up! ❤

[VincentBuonora]

Thank you for a wonderful lesson ❤1-No looking down; 2-keep fingers close to keys 3-practice accurately at slow tempo so brain recognizes each correct note 4-scan ahead; review for challenging parts 5- review analyze for patterns, fingerings, structures, chords any others.

[richardly]

Sight reading C major is obvious/pretty straight forward. It's when you add sharps and flats where it gets more complicated. Cause it's not just a matter of reading intervals. You actually have to know exactly where your note is at all times to know where it should be flat/sharp or regular

[mchaelbarber]

I'm more than glad I've found probably the most gifted music teacher on the net who can really help people who struggle like I do. I watch you will no sound and follow your voice text.

[Mr.Cockney]

As a self learner and a typewriter for 40 years (that had to learn typewriting by myself with a “blind method” when I was a teenager) I smile at your video because you are bloody right! When I first looked at the keys of the piano, I immediately felt that I had to take the same approach as I was taught for typewriting. Magicians say that “hand is faster than eyes” and this is definitely true. The problem is (as it was to me when I first faced a typewriter) that you have to have FAITH in that concept. We humans are mostly visual and it is very difficult to asume that hand is infinitely faster and more secure than eyes. You have to learn a new skill and it is slower process, but when you go through this, you discover a new world. I also learnt that “black keys” (that also are the bête noire for beginners) are in fact our best friends, for this and other motives! Mr. Lee, thank you very much for your videos!

[SuddenUpdraft]

Thank you so much for the G advice. I have pretty strong muscle memory and have to be very careful to get fingering correct on the first couple of times and not hit wrong notes. For example, I’m 68 years old and took up piano 4 years ago after a 30 year hiatus. There were still bad habits that I had to unlearn. Now, my teacher encourages writing in the fingering, which is very helpful. It is difficult, however, to find your place once you look down.

[andikasavana]

agreed. even we play our piano without using sheet paper, its important to playing without looking in our hand because we need to have a strong feeling about notes and its also good for teach our hearing sensitivity

[freshaloevera]

Ive started learning the piano about two weeks ago and im starting to learn sightreading properly, i can easily learn a piece by memory by looking at the notes, memorizing them and play it with no problem, but i cant sightread immediately bc i still struggle with knowing what note it could be, i still also need to practice my knowledge of keys on the piano, really appreciate the tips right now

[Shiqi-wg]

Tio number 1 has really helped me. Sight-reading is the part I struggle most on in an exam and my grade 5 exam is in a couple of days. I may be a little late but just by not looking at my hands has made a massive improvement. Thank you👍!

[cesca]

Not looking at your hands is exactly the same advice you get when learning to touch-type. To me it feels like it's using the same bit of the brain. My neighbour said the same only she'd learn piano first. Always good tips as ever from Jazer.

[felicityatkinson]

Your way of explaining is amazing. Really interesting and logical. I’ve been teaching piano for 33 and I love to watch your videos and often take new teaching tips from them.