What Does it Mean to be Good at Sight Reading?
We put a huge focus on teaching our students how to sight read well. But a lot of people might not know what that means or why it’s significant. So I’ll explain it to you!
What is “Sight Reading”?
Sight reading is playing a piece of music you’ve never seen before. When you pick up a book you’ve never seen before, you can read it fluently, without thinking. It’s not more difficult for you to read this brand new book just because you’ve never read it before.
That’s because you’re good at reading! You practiced reading new things every day when you were a kid, and you probably expect your own children to read new things every day.
When I pick up a book of Disney songs (for instance), I can read it as fluently as I can read a book. I can play the song almost perfectly the first time I play it. It’s super fun. And it’s because I read a ton of music as a child.
There are two main methods of teaching piano.
(1) Students learn a LOT of songs
The student learns a lot of songs that are easy enough for them to learn without having their hand held. He or she gets really good at a few, performs a couple with the option to memorize. They may go back to their old songs and play them for fun because they’re easy for them.
(2) Students learn very few songs
The student learns a lot of songs that are easy enough for them to learn without having their hand held. He or she gets really good at a few, performs a couple with the option to memorize. They may go back to their old songs and play them for fun because they’re easy for them.
We teach the first way.
I may be biased, but I want to explain the problems I’ve seen over and over again with the second way of teaching:
1. Students get bored playing the same piece over and over, for months at a time.
2. Students are playing pieces that are far too difficult for them, which is frustrating and not fun.
3. Students never learn to read music because rather than reading the notes of their difficult song, they end up having to memorize it in order to play it.
It’s like giving an advanced math problem to a 1st grader. You could eventually get them to solve that one math problem if you spend hours working them through every step. But then try giving them another math problem — they won’t be able to solve it, right? You’ll need to without work them through the whole process again!
Obviously it’s better to teach them addition, multiplication, etc. first. Then they’ll understand all the concepts involved before they do advanced math.
Conclusion
I think sight reading might be the most important skill for any pianist. Whether you’re learning just for your own enjoyment or you’re making it a serious study, being a good sight reader is going to help you significantly every time you sit down to play.
Having poor reading skills and attempting to learn a new song is miserable. Learning piano should feel easy and fun!
Do you agree or disagree with me on the importance of sight reading? Leave a comment and tell me what you think!