Sight reading practice
Read the melody and play it note by note on the keyboard. The current note glows brass. Keep your eyes one note ahead.
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A daily sight-reading routine (10 minutes)
- Scan first (20 seconds). Check the clef and key signature, find the highest and lowest notes, and spot patterns: steps, repeated notes, skips of a 3rd.
- Play without stopping. Here the tool waits for the right key, but on your instrument keep a steady pulse and let mistakes go.
- Read in shapes. A line-to-line move is a skip of a 3rd; line-to-space is a step. Recognising shapes is much faster than naming every note.
- Raise one variable at a time. Add a key signature, then leaps, then longer melodies.
If you hesitate on individual notes, drill them first: treble clef notes and bass clef notes. Key signatures slowing you down? Learn them on the key signatures page.
Questions
How can I improve my sight reading quickly?
Read a little new music every day rather than a lot once a week. Keep going at a steady pace even when you make mistakes, look ahead of what you are playing, and read in patterns (steps, skips, chord shapes) rather than note by note.
How does this sight reading tool work?
A short melody appears on the staff. Play each note in order on the on-screen piano (or a real one alongside). Correct notes turn green; a wrong key turns red and you can try again. Your time and accuracy per melody are shown at the end.
Should I practise with key signatures?
Yes, once C major feels comfortable. Exams use key signatures from early grades. Start with one sharp (G major) or one flat (F major) and add more as you go.
What is the difference between sight reading and note reading?
Note reading is naming individual notes. Sight reading is performing unfamiliar music at first sight, which adds rhythm, key signatures and reading ahead. Build note-reading speed with the treble and bass clef drills, then use this page for melodic reading.