Sight-Reading

A chart treating sight-reading as a procedure rather than a talent — what to look at in the thirty seconds before you play, five rules while playing, and how to practise it.

What's inside

• A thirty-second preparation routine broken into key/time, shape/range, the hard bar, hearing it and setting tempo
• A table of what to look at, what to ask yourself, and why it matters, in order
• Five rules for while you are playing, from choosing a tempo to never stopping
• How to practise sight-reading daily, including using music below your playing level and duets
• Notes on the examiner's view, not looking at your hands, counting empty bars, and committing to one tempo