{"id":15970,"date":"2023-12-02T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-02T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=15970"},"modified":"2023-12-01T08:35:22","modified_gmt":"2023-12-01T16:35:22","slug":"sight-reading-piano","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/sight-reading-piano\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get FASTER at Sight Reading Piano"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Does reading piano sheet music frustrate you? You\u2019re not alone! The way many of us were taught is not always the best way. Using acronyms like \u201cAll Cows Eat Grass\u201d can be slow and ineffective, and acronyms doesn&#8217;t teach you how written music actually works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this lesson, we&#8217;ll teach you a <em>better<\/em> way to read notes. It has nothing to do with acronyms and everything to do with making sense of the grand staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><p><strong>Table of Contents:<\/strong><\/p><nav><ol><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-to-read-notes-review\">How to Read Notes: Review<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-musical-alphabet-its-all-connected\">The Musical Alphabet: It\u2019s All Connected<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#landmark-notes\">Landmark Notes<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#patterns\">Patterns<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#but-what-about-bigger-gaps\">Intervals<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#putting-it-all-together\">Putting It All Together<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#more-sight-reading-piano-tips\">More Sight Reading Piano Tips<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weekly-email\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-read-notes-review\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>How to Read Notes: Review<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we dive into the tips and tricks, let\u2019s review the traditional way of learning how to read notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here we have the <strong>grand staff<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"482\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102100\/treble-clef-bass-clef-5-1024x482.png\" alt=\"Sight reading piano. Grand staff with treble clef and bass clef labelled.\" class=\"wp-image-15984\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102100\/treble-clef-bass-clef-5-1024x482.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102100\/treble-clef-bass-clef-5-300x141.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102100\/treble-clef-bass-clef-5-768x361.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102100\/treble-clef-bass-clef-5-1536x723.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102100\/treble-clef-bass-clef-5-2048x964.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The top five lines hold the <strong>treble clef<\/strong>, which represents higher notes that are typically played with the right hand.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The bottom five lines hold the <strong>bass clef<\/strong>, which represents lower notes that are generally played with the left hand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We plot notes on the five lines and four spaces of each clef. Traditionally, music students learn where the notes are by using acronyms like \u201cFACE\u201d or \u201cAll Cows Eat Grass.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"436\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102050\/FaceCows-1-1024x436.png\" alt=\"Sight reading piano. Grand staff with F-A-C-E in spaces of treble clef and &quot;All Cows eat Grass&quot; in spaces of bass clef.\" class=\"wp-image-15983\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102050\/FaceCows-1-1024x436.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102050\/FaceCows-1-300x128.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102050\/FaceCows-1-768x327.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102050\/FaceCows-1-1536x654.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102050\/FaceCows-1-2048x872.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s nothing wrong with acronyms, but learning to read notes this way can slow you down. Here\u2019s a better way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-piano\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<b>Need More Help?<\/b> Check out super-detailed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-read-piano-notes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ultimate Beginner\u2019s Guide to Reading Music<\/a> for a comprehensive lowdown on how sheet music works.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-musical-alphabet-its-all-connected\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>The Musical Alphabet: It\u2019s All Connected!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First, understand that all the notes are <em>connected.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is, fundamentally, how sheet music works! Look at all the notes plotted on the grand staff. There\u2019s no Bass Clef Land or Treble Clef Land. Rather, it\u2019s all on a continuum, and it\u2019s just the alphabet from A to G over and over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"412\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102000\/Full-scale-1024x412.png\" alt=\"Grand staff with two octave scale C3 to middle C to C5.\" class=\"wp-image-15981\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102000\/Full-scale-1024x412.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102000\/Full-scale-300x121.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102000\/Full-scale-768x309.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102000\/Full-scale-1536x618.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24102000\/Full-scale-2048x824.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of memorizing acronyms, practice saying the musical alphabet forward and backward. We find this so much more useful!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"landmark-notes\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Landmark Notes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You use landmarks to help you get to where you\u2019re going. We can use a similar concept in music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pick a few notes on the grand staff to memorize. These will be your wayward points, or <strong>landmarks<\/strong>. Knowing your landmarks will give you a general idea of where you are up or down the keyboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What are good landmark notes, then?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-cs\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>The Cs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Middle C<\/strong> is a perfect landmark note and it may be the first note you learn. This note is iconic: it\u2019s a little planet floating between the two staves with a line through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"401\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24104110\/MIDDLE-C-1024x401.png\" alt=\"Grand staff with C3 to C5 scale and Middle C highlighted and labelled.\" class=\"wp-image-15985\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24104110\/MIDDLE-C-1024x401.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24104110\/MIDDLE-C-300x118.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24104110\/MIDDLE-C-768x301.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24104110\/MIDDLE-C-1536x602.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24104110\/MIDDLE-C-2048x803.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, you might want to memorize the Cs above and below Middle C. These are also known as <strong>C5<\/strong> (higher) and <strong>C3<\/strong> (lower). Memorizing these Cs is easy because they&#8217;re on the second space from the ends of the staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"401\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24105244\/C3-C4-C5-1024x401.png\" alt=\"Grand staff with C3 to C5 scale and C3, Middle C, and C5 highlighted and labelled.\" class=\"wp-image-15986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24105244\/C3-C4-C5-1024x401.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24105244\/C3-C4-C5-300x118.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24105244\/C3-C4-C5-768x301.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24105244\/C3-C4-C5-1536x602.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24105244\/C3-C4-C5-2048x803.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Get used to seeing what \u201cMiddle C to C3\u201d and \u201cMiddle C to C5\u201d look like, visually, in sheet music. After some practice, you\u2019ll be able to recognize what an octave looks like:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24110220\/C-shapes-1024x940.png\" alt=\"Grand staff with C octaves in treble and bass clef in red.\" class=\"wp-image-15987\" style=\"width:353px;height:324px\" width=\"353\" height=\"324\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24110220\/C-shapes-1024x940.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24110220\/C-shapes-300x275.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24110220\/C-shapes-768x705.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24110220\/C-shapes-1536x1409.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24110220\/C-shapes-2048x1879.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 353px) 100vw, 353px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-piano\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<b>Friendly Note:<\/b> Reading sheet music is HARD. Don\u2019t be discouraged! Even experienced pianists count ledger linees, write down note names, and make mistakes.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-clefs\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>The Clefs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you know that the treble clef is also called the <strong>G Clef<\/strong> and that the bass clef is also called the <strong>F Clef<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a reason for this! The little curl in the treble clef wraps around the second line from the bottom of the top staff. This is where G lives!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24113518\/G-and-F-1024x878.png\" alt=\"Grand staff with G in treble clef and F in bass clef. Red arrow points from treble clef curl to G and another red arrow points from two dots in bass clef to F.\" class=\"wp-image-15988\" style=\"width:381px;height:327px\" width=\"381\" height=\"327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24113518\/G-and-F-1024x878.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24113518\/G-and-F-300x257.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24113518\/G-and-F-768x658.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24113518\/G-and-F-1536x1317.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24113518\/G-and-F-2048x1756.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 381px) 100vw, 381px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The two dots of the bass clef are above and below the second line from the top of the bottom staff. This is where F lives!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, G in the treble clef and F in the bass clef are excellent landmark notes to memorize because the clefs show you exactly where they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now you have Middle C, two other Cs, F, and G. This covers a pretty good range across the grand staff.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24134959\/Landmark-Notes-1024x658.png\" alt=\"Middle C, G, and C5 in treble clef with landmark markers. Middle C, F, and C3 in bass clef with landmark markers.\" class=\"wp-image-15991\" style=\"width:582px;height:374px\" width=\"582\" height=\"374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24134959\/Landmark-Notes-1024x658.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24134959\/Landmark-Notes-300x193.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24134959\/Landmark-Notes-768x494.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24134959\/Landmark-Notes-1536x988.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24134959\/Landmark-Notes-2048x1317.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 582px) 100vw, 582px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-piano\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<b>History Bite:<\/b> If you&#8217;ve wondered whether standard notation is the only way to notate music, you\u2019re not alone. Throughout history, musicians and even tech gurus have tried to find better, <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Eq3bUFgEcb4?si=9qfxyI9KBV_PzVgl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">alternative ways<\/a> to symbolize music on a page. But other than guitar tablature, standard notation remains the most widely used system.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"patterns\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Patterns<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you think of notes as letters, note <em>patterns <\/em>are words and phrases spelled from these letters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"steps\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Steps<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Take this little nugget of music. Notice that we go from a line note (Middle C) to a space note (D) to a line note (E) and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<video playsinline=\u201c\u201d autoplay=\u201c\u201d src=\"https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2023\/Sight%20Read%20Faster\/Stepping%20up%20-%20min.mp4\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" width=\"100%\"><\/video>\n\n\n\n<p>When you see a pattern like this\u2014line to space to line to space\u2014this is a series of <strong>steps<\/strong>. You\u2019re just moving from one letter of the musical alphabet to the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, instead of thinking and counting \u201cC, D, E\u2026\u201d see this as \u201cstep up, step up, step up&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24144436\/stepping-up-note-names-1024x502.png\" alt=\"Five finger scale on grand staff with note names, arrow, and &quot;stepping up.&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-15998\" style=\"width:651px;height:319px\" width=\"651\" height=\"319\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24144436\/stepping-up-note-names-1024x502.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24144436\/stepping-up-note-names-300x147.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24144436\/stepping-up-note-names-768x377.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24144436\/stepping-up-note-names-1536x753.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/24144436\/stepping-up-note-names-2048x1004.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 651px) 100vw, 651px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"skips\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Skips<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s another pattern: going from line note to line note to line note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<video playsinline=\u201c\u201d autoplay=\u201c\u201d src=\"https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2023\/Sight%20Read%20Faster\/sight%20reading%20skips%20-%20min.mp4\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" width=\"100%\"><\/video>\n\n\n\n<p>These are what we call <strong>skips.<\/strong> That\u2019s when you skip a letter of the musical alphabet. Skips also look like going from a space note to a space note to a space note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, combine your knowledge of steps and skips with the idea that going up or down the staff means playing higher or lower pitches on the keyboard. See if you can read this:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30101753\/sight-reading-up-down-1024x452.png\" alt=\"Notes C-D-E-D-C up-down on grand staff.\" class=\"wp-image-16035\" style=\"width:623px;height:275px\" width=\"623\" height=\"275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30101753\/sight-reading-up-down-1024x452.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30101753\/sight-reading-up-down-300x132.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30101753\/sight-reading-up-down-768x339.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30101753\/sight-reading-up-down.png 1033w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 623px) 100vw, 623px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Remember: sheet music is a visual medium. Pay attention to how things look, visually, on the page. Try to connect the graphics you see to the sounds you hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"but-what-about-bigger-gaps\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>But what about bigger gaps?!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, music isn\u2019t always organized by nice legible steps and skips. Sometimes you\u2019ll get larger gaps between notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The space between two notes is called an <strong>interval.<\/strong> When you have a step (such as C to D), this interval is called a 2nd. When you have a skip (such as C to E), this interval is called a 3rd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30103158\/sight-reading-2nd-interval-1-934x1024.png\" alt=\"Middle C going to D labelled as 2nd interval or step.\" class=\"wp-image-16037\" style=\"width:306px;height:336px\" width=\"306\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30103158\/sight-reading-2nd-interval-1-934x1024.png 934w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30103158\/sight-reading-2nd-interval-1-274x300.png 274w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30103158\/sight-reading-2nd-interval-1-768x842.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30103158\/sight-reading-2nd-interval-1-1401x1536.png 1401w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30103158\/sight-reading-2nd-interval-1-1868x2048.png 1868w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 306px) 100vw, 306px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30104039\/sight-reading-3rd-interval-934x1024.png\" alt=\"Middle C going to E labelled as 3rd interval and skip.\" class=\"wp-image-16038\" style=\"width:309px;height:338px\" width=\"309\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30104039\/sight-reading-3rd-interval-934x1024.png 934w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30104039\/sight-reading-3rd-interval-274x300.png 274w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30104039\/sight-reading-3rd-interval-768x842.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30104039\/sight-reading-3rd-interval-1401x1536.png 1401w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30104039\/sight-reading-3rd-interval-1868x2048.png 1868w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 309px) 100vw, 309px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You can learn to visually recognize larger intervals too. For example, the interval of a 4th (such as C to F) is a line note going to a space note with a larger gap in between. Lisa likes to call this a leap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, a 5th is a larger distance between two line or two space notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30105959\/sight-reading-4th-interval-1-934x1024.png\" alt=\"Middle C going to F and labelled as 4th interval or leap.\" class=\"wp-image-16041\" style=\"width:300px;height:328px\" width=\"300\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30105959\/sight-reading-4th-interval-1-934x1024.png 934w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30105959\/sight-reading-4th-interval-1-274x300.png 274w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30105959\/sight-reading-4th-interval-1-768x842.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30105959\/sight-reading-4th-interval-1-1401x1536.png 1401w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30105959\/sight-reading-4th-interval-1-1868x2048.png 1868w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30110006\/sight-reading-5th-interval-1-934x1024.png\" alt=\"Middle C going to G labelled as 5th interval and leap.\" class=\"wp-image-16042\" style=\"width:305px;height:334px\" width=\"305\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30110006\/sight-reading-5th-interval-1-934x1024.png 934w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30110006\/sight-reading-5th-interval-1-274x300.png 274w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30110006\/sight-reading-5th-interval-1-768x842.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30110006\/sight-reading-5th-interval-1-1401x1536.png 1401w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30110006\/sight-reading-5th-interval-1-1868x2048.png 1868w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 305px) 100vw, 305px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"putting-it-all-together\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Putting It All Together<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now let\u2019s put all our knowledge together and read the following passage. See how many notes you can read using landmark notes, skips, steps, and intervals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30113746\/sight-reading-cant-help-falling-in-love-no-markup-1024x210.png\" alt=\"Line of notation.\" class=\"wp-image-16044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30113746\/sight-reading-cant-help-falling-in-love-no-markup-1024x210.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30113746\/sight-reading-cant-help-falling-in-love-no-markup-300x62.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30113746\/sight-reading-cant-help-falling-in-love-no-markup-768x158.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30113746\/sight-reading-cant-help-falling-in-love-no-markup-1536x315.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30113746\/sight-reading-cant-help-falling-in-love-no-markup-2048x420.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can recognize the first note as middle C. Use that as your base. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The note after that is another line note, with a pretty large gap in between. You might recognize this as a 5th interval. You may <em>also<\/em> notice that this note sits on the same line as the G clef&#8217;s curl, making it G!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then we go back to middle C. And then we step up three times to F before stepping back down to D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30113301\/sight-reading-cant-help-falling-in-love-1024x210.png\" alt=\"Line of notation with leaps, steps, intervals, and G clef line labelled in red.\" class=\"wp-image-16043\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30113301\/sight-reading-cant-help-falling-in-love-1024x210.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30113301\/sight-reading-cant-help-falling-in-love-300x62.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30113301\/sight-reading-cant-help-falling-in-love-768x158.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30113301\/sight-reading-cant-help-falling-in-love-1536x315.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/30113301\/sight-reading-cant-help-falling-in-love-2048x420.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Recognize the melody?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div style=\"width:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:100%;position:relative;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/1SyhLmJNQoOQkFpXJZ\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" style=\"position:absolute\" frameBorder=\"0\" class=\"giphy-embed\" allowFullScreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Mastering the art of sight reading piano music <em>takes time. <\/em>You won\u2019t get there overnight and that\u2019s totally normal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s just like learning how to read books when you were a kid. You learn the alphabet song, then you learn how to sound out words, then you form sentences, and <em>then <\/em>you combine sentences into paragraphs, essays, or even books!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"more-sight-reading-piano-tips\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>More Sight Reading Piano Tips<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Flash cards.<\/strong> See how fast you can name a note when you draw a card at random. Better yet, have a friend test you!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sight reading exercises.<\/strong> There are entire books you can get with sight reading exercises at every level. Alternatively, get a method book or songbook below your grade level and use it to practice sight-reading.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h3 style=\"font-size:22px;\"><b>Learn to Read Music, Step-by-Step \ud83d\udd25<\/b><\/h3><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/25140120\/learning-piano-1024x683.jpg\"\/><p>Get a deeper dive into piano, sight reading, and theory as a Pianote+ Member. You\u2019ll get access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just like you. Plus: get coached by world-class pianists and learn whenever you  want, wherever you want, and whatever you want.<\/p><a class=\"join\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS<\/a><\/center><br><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Forget All Cows Eat Grass. Learn how to use patterns and landmark notes to get better at sight reading piano sheet music.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":16061,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[525,510],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sight-reading","category-theory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15970"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16065,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15970\/revisions\/16065"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}