[The tips below are great, but click here for some tips that I posted after working on sight-reading for four years.]
I started my sight-reading quest by finding all the web site tips and tricks I could. Here are the tips I like the most (they are described in more detail in the links below):
- Practice playing with your eyes closed (exercises, memorized pieces, etc.). If you never have to look down at the keyboard, sight-reading will be easier. Blind pianists can do it, so can you.
- Play at a steady pace and don't stop to fix mistakes (don't "stutter"). I find this very hard advice to follow.
- Look ahead. This is something else I have trouble with, but I'm working on it.
- Learn to recognize intervals instead of individual notes.
Here are the links to the sight-reading tips that I located through Google:
Tips for Learning Better Sight-reading
Scholarly Paper on Sight-reading along with Reviews of Books
A Page of Tips and Tricks
Excellent Tips, Including "Play with your eyes closed"
A Quick List of Tips
Troubleshooting Chart: Find Your Problem, Read the Solution
Ten Tips from a Book
Sight-reading Tips from Forums
General Tips
Finding a Book on Sight-reading
Discussion of Looking Ahead
More Tips and Discussion
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