The Three R's of Sight Reading
When reading at sight we are always doing one of two things, and constantly alternating from one to the other. We are looking at the keyboard while playing the printed notes, or we are looking at the printed notes while playing the keyboard.
That sounds strange, but it is quite true, nevertheless. We are doing either one of these two things continuously, and the faster and smoother the connection is made from one to the other the more nearly we approach the state of seeming to do both at once.
Playing from notes, whether reading by sight or not, develops the muscles of the eye so that they can jump from the printed page to the keyboard and back quickly and focus instantly, and if one's eyes are normal we have no particular trouble in making this connection. However, good sight-reading demands that the number of times this connection is made shall be minimized. So it is the two situations mentioned above-looking at the notes while playing the keys. and looking at the keys while playing the notes—that need practice.
It is not difficult to play without looking at the keyboard. While a knowledge of harmony is a great help, it is not absolutely essential, but one must have a clear mental picture of the keyboard, and a sure grasp.of all chords, scales, arpeggios and key-groups, etc., controlled by the sense of touch unaided by sight.
For this, practicing with closed eyes is very good; and in The Etude for January, 1915, another method was suggested, that of holding a piece of sheet music over the keyboard with one hand while playing with the other.
In the other situation—looking at the keyboard while playing the notes—we must carry in our mind the notes we are about to play. This faculty can be greatly developed also, and it must be remembered that the notes also include the rests and rhythm. Look at a measure for a moment and then try to play it correctly without referring again to the printed page. Take very simple things at first, and each hand alone if necessary. As one improves, two measures may be taken as a unit, then three or four.
In broken chords it is not often necessary to look at more than the first three or four notes, but notice the position or "pattern" of the whole passage, and the stopping point, so that you will not run beyond it. The same is true in arpeggios and scales and various rapid passages.
In repeated figures notice the first group, and at what intervals the figure is repeated. In broken octaves or figures repeated on the same notes it is necessary only to look at the first figure, and notice how long it is kept up, giving the attention to the other hand.
Any one who can play fluently while looking at the printed page, and can carry a mental picture of the notes while looking at the keyboard, and whose eyes focus instantly in going from page to keyboard and back is a good sight reader.
Conversely, if one is not a good sight-reader, look to one or more of these three points for the reason.