# How to play without looking at the keys



## Yano_07

I have this problem that when I play, and at the same time, reading the music sheet, I tend to look down at the piano and look at the sheet music and get myself messed up. How will I be able to play without looking at the keys?


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## Aramis

How long do you play? It is all about experience. Such things don't come to you naturally, but with time and practice. And I don't think that it requires any patricular practices, just keep on playing and focus on other problems until one day you will be able to find keys without looking at the keyboard.


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## Yano_07

I've been playing for about 3 yrs now.

Thanks for the tip


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## Polednice

I'm not sure what the typical methods are, I'm sure it varies depending on each individual's capabilities, but I make the situation easier by using the sheet music less and less as I become more familiar with the piece. Eventually (it doesn't take very long), I'll have memorised the piece and then I just look at the keyboard for the duration of the piece.


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## Head_case

Yano_07 said:


> I have this problem that when I play, and at the same time, reading the music sheet, I tend to look down at the piano and look at the sheet music and get myself messed up. How will I be able to play without looking at the keys?


It's a dog, innit?

"D's for dog. The dog goes into the kennel, between the two black notes. How memorable is that? So memorable! Remember this for the rest of your life!"

quoted from my music teacher (ex). She was into feeling for dogs


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## Lukecash12

Yano_07 said:


> I've been playing for about 3 yrs now.
> 
> Thanks for the tip


Give it another year or two. Playing without having to look isn't something you really go about learning in a uniform way. It just happens.


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## GraemeG

Practice. That's all you need.


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## Krummhorn

My piano teacher would occasionally drape a light towel over my arms and hands, thereby preventing and viewing of my fingers. Now, of course that was eons ago, and may or may not be an acceptable practice in modern times, but it certainly cured me of the problem. 

I also quite agree with the above members postings about practicing. My personal motto:

Amateurs practice until they get the notes right ... Professionals practice until they can't get the notes wrong.


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## Rasa

It's never even a consideration for me... I always have to know things by heart. Then I can watch the keyboard all I like.


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## MJTTOMB

For me it's somewhere in between. When I'm playing pieces I know i don't look at the music at all, and when I'm sight-reading I hardly look at the keys. Really it just comes with practice. Pay close attention to how different keys and combinations of keys feel under your fingers and you'll become much less reliant on your eyes and more reliant on the nerves in your fingers.


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## lavenderchild

for me, I used to remember which fingers are on which key but thats for the early pieces that doesn't require rapid change of fingers position. 

As for harder piece, I usually read a few notes faster and take a quick glimpse of the position of my fingers and where are they going before continue looking at the sheet.


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