# Simple sight reading excersizes for piano and violin?



## Aloevera

So I already play both the piano and the violin but in very different ways. For piano, I bassically am terrible at sight reading but i'm fine with theory. Theres always that 2 second hesitation to see let's say a c on the paper and actually play it but I can kind of learn the song by figuring out the melody and that point I learn the song by the melody and the muscle memory and know what notes I'm playing rather than reading it from the sheet, I don't know if that made sense. Pretty much I have to decode the notes on the sheet until I understand it by the keys rather than actually reading it from the sheet. I also cannot read bass clef unless I think "what would it be if it was a whole step up on treble clef, so pretty much I cannot sight read in any productive manner. I also already know how to play the piano, so I think my ego is really preventing me from starting from the very beginning and I think knowing me theres no other way around that. That's why I'm looking for a way to learn it relatively fast but I'm also bad at multitasking so I'm looking for something that has the full range of notes without having to deal with rhythm or even two hands or chords atleast as the starting point and make my way towards that only after it becomes intuitive to see a note and play it without any hesitation. Scales don't work because I already know the scales and I wouldn't be reading it from the book and even it is a harder scale which I havn't learned I'd still take the time to learn it off the sheet then completely disregard it once I've learned the notes 

For violin is different, I'm fairly good at sight reading to the third position, everything past that I try to determine the melody and try to memorize the finger position and so I've played songs past the third position in the past but never through direct sight reading but memorization of the patterns so I'm once again looking for easy notes without dealing with rhythm to learn the notes

I don't know if that made sense, but thank you so much


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## Taggart

Most piano involves both hands. The easiest start would be simple flute or violin music where you could play the right hand alone. After that, try https://us.abrsm.org/en/exam-support/practice-tools-and-applications/sight-reading-trainer/ or their books - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Joining-Dots-Book-Piano-Sight-Reading/dp/1860969763 - or the Paul Harris books - see https://www.amazon.co.uk/Piano-Grade-Improve-Your-Sight-reading/dp/0571533019

You need to be able to read the bass clef fluently.

A good teacher would also help.


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## Aloevera

Taggart said:


> Most piano involves both hands. The easiest start would be simple flute or violin music where you could play the right hand alone. After that, try https://us.abrsm.org/en/exam-support/practice-tools-and-applications/sight-reading-trainer/ or their books - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Joining-Dots-Book-Piano-Sight-Reading/dp/1860969763 - or the Paul Harris books - see https://www.amazon.co.uk/Piano-Grade-Improve-Your-Sight-reading/dp/0571533019
> 
> You need to be able to read the bass clef fluently.
> 
> A good teacher would also help.


True but a violin doesn't have the full range of notes for example bass clef. What I'm looking for is something similar to this phone applcation that I used to use where it would show a note on the screen and you'd have say which note it was but you're timed to help instill that split second memory. The only problem with that is theres still a huge amount of hesitation between actuallly identifying the note and playing it. So something really basic like that which just a full range of quarter notes on the page.


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## Taggart

We learn to read by learning the alphabet but we read words. The whole point about sight reading is preparation. The ABRSM allows you 30 seconds to look at a piece. That allows you to check - time signature, key signature, any problems in timing, to identify the first few notes, to identify scale and arpeggio patterns. 

Simple point, if a sequence of notes rising (or falling) is all on the spaces (or lines) then it's an arpeggio - you only need to identify the first and last note then the rest falls into place; if the sequence alternates lines and spaces then it's a scale and you know scales. You don't read every note, you identify patterns.


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## Aloevera

I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my original post but I already know music theory including rythm and scales. What is holding me back is actual sight reading from a sheet which I could do in a very slow and tedious manner but that would defeat the purpose. I'll I'm looking for is an easy way to to learn to sight read on the piano just in terms of notes not rythm. I've played both instruments I just forgot how to read sheet on piano


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## Potiphera

Aloevera said:


> I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my original post but I already know music theory including rythm and scales. What is holding me back is actual sight reading from a sheet which I could do in a very slow and tedious manner but that would defeat the purpose. I'll I'm looking for is an easy way to to learn to sight read on the piano just in terms of notes not rythm. I've played both instruments I just forgot how to read sheet on piano


 It gets easier when you practice more, try not to get frustrated or stressed with it, it will only cause a mental block. Try covering over the music with something, like a book or a piece of paper then gradually start to slide the book to the right , while you are reading the music, you can start reading the music slowly then practice quickening up as you move the book quicker, try and force yourself to read quicker, always look ahead for the next notes. You can always get someone to cover the music for you and they can slide the book or whatever you use to slide over the music, try not to stop and start just keep going. I started reading music just sitting looking at hymn books, or any music book, I would force myself to learn. It does take a lot of patience and time , but you will do it, I can guarantee that!


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## Holden4th

Hanon. Start simple and work your way up.


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## jstrausss

I'm 50 years old and just started to take sight reading more seriously and it is getting very frustrating going so slow but I do feel like there is some forward progress. Its just very slow


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## Sangburd

I've found that Czerny exercises make for nice little sightreading exercises, for example his 139., 439., or 599. 
You can find these online, either imslp or something like pianoexercises.org


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