How to Read Piano Music FluentlyImprove Your Note ReadingThe skill of how to read piano music fluently is important to master as you are studying a piece of music. This is a process that starts with decoding the notes, or the patterns of the notes in the piece.Reading Patterns:Remember that this process of learning the notes is just one of many, and knowing how to read piano music and the notes of a piece doesn’t mean you know the piece yet!
But we do want to master learning the notes of a composition as quickly as possible, so we can focus on expression and how to interpret the piece.The good news are that there are "tricks" to learn how to read piano music easier. This is what some piano students seem to grasp instinctively. Notes should be read as patterns, or clusters of patterns. Each pattern represents a certain hand or arm movement, as well as a typical fingering. Much like reading words- when you scan through a text, you read words not letters and sentences more than each word at a time. Seeing the notes as groups, as “words” or “sentences”, makes it easier for your brain to quickly decode what it means to play this pattern. Reading note by note (letter by letter) makes learning slow, and gives you no sense of context.
Who else feels musically limited because they can't read sheet music?
Ok, so give me a concrete example!To simplify note reading we can observe that piano music consists of three basic groups of patterns; piano scales or parts of scales, chords and intervals . That is only three groups. Each group of patterns represents millions of possibilities, of course, but it is still just three groups.Start by studying each group separately as technical exercises and learn about the fingering and how the pattern of each scale, chord, arpeggio and interval looks like both with the notes, and on the piano keys. Then pick an easy piano piece, and look at the patterns you see. If you have a photo copy you can be ruthless in marking with color all you see. I would suggest picking one color; let’s say green, for scales. Circle, or mark clearly the beginning and end of any scale patterns that you can find.
Tip: A scale pattern has only steps* moving up or down, a repeat here and there is OK, but stop where there is a skip which is an interval. (*Unless it is not a diatonic scale) Mark or circle all intervals with say, blue. Finally, circle all chords, broken, blocked or arpeggios with red. Now, identify each scale, chord or interval. Like in this famous sonata by Clementi:
Your brain will "like" this very much, and apart from making it easier to learn how to read piano music, it will be easier to memorize later as well. Now play and practice each “color”. Try to find repeated patterns of exactly the same thing (Yay, bonus!), or similar patterns that you still play using the same technique. But wait! Music is rhythm too, and all those other little markings everywhere and the pedal, and, and…!! True. But you can’t do it all at once can you? When you learn how to read piano music, you need to prioritize. The shapes, patterns and outlines of the piece is what you need to get literally your hands on first, since these will be stored in your “motor memory”- controlled by a part of your brain commonly called “reptilian” brain, where they actually can be put on “auto pilot” when you learn more intellectual concepts like dynamics, tempo etc. (Very cool!) So secure these movements first. Rhythm is your immediate next step, and then other areas added for each repetition. How to prioritize what to focus on when you learn how to read piano music :For beginners starting out in five finger positions:
Start learning a piece focusing on one aspect at a time: The note names should be sung along, the rhythm should be clapped before playing, and counted while playing after learning the notes. At first practice slow, legato and mezzoforte (medium loud) as it gives you a more secure playing. Then add dynamics, articulation, pedal if used and finally start playing in the correct tempo. For more advanced players prioritize like this:
And all the above is interconnected in the interpretation and expression of the piece. Integrating the parts into a whole is the whole idea ;) Piano Playing Questions and Comments
Do you need help with your piano playing? Have a question, any comments, or need help with a specific piano learning problem? Contact me here! Return from How To Read Piano Music to How To Read Music
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