Sight Reading Resources

These are some of my favorite resources for improving your sight reading at the piano.

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Check back often as I continue to update this list.

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ONLINE APPS AND SITES

 

Piano Marvel – save $3 per month with my affiliate link

Download the Piano Marvel app to your laptop or tablet and use it to practice your sight reading. You can also learn piano technique, find piano repertoire, and progress through the Piano Marvel methods lessons.

Connect your electronic keyboard to take their sightreading test (the SASR), which will track your playing in real time and then give you a score based on your accuracy.

This is a great app for self-taught pianists, because you can work your way through their self-paced curriculum. 

Piano Marvel is also a good tool for teachers to use to supplement lessons, providing practice support between lessons.

 

RCM Online Sight Reading

This interactive program supports preparation for the RCM exam series, but can be used even if you aren’t preparing for an exam. The courses focus on teaching you what preparatory questions to ask yourself as you sight read, as well as self-assessment.

Learn more here

 

Sight Reading Factory

Download this app to your laptop or tablet and use it to practice your sight reading.

The program generates sight reading material for you on the spot, based on criteria you specify.

Learn more here

 
 

 

Read Ahead App

Download this app to your tablet or phone and use it to practice your sight reading.

The app focuses on building sight reading skills, such as reading ahead, developing short term memory, and learning to play the piano by feel.

Learn more here

SIGHT READING BOOKS

These books are written specifically for developing your sight reading skills. They contain reading exercises, rhythm exercises, and are structured in a way that incrementally builds on sight reading skills.

Paul Harris: Improve your sight-reading!

I frequently recommend these books to my students. The pieces are incremental and graded, focusing on building reading skills gradually over time. All pieces are composed by Paul Harris.

RCM Four Star Sight Reading and Ear Tests

This series combines sight reading and ear training, and is geared toward preparing students for the RCM graded exams. They are useful even for students not planning to take the exams.

ANTHOLOGIES

These books contain a selection of repertoire for piano by a variety of composers, usually in chronological order. It’s useful to practice sight reading from an anthology that is a couple of levels easier than your current playing level.

An oldie but a goodie! This intermediate/ advanced intermediate anthology is arranged chronologically with music from the Baroque era through the 20th century.

Early intermediate level, with 142 pieces arranged chronologically  from the 17th century through the 20th century.

Late beginner level, with 132 pieces. I often recommend this book to my students who need to work on their sight reading.

269 pieces by 32 composers at the intermediate level.

GRADED REPERTOIRE BOOKS

Sight read at 2-3 levels below your performance level. The following books contain leveled repertoire that will provide you with consistent fresh material to practice your sight reading and grow comfortable with before you move up to the next level.

Jane Magrath, editor: Masterwork Classics Series

Keith Snell, editor: Baroque and Classical Series

Piano Safari Sight Reading Cards

Piano Safari Sight Reading Cards, Level 1

Piano Safari Sight Reading Cards, Level 2

Piano Safari Sight Reading Cards, Level 3

AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. If you click on a link and purchase an item, I will receive a small percentage at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

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