Sight-Reading
The ability to perform a piece of music at first sight without prior practice or rehearsal
Category
fundamental
Pronunciation
SITE-REE-ding
Origin
English
Length
142 words · 1 min read
About Sight-Reading
Sight-reading is the ability to perform a piece of music at first sight without prior practice. It is considered one of the most important practical skills for any musician, tested by exam boards at every grade level.
More fundamental terms
Key
View all fundamentalterms →The tonal centre that organises a piece of music around a specific note and scale.
PitchThe perceived highness or lowness of a sound, determined by its frequency.
DroneA sustained or continuously repeated note or chord that sounds throughout a passage or entire piece
Aural TrainingThe development of musical listening skills including interval recognition and melodic dictation
HarmonyThe simultaneous combination of pitches to produce chords and chord progressions.
Related
v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →