Session 17: Sight-Reading & Ear Training

Overview

• Phase: 4 — Consolidation
• Duration: 1 hour
• Prerequisites: Completed Sessions 1-16. Can play with dynamics, phrasing, and pedal. Has attempted playing by ear. Reads treble and bass clef.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

1. Apply a sight-reading strategy: rhythm first, then notes, then hands together
2. Recognize repeated patterns and sequences in sheet music
3. Identify intervals by ear: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
4. Sight-read 3 short pieces using the strategies learned
5. Play back a simple 4-5 note melody by ear after hearing it

Materials Needed

• Casio CT-X9000IN keyboard (Grand Piano tone — Tone 000, metronome ready)
• This lesson plan open beside you

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Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Scale Rotation

Play each scale one time, each hand separately:

C major at 72 BPM (you should be getting faster on this one)
A minor at 60 BPM
G major at 66 BPM
F major at 55 BPM

Quick Chord Review

Play each chord once as a block chord with LH, holding 2 beats each:

C — Am — Dm — Em — F — G — Bb — D — C

One smooth sequence, no pauses.

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Theory (10 minutes)

Sight-Reading: What It Is and Why It Matters

Sight-reading means playing music you have never seen before — reading the notes and playing them in real time, without practicing first. It is one of the most valuable skills a musician can have.

Good sight-readers can:

• Learn new pieces much faster
• Play along with other musicians
• Enjoy browsing sheet music books without months of preparation
• Pass music exams (sight-reading is tested in ABRSM and Trinity exams)

Sight-reading is NOT about playing perfectly. It is about playing the right rhythm with most of the right notes, keeping the music going even if you miss something.

The 3-Step Sight-Reading Strategy

Before you play a single note, scan the music and gather information:

Step 1: Rhythm First

• Look at the time signature. Is it 4/4? 3/4?
• Scan the note values. Are there mostly quarter notes? Any half notes? Whole notes? Eighth notes?
• Clap the rhythm before you play any notes. Get the rhythm into your body.

Step 2: Notes Next

• What key is it in? (Check for sharps or flats at the beginning.)
• What position should your hand be in? Find the first note and place your hand.
• Scan for the highest and lowest notes — will you need to shift position?
• Look for patterns: scales (stepwise movement), arpeggios (skips of 3rds), repeated notes, sequences.

Step 3: Hands Together (If Both Hands)

• For your first read-through, play hands separately.
• On the second try, combine hands at a MUCH slower tempo than written.
• It is better to play slowly and correctly than quickly and messy.

Pattern Recognition

Good sight-readers do not read every single note — they recognize PATTERNS:

Scale passages: When you see C-D-E-F-G, you do not think of 5 separate notes. You think “C major scale ascending from C.” Your fingers know this pattern automatically.

Arpeggios: When you see C-E-G, you think “C major arpeggio.” Your hand snaps into the chord shape.

Repeated patterns: If Measures 1-2 and Measures 5-6 look identical, you only need to learn it once.

Sequences: A sequence is a pattern that repeats starting on a different note. If Measure 1 has C-D-E and Measure 2 has D-E-F, that is a sequence — the same shape moved up one step.

Intervals by Ear

An interval is the distance between two notes. Learning to recognize intervals by ear is a powerful skill for both sight-reading and playing by ear.

Interval	Distance	Example	Song Reference
2nd	Next-door neighbour	C to D	First two notes of any major scale
3rd	Skip one note	C to E	First interval of “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” (ascending)
4th	Skip two notes	C to F	”Here Comes the Bride” (first two notes)
5th	Skip three notes	C to G	”Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (first two notes)

Interval recognition exercise: Play each interval on the keyboard and sing it:

X:1 T:Interval Recognition Exercise M:4/4 L:1/4 K:C %% 2nd: C to D - close, small step "1"C "2"D z2 | %% 3rd: C to E - wider, a skip "1"C "3"E z2 | %% 4th: C to F - even wider, "Here comes..." "1"C "4"F z2 | %% 5th: C to G - wide, open, "Twinkle, twinkle..." "1"C "5"G z2 |]

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Technique (15 minutes)

Interval Ear Training Drill

Exercise 1: Identify ascending intervals

1. Play C, then D. Say “2nd.”
2. Play C, then E. Say “3rd.”
3. Play C, then F. Say “4th.”
4. Play C, then G. Say “5th.”
5. Repeat from D: D-E (2nd), D-F (3rd), D-G (4th), D-A (5th).

Exercise 2: Random interval identification

1. Close your eyes.
2. Play any note with finger 1.
3. Then play another note with any finger (within 5 notes up).
4. Before opening your eyes, say: “2nd,” “3rd,” “4th,” or “5th.”
5. Open your eyes and check.
6. Repeat 10 times. Aim for 7 out of 10 correct.

Exercise 3: Melody playback by ear

1. Play this 4-note melody with your RH: C(1) E(3) D(2) C(1).
2. Close your eyes. Can you play it back from memory?
3. Now try: E(3) G(5) F(4) E(3). Play it, close eyes, play it back.
4. Now try a 5-note melody: C(1) D(2) E(3) D(2) C(1). Play it, close eyes, play it back.
5. Make the melodies harder: try G(5) E(3) F(4) D(2) E(3).

Sight-Reading Preparation

Before the sight-reading pieces, practice reading one line of unfamiliar music using the 3-step strategy. Here is a warm-up:

Sight-Reading Warm-Up (DO NOT preview — read and play):

X:1 T:Sight-Reading Warm-Up M:4/4 L:1/4 K:C "2"D "3"E "4"F "3"E | "1"C2 "2"D z | "3"E "4"F "5"G "4"F | "3"E3 z |]

Strategy in action:

1. Rhythm: All quarter notes except half notes and rests. Clap it first.
2. Notes: Starts on D. Stays in C position. Steps only — no big jumps.
3. Play at half the suggested tempo (40 BPM). Count “1-2-3-4” aloud.

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Repertoire (20 minutes)

Sight-Reading Piece 1: “Morning Walk”

Apply the 3-step strategy. Take 30 seconds to scan before playing.

Tempo: Andante (76 BPM — but play at 50 BPM on first read) Time Signature: 4/4 Key: C major (no sharps or flats) Hand: RH only

X:1 T:Morning Walk M:4/4 L:1/4 K:C "1"C "2"D "3"E "2"D | "3"E "4"F "5"G2 | "5"G "4"F "3"E "4"F | "3"E "2"D "1"C2 | "1"C "3"E "5"G "3"E | "4"F "2"D "4"F2 | "3"E "2"D "1"C "2"D | "1"C3 z |]

After playing: How did it go? On a scale of 1-5:

• 1 = Could not play it at all
• 3 = Got most notes right but stumbled on rhythm
• 5 = Played it through without stopping

Any score is fine. Sight-reading improves with practice.

Sight-Reading Piece 2: “Evening Song”

More challenging — includes half notes, dynamics, and a wider range.

Tempo: Adagio (66 BPM — play at 44 BPM first read) Time Signature: 3/4 Key: A minor Hand: RH only

X:1 T:Evening Song M:3/4 L:1/4 K:Am "1"A2 "2"B | "3"c2 "4"d | "5"e "4"d "3"c | "2"B2 z | "3"c "4"d "5"e | "4"d "3"c "2"B | "1"A3 | z3 |]

Dynamics: Start mp. Crescendo through Measures 1-3 (the melody rises). Measure 4: mf. Measures 5-7: diminuendo to p on the final A.

Sight-Reading Piece 3: “March of the Chords”

Both hands — the real challenge.

Tempo: Moderato (88 BPM — play at 55 BPM first read) Time Signature: 4/4 Key: C major

X:1 T:March of the Chords M:4/4 L:1/4 K:C V:1 clef=treble name="RH" "3"E "3"E "4"F "5"G | "5"G "4"F "3"E "2"D | "1"C "1"C "2"D "3"E | "2"D2 "1"C z | "3"E "3"E "4"F "5"G | "5"G "4"F "3"E "2"D | "1"C "2"D "3"E "2"D | "1"C3 z |] V:2 clef=bass name="LH" [C,E,G,]4 | [G,,B,,D,]4 | [A,,C,E,]4 | [F,A,C]4 | [C,E,G,]4 | [G,,B,,D,]4 | [F,A,C]4 | [C,E,G,]4 |]

Strategy for both-hands sight-reading:

1. Scan the LH first — it is just whole-note chords. Easy.
2. Scan the RH melody — mostly steps, C position.
3. Read the RH hands-separate first. Then add LH.
4. Play at half tempo.

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Review & Homework (10 minutes)

Summary

Today focused on two essential musical skills:

• Sight-reading: the 3-step strategy (rhythm first, notes next, hands together)
• Ear training: interval recognition (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th) and melody playback
• Pattern recognition: scales, arpeggios, repetitions, and sequences
• Three sight-reading pieces of increasing difficulty

Ear Training Exercise: Interval Song Game

For each interval, associate it with a song you know:

• 2nd: The first two notes of a major scale (C-D)
• 3rd: The first two notes of “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” (or “Oh When the Saints”)
• 4th: “Here Comes the Bride” (first two notes)
• 5th: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (first two notes: C up to G)

Now have someone play (or imagine) two random notes. Use the song associations to identify the interval. This technique is called the “song association method” — it is used by music students worldwide.

Self-Check Questions

1. What is the first step in the sight-reading strategy? (Answer: Check the rhythm — look at the time signature and clap the rhythm before playing)
2. What interval is C to F? (Answer: A 4th)
3. What is a sequence in music? (Answer: A pattern that repeats starting on a different note — like C-D-E followed by D-E-F)

Practice Homework (Before Next Session)

• Sight-reading practice — Re-read Pieces 1, 2, and 3 at the suggested tempos. Also try creating your own sight-reading: write down 4 measures of random notes in C position and try to play them. (5 minutes daily)
• Interval ear training — 10 random interval identifications per day (play two notes, identify as 2nd/3rd/4th/5th). (3 minutes daily)
• Melody playback — Play a 4-note melody, close your eyes, play it back. Do 5 melodies per day. Increase to 5-note melodies when 4 notes feel easy. (3 minutes daily)
• Expression review — Play “Tum Hi Ho” or “Imagine” with full dynamics and pedal once daily. (3 minutes daily)
• Scale review — One scale per day, hands separate, at current tempo. (2 minutes daily)

Total daily practice: approximately 16 minutes.

Common Mistakes to Watch For

• Looking at hands while sight-reading: Your eyes should stay on the music as much as possible. If you look at your hands, you lose your place in the music. Trust your finger positions — you know where the notes are.
• Stopping at mistakes: The cardinal rule of sight-reading: NEVER stop. If you play a wrong note, keep going. The rhythm must continue. A note mistake is forgotten in a second; a rhythmic stop disrupts the whole piece.
• Ignoring rhythm in favour of notes: Getting the right notes but wrong rhythm is worse than getting wrong notes with right rhythm. A listener can follow a melody with a few wrong notes if the rhythm is steady. But correct notes with chaotic rhythm sounds like a broken music box.
• Interval confusion between 3rd and 4th: A 3rd (C to E) skips one key. A 4th (C to F) skips two keys. When in doubt, count the letter names: C-D-E = 3 letters = 3rd. C-D-E-F = 4 letters = 4th.

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CT-X9000IN Tips

Step-Up Lesson Feature

Your CT-X9000IN has a built-in Step-Up Lesson system that functions as additional sight-reading practice. The keyboard plays a melody and waits for you to press the correct key before continuing.

To access Step-Up Lessons:

1. Press the SONG button.
2. Browse to a built-in song.
3. Select a lesson mode (Listen, Watch, Remember, or Auto).
4. In “Watch” mode, the keyboard shows you which key to press on the display.
5. In “Remember” mode, you play along and the keyboard evaluates you.

Use the Step-Up Lessons as supplementary sight-reading practice. They provide feedback that this lesson plan cannot — the keyboard tells you if you pressed the right key.

Interval Training with Two Tones

A fun way to practice interval recognition: set the CT-X9000IN to one tone (e.g., Grand Piano) for the first note, then quickly switch to a different tone (e.g., Strings) for the second note. The contrasting timbres make the interval easier to hear because each note has its own “colour.” This is purely a training aid — remove it once your ear develops.