The 30-second scan before you play

In exams and auditions you usually get a short preparation time. Use it the same way every time, and do the same scan at home.

The checklist

• Key signature: name it, touch the black keys it needs.
• Time signature: how many beats, which note gets the beat.
• Tempo and character: pick a tempo you can hold through the hardest bar.
• Clefs: does either hand change clef partway through?
• Starting position: where do both hands begin; are there position shifts?
• Patterns: scales, broken chords, repeated bars and sequences.
• Danger spots: accidentals, ledger lines, tricky rhythms. Tap them through silently.
• Dynamics and ending: where does it get loud or soft, how does it end?

While you play

• Keep your eyes on the page and ahead of your hands.
• Do not go back to fix mistakes.
• Simplify if needed: drop a left-hand note in a chord before you drop the beat.

Exam note

Exam boards differ in preparation time and in how they mark sight-reading. Check the current syllabus for your board and grade; the habit of a fixed, calm routine helps whatever the format.