sight read

See also: sightread

English

Alternative forms

sightread

Etymology

From sight + read, in reference to not being able to rely on muscle memory developed through practice.

Pronunciation

(infinitive and present tense): IPA^(key): /ˈsaɪt ˌɹiːd/
(past tense): IPA^(key): /ˈsaɪt ˌɹɛd/

Verb

sight read (third-person singular simple present sight reads, present participle sight reading, simple past and past participle sight read)

(music) To perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time, without rehearsal.
I can sight read really simple music, but hard pieces need a lot of practice so I don't have to stop and figure out what I'm doing.
(figuratively, video games) To complete a video game level (particularly an autoscroller) while playing it for the first time, without practice.

Derived terms

sightreadable

Translations

to perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time

Finnish: lukea nuoteista, soittaa prima vista
French: jouer à vue, déchiffrer (fr)
German: vom Blatt spielen
Hungarian: blattol (hu), lapról olvas (hu)
Italian: suonare a prima vista
Polish: grać a vista impf
Swedish: a vista-läsa