1. Learn how to play without looking at your hands so that you do not need to take your eyes from the music in front of you.

2. Always sit in the same place so that you can easily return your hands to their position when you change a page.

3. Practice scales in the dark in order to familiarize your fingers with the keys.

4. Memorize the four groups of lines and space. The lines in the treble are E, G, B, D and F. The lines in the bass are G, B, D, F and A. The spaces in the treble are F, A, C and E; the spaces in the bass are A, C, E and G.

5. Practice the rhythmic part of a new piece that you are learning in any pitch. It will be easier for your brain to work on one thing at a time.

6. Learn the pitch and fingering part of a new piece without concerning yourself about rhythm. After you have mastered the two sections separately, it will be easier to combine them.

7. If a piece is easy, play it to tempo without worrying about mistakes.

8. For difficult pieces, play very slowly to develop accuracy.

9. Many compositions have patterns. See if you can find the pattern in a new piece and it may make it easier for you to learn.

10. Studying musical theory can help you play better because professional sight-readers do not read every note. Get a sense of the overall chord and fill in the blanks. An extensive knowledge of musical theory will make this effort more natural.