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Reading Steps, Skips, and Repeats: Interval-Based Piano Decoding

Capítulo 8

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

When you read note-by-note, your eyes spend time “translating” every symbol into a letter name before your hands can move. Interval-based reading speeds this up by focusing first on how the notes move: do they go to a neighbor (step), jump over one (skip), or stay the same (repeat)? You can still confirm exact notes using your landmarks, but the first thing you recognize is the motion pattern.

1) The three motion types: step, skip, repeat

Step

A step means the next note is on the adjacent staff position: line to neighboring space, or space to neighboring line. On the keyboard, a step usually feels like moving to a neighboring key (white-to-white or white-to-black depending on the scale), but the key idea is: no staff position is skipped.

Skip

A skip means the next note moves from line to line or space to space. On the staff, you “jump over” one staff position in between. On the keyboard, a skip often feels like there is one key in between the two notes (again, exact black/white details depend on where you are), but the reading skill is: one staff position is skipped.

Repeat

A repeat means the note stays on the same line or same space. On the keyboard, your finger plays the same key again (or another finger plays the same key, depending on fingering).

2) How these patterns look on the staff and feel on the keyboard

Train your eyes to notice the vertical relationship between noteheads. You are not naming notes yet; you are labeling the motion.

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Motion	Staff look	Keyboard feel	Quick question to ask
Repeat	Same line/space	Same key again	“Did it move at all?”
Step	Line↔space adjacent	Neighboring key	“Is it right next door?”
Skip	Line→line or space→space	One key in between (often)	“Did it jump over one?”

Mini-visuals (staff position only)

Use these as “shape reading” practice. Imagine each symbol is a notehead on a staff position.

Repeat:  o  o  o   (same height each time)
Step up: o  o  o   (each one slightly higher)
Step down:o  o  o  (each one slightly lower)
Skip up: o   o   o (bigger jumps, same line/space type)
Mixed:   o  o   o  (small move then bigger move)

At the piano, pair each visual with a physical rule:

Repeat: keep your hand still; only the finger changes (or repeats).
Step: let the hand glide slightly; avoid lifting the whole hand.
Skip: allow a small hand shift; aim with the fingertip, not the arm.

3) Drills: identify motion first, then play (3–5 notes)

These drills are designed to break the habit of naming every note first. Your order is always: (1) say the motion pattern → (2) find a starting note → (3) play using the pattern.

Drill setup (30–60 seconds per pattern)

Choose a comfortable starting position in the right hand (any 5-finger position works).
Before playing, point to each next note and say: repeat, step up, step down, skip up, skip down.
Only after you can say the pattern smoothly, play it.
Keep a steady pulse; do not stop to rename notes.

Flash patterns (read as motion sequences)

For each line below, your task is to speak the motion between notes. Then play starting on any note that fits your hand position.

Pattern A (3 notes): step up, step up
Pattern B (3 notes): step down, repeat
Pattern C (4 notes): repeat, step up, skip up
Pattern D (4 notes): skip down, step up, step down
Pattern E (5 notes): step up, step up, step down, repeat
Pattern F (5 notes): skip up, skip down, step up, repeat

Make it staff-real (add a starting anchor)

Now do the same drill but with a fixed starting note you recognize quickly in the treble staff (use any landmark you already know). Steps and skips will take you to the next notes without letter-by-letter decoding.

Pick a starting note on the staff.
Trace the next note: is it adjacent (step), same (repeat), or line-to-line/space-to-space (skip)?
Play immediately, keeping your eyes slightly ahead of your fingers.

4) Melodic contours: up, down, arch (and what your hand should do)

Beyond single intervals, melodies often form contours: overall shapes that your eye can recognize quickly. Contour reading helps you anticipate direction and plan fingering.

Three common contours

Ascending: mostly moving upward (often many steps, sometimes a skip).
Descending: mostly moving downward.
Arch: up to a high point, then down (or the reverse: down then up).

Connect contour to hand motion

Use these practical rules while sight-reading:

If the contour is mostly stepwise, keep the hand quiet and let fingers do the work (a smooth “walking” feeling).
If you see frequent skips, prepare small hand shifts; hover over the target area rather than stretching uncomfortably.
For an arch, identify the “top note” (or “bottom note”) visually; this becomes a target that guides your hand.

Finger-choice guidelines (simple and reliable)

Use these to avoid getting stuck mid-phrase:

For a run of steps in one direction, use consecutive fingers (e.g., 1-2-3-4-5 going up in a 5-finger position, or 5-4-3-2-1 going down).
When a skip appears, consider using a stronger finger (2, 3, or 4) on the landing note so you stay balanced.
On a repeat, you may keep the same finger or switch fingers to prepare for the next move (for example, repeat with 3 then 2 if the next note is a step down and you want 1 available).

5) Apply: treble melody + left-hand held bass notes, then switch

Now combine interval reading with simple coordination: one hand reads a moving line (mostly steps/skips/repeats), while the other hand holds long notes. This lets you focus on motion patterns without complex two-hand independence.

Exercise 1: Right hand reads the melody; left hand holds

Left hand: choose one comfortable bass note you can find quickly and hold it for a whole measure (or any long value your piece uses). Keep it steady and relaxed.

Right hand: read the melody by intervals. Before playing, scan the melody and whisper the motion sequence (example: “step up, step up, repeat, step down, skip down”). Then play.

Step 1: Play the left-hand held note alone and listen to its steadiness.
Step 2: Add the right-hand melody slowly. Keep the left hand down while the right hand moves.
Step 3: If you miss a note, do not restart immediately; instead, identify where the motion pattern changed (step vs. skip) and fix that spot.

Exercise 2: Switch roles (left hand reads; right hand holds)

Switching roles strengthens interval reading in both clefs without returning to letter-by-letter decoding.

Right hand: hold a single treble note (choose a comfortable one).
Left hand: read a short bass melody using steps, skips, and repeats.
Keep the same process: label motion first, then play.

Self-check: are you truly reading by intervals?

You can describe the melody as a chain of motions (repeat/step/skip) without hesitating.
Your eyes look ahead to the next note while your fingers finish the current one.
When you make a mistake, you can say: “I read that as a step, but it was a skip” (or the reverse).

Now answer the exercise about the content:

While sight-reading with interval-based thinking, what is the recommended order of actions to avoid naming every note first?

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Interval reading prioritizes motion: first label how notes move (repeat/step/skip), then choose a starting note, then play by following the pattern. This breaks the habit of translating every symbol into a letter name before playing.