Perfect Sight‑Reading Is Impossible

People love to claim they can “read anything at sight.” In reality, that kind of unfailing sight‑reading is rarer than the bragging suggests. Many can read almost anything—but “anything” is another story.

Even Bach, whose reading and execution were said to surpass Liszt, Mendelssohn, Mozart, and others, once started believing his own legend. He told a friend he thought he could play anything at sight. The friend admired him, but didn’t quite buy it—so he set a trap.

He chose a piece that looked innocent on the page but was far harder in reality, and slipped it among other music on Bach’s organ desk. Then he invited Bach to breakfast. While the meal was being arranged, Bach did what he often did: sat down and looked through whatever music was on the desk.

Within minutes he hit the deceptive piece. He tried it, tried again, stopped, and tried again. At last he called out to the friend—who was laughing in the next room—“No, no: one cannot play everything at sight. It is not possible.”