In music, sight-reading, also called a “prima vista” (Italian meaning "at first sight"), is the practice of reading and performing of a piece in a music notation that the performer has not seen or learned before. Sight-singing is used to describe a singer who is sight-reading. Both activities require the musician to play or sing the notated rhythms and pitches.

Music theory is the study of the practices and possibilities of music. The Oxford Companion to Music describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory". The first is the "rudiments", that are needed to understand music notation (key signatures, time signatures, and rhythmic notation); the second is learning scholars' views on music from antiquity to the present; the third is a sub-topic of musicology that "seeks to define processes and general principles in music".

Modern piano technique is informed by a combination of science and over three centuries of piano pedagogy informed by musicians from around the world. Correct technique not only helps pianists play their instruments correctly, it also helps stave off health problems caused by practicing and playing. Playing the piano in a smart way can keep your body healthy and able to play for decades.

When you are getting ready for an important recital or audition, you need to have a solid knowledge of the music that won’t go away if you miss a few notes. The way to achieve this is to learn the music really well intellectually before beginning to learn the physical aspects of playing the music. Ideally, you want to focus on the musical shaping, artistry, and nuance that will set you apart as a performer. To achieve this you must have a crystal clear mental picture of the music before you begin. Memorising the music before even trying to play it will allow you to work on interpretation much sooner.

Any musical endeavour must begin with a basic knowledge of the composer and his/her world. The performer must also first have an “objective interpretation” upon which one then superimposes one’s “subjective hearing” of the work. Once the task of learning and refining a piece is completed, the objective and subjective parts will not be entirely separable.

Musical improvisation (also known as musical extemporisation) is the creative activity of immediate ("in the moment") musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians. Sometimes musical ideas in improvisation are spontaneous, but may be based on chord changes in classical music and many other kinds of music. One definition is a "performance given extempore without planning or preparation". Another definition is to "play or sing (music) extemporaneously, by inventing variations on a melody or creating new melodies, rhythms and harmonies".