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Hello all,

I'm after some tips on how to improve vertical reading.

I'm making a conscience effort to improve my sight-reading and find that whenever I have pieces where both hands are playing similar passages at the same time (for arguments sake, let's say a bar full of quavers in each hand, playing different melodies) that I really struggle.

I'm trying to look ahead and take a wider view of the music but am not completely convinced that my eyes and mind are working together.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Is vertical reading 'a thing' or did I invent it?

No, people often talk about the "horizontal" and "vertical" dimensions of music.

Polyphonic music (two melodies at the same time) is always harder to read than music with one melody and a basic chord accompaniment.
If you're struggling to read, read slower. Don't play the note until you're absolutely sure you know what it is. And don't worry about doing things like looking ahead until you're able to read one note at a time very slowly with perfect or near-perfect accuracy.

The answer is to practice a lot, and you'll get it. This book is also good, but it's a bit expensive