Why Can Looking at Your Hands Break the Flow of Score Reading?

When score reading is repeatedly interrupted by looking down, the problem is not simply that there is no time to see the next line. The eyes normally need to lead the notes being played, sending an upcoming pattern, rhythm or position change into working memory before the hands execute it. Researchers call this distance the eye–hand span. A larger span is not automatically better; skilled readers adjust it to the difficulty of the music.

It is perfectly normal for an adult pianist to look at the keyboard before a large leap. Continuity suffers when the gaze cannot quickly find its place in the score again, or when every small movement demands visual confirmation. The stream of notation is then broken into fragments. Once the hands finish the material already read, no prepared next step remains, so hesitation appears at a predictable point. The aim is therefore not to ban looking at the hands, but to reduce unplanned trips.

Take two bars and permit one glance at a leap that genuinely needs locating. Before the hand lands, let the eyes return to the next group of information in the score. For small movements within a stable register, rely more on the black-key groups, finger spacing and the tactile edge of the keys. Work slowly enough to preserve this chain rather than guessing at full speed. Research also suggests that eye–hand span is an adaptable strategy, not a single proficiency score; allowing necessary glances is more realistic than prohibiting them altogether.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6884463/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10696908/