Sight-reading

Caravaggio's Rest on the Flight into Egypt (1594–96)

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.