Reading practice

GUIDE

Reading the staves

Public-domain tunes, from easiest to hardest. Read them from the sheet music, and use the keyboard map only to check.

Treble clef right hand

  • Lines, bottom to top: E G B D F. “Every Good Boy Deserves Football.”
  • Spaces, bottom to top: F A C E. They spell “face”.

Bass clef left hand

  • Lines, bottom to top: G B D F A. “Good Boys Deserve Fudge Always.”
  • Spaces, bottom to top: A C E G. “All Cows Eat Grass.”
  • Middle C is on its own short line, between the two staves.
  • Before playing, say the note names out loud along with the beat.
  • While you play one note, look at the next one.

Exercises

  1. EXERCISE 1Hot Cross Buns

    The right hand plays alone, using three notes: E, D, and C.

  2. EXERCISE 2Mary Had a Little Lamb

    The right hand plays the tune. The left hand holds one note per bar.

  3. EXERCISE 3Ode to Joy

    This is Beethoven's tune from his Ninth Symphony. It has a dotted rhythm in bars 4 and 8.

  4. EXERCISE 4Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

    This is the first tune where the right hand changes position.