Level 13 of 36 · Book II: Hands together
Sight-reading exercises with eighth notes
Eighth notes: two notes in the time of one beat. They come in beamed pairs in the right hand, while the left hand holds whole and half notes underneath.
- Hands together
- C major
- 4/4 time
- = 54 to start
8 different exercises, each 8 bars. Listen first, or play it yourself: the music waits for each note.
What level 13 adds
The right hand mixes quarter notes and half notes with pairs of eighths, joined by a beam. The left hand plays whole and half notes on the chord roots. The tempo eases a little, to ♩ = 54, to make room for the faster notes.
What to watch for
- Two per beat: a beamed pair fits in one beat. Count “one and two and”, with the second eighth on the “and”.
- Rushing: eighth notes tempt you to speed up. Keep the beat where it was.
- Steps inside a pair: most pairs move by step, so read the beam as one small shape.
How to practise it
- Count “one and two and three and four and” out loud, and play each eighth on its syllable.
- See each beamed pair as one unit: its first note is on the beat.
- Play the right hand alone once if the rhythm feels unsure, then hands together.
Each exercise is new music, written for this level by the same generator the app uses, so you can’t have learned it by ear. Read it once before you play, keep a steady beat, and play on through mistakes. Play it yourself checks your notes from a MIDI keyboard, the mouse or your computer keys, and Print gives you the music alone, to read at the piano.
A new piece every day, at your level
Pianomi is the app these exercises come from. It listens to your MIDI keyboard, grades every note and every beat, and moves you up the 36 levels as your reading improves. It’s free.