Level 16 of 36 · Book III: Intervals and chords
Sight-reading exercises with left-hand fifths
Book three begins with two notes at once in the left hand: an open fifth, like C and G together, held under a right-hand melody.
- 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 16 adds
The left hand plays a fifth as a whole note in each bar, on the chord roots of C major. Both notes sit line and line, or space and space, with one line or space between. The right hand plays halves and quarters by step and skip.
What to watch for
- Reading the pair as one shape: a fifth always looks the same on the staff. You don’t need to name both notes.
- The lower note names it: read the bottom note, then add the fifth above (little finger and thumb).
- Both notes down together: press the two keys at the same moment.
How to practise it
- Practise the hand shape first: little finger and thumb, four white keys apart, C–G, F–C, G–D.
- Read only the lower note of each fifth. The shape gives you the upper one.
- With a mouse, click each note of the fifth in turn: “Play it yourself” waits for both.
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.