Level 18 of 36 · Book III: Intervals and chords
Sight-reading exercises with right-hand intervals
Now the right hand plays two notes at once: some melody notes have a third or a sixth added below them. The melody is still on top; the lower note fills in the harmony.
- Hands together
- C major
- 4/4 time
- = 52 to start
8 different exercises, each 8 bars. Listen first, or play it yourself: the music waits for each note.
What level 18 adds
The added notes come on strong beats, and the melody sits a little higher than C position to leave room for them. The left hand holds one bass note a bar. The right hand plays halves and quarters, mostly by step and skip.
What to watch for
- The top note is the tune: read it first, then the note under it.
- A third below is on the next line or space down. A sixth below is much wider: one note on a line, the other in a space.
- Fingering: a third is often fingers 1 and 3 or 2 and 4; a sixth often 1 and 5.
How to practise it
- Read the melody alone first, then add the lower notes.
- A sixth below a note is the same note name as a third above it, an octave down. Use whichever you see faster.
- Listen first: the added notes make the melody sound fuller, which helps you notice when one is missing.
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.