Waltz bass sight-reading exercises: oom-pah-pah

What level 33 adds

The bass note is the chord’s root, and the “pah” is its third and fifth together. The right hand plays dotted halves, halves, quarters and some eighths. Exercises are in C, G, F, D or B♭ major.

What to watch for

• The jump: the hand moves from the low note up to the chord after beat 1. Plan it.
• Light “pahs”: beats 2 and 3 are softer than the bass.
• The key signature, which changes between five keys at this level.

How to practise it

• Read only the bass note of each bar: the chord above it is the same shape every time.
• Keep the “oom” on beat 1 strong and steady; it holds the waltz together.
• Use the left little finger for the bass and fingers 3 and 1 (or 2 and 1) for the chord.

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.