Level 39 of 44 · Book V: Minor keys and new rhythms
Sight-reading exercises in 2/4 time
2/4 time: two quarter-note beats in a bar, strong then weak, as in a march or a polka. The bars are short, so barlines come thick and fast.
- Hands together
- C, G, A or E♭ major, or A or D minor
- 2/4 time
- = 60 to start
8 different exercises, each 8 bars. Listen first, or play it yourself: the music waits for each note.
What level 39 adds
A bar holds a half note, two quarters, or eighths in pairs, with a quarter rest now and then. The left hand plays single bass notes in quarters and halves. The pieces are in any key up to three sharps or flats, major or minor, with expression marks.
What to watch for
- Beat one comes every two beats: the strong beat arrives twice as often as in 4/4.
- Quarter rests: a rest is half the bar here, so give it its full beat.
- Barlines: short bars mean more of them to read past. Don’t pause at each one.
How to practise it
- Count “one, two”, leaning a little on “one”, like marching feet.
- Read two bars at a time: two bars of 2/4 hold as much as one bar of 4/4.
- Listen first: the clicks come two to a bar, the first a little stronger.
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 44 levels as your reading improves. It’s free.