Level 8 of 36 · Book II: Hands together
Hands together sight-reading exercises: left hand holds
Hands together for the first time. The right hand plays a melody while the left hand holds a single note for the whole bar, so the second hand gives you one thing to read every four beats.
- Hands together
- C major
- 4/4 time
- = 56 to start
8 different exercises, each 8 bars. Listen first, or play it yourself: the music waits for each note.
What level 8 adds
The left hand plays one whole note per bar, on the root of the chord under the melody (C, F or G in C major). The right hand moves in half and quarter notes, by step and skip, in C position. The tempo is a little slower than in book one, ♩ = 56.
What to watch for
- Both notes on the first beat: each bar starts with the hands together. Read the bass note before the bar begins.
- Holding on: the left hand keeps its key down while the right hand moves. Don’t let it lift early.
- Reading top to bottom: on the grand staff, notes lined up vertically are played together.
How to practise it
- Play the right hand alone once, then the left hand alone, then together. On a new exercise, try going straight to hands together.
- At the end of each bar, glance down at the next bass note. It is the only new left-hand note for four beats.
- With a mouse, “Play it yourself” waits until you have clicked each note of a chord, in any order.
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.