Note reading game
- A note appears on the staff: play it on the piano below.
- You have 60 seconds. Five right in a row starts a combo worth more points.
- Pick the treble clef, the bass clef or both, and a level from middle C to sharps and flats.
How to read faster
Speed in note reading does not come from reading every note from scratch. It comes from a handful of landmark notes you recognise instantly, and from moving to the next note by steps and skips. In the treble clef the landmarks are middle C on its ledger line below the staff, the G on the second line that the clef curls round, and the C in the third space. In the bass clef, they are the F on the fourth line between the clef's two dots, the C in the second space, and middle C on its ledger line above the staff.
From a landmark, a line to the next space is one letter, a line to the next line two. Train that reflex and every other note is a short count away. When a note slows you down, say its name out loud after playing it: that is how it becomes a landmark too.
The four levels
- Around middle C: C to G above middle C in the treble clef, F to C below it in the bass clef. The notes of a first piece.
- The whole staff: every line and space, E4 to F5 in the treble clef, G2 to A3 in the bass clef.
- Ledger lines: the staff plus the notes above and below it, where most beginners slow down.
- Sharps and flats: a sharp or a flat in front of the note sends you to the black key next to it, half a step up or down.
A routine that works
Play two rounds a day, one in each clef, at the level where you score between 15 and 30. Below that, go down a level; above it, go up. Most pianists read the treble clef much faster than the bass, so give the bass clef the extra round. When your best score stops moving for a week, switch to Both clefs: jumping between staves is what real piano music asks of you.
New to the staff? The treble clef and bass clef lessons explain the lines and spaces first.
Frequently asked
How do I get better at reading piano notes?
Learn a few landmark notes until you recognise them instantly, then read the others as steps and skips from them. Short daily practice beats long sessions: two one-minute rounds a day are enough to see your score climb within a week.
Does the octave matter in this game?
Yes. The note on the staff is one exact key, so a C an octave too high is a miss. Reading the right octave is what lets you find notes without looking for them.
Can I play the game with my computer keyboard?
Yes. Switch the Labels menu of the piano to Keys to see which letter plays which key. On a phone or tablet, tap the keys; the piano follows several fingers at once.
How is the score counted?
Each right note is worth one point. After five right notes in a row the combo starts and each note is worth two, then three and four. A wrong note resets the combo. Your best score per level stays in this browser.
Keep reading
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