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Free note reading practice

One note at a time, in the treble, bass, alto or tenor clef. Name it on the piano keys or by its name, and see at once whether you were right. Eight levels, from five notes around middle C to ledger lines and key signatures. Free, no login.

Answer with

 

Your results stay in this browser.

For teachers: a page of notes to name in the clef and level above, and the answers on a second page.

How to practise with it

  1. Pick the clef you read: treble for most instruments and voices; bass for cello, bassoon, trombone and the piano's left hand; alto for viola; tenor for the high notes of cello, bassoon and trombone. Start at level 1.
  2. Name each note before you answer, out loud or in your head. Get it right first: speed comes with it.
  3. Learn a few landmarks, such as middle C and the notes on the top and bottom lines, and read the others as steps up or down from them.
  4. Move up a level when you get 18 of 20 right. Notes you miss come back more often until you know them.
  5. A few minutes every day help more than one long session a week.

Questions

Is it free?

Yes. No account, no login, no ads.

Which clefs and levels are there?

Treble, bass, alto and tenor clef, with eight levels each: five notes around middle C, the staff, up to one, two and three ledger lines, then sharps and flats, key signatures up to three sharps or flats, and all key signatures with accidentals. In the levels with key signatures the key changes with every note, so read the key signature first.

Piano keys or note names: what is the difference?

The piano keys show one octave and take the right key in any octave. A key can have more than one name: the black key between F and G is F♯ and G♭, and E♯ is the F key. With the note names you name the note as it is written, so F♯ and G♭ are different answers.

Can I answer on a MIDI keyboard?

Yes, in browsers with Web MIDI, such as Chrome and Edge on a computer: connect the keyboard, press Use a MIDI keyboard and allow it. Then choose whether any octave counts or only the exact one. Safari has no Web MIDI, so the button doesn't show there. The trainer only reads which keys you press; it never listens through a microphone.

Can I hear the notes?

Yes. Tick Play the note after each answer, and each note sounds on the piano once you have answered. The piano sound, about 2 MB, loads the first time a note plays.

Where are my results kept?

In this browser: your settings and your best round for each clef and level are kept in its local storage, with no account. Forget my results, under the trainer, deletes them.

Is there something to print for my students?

Yes. Worksheet as PDF and Print worksheet make a page of notes to name in the clef and level you chose, on US Letter or A4 paper depending on your browser, with the answers on a second page. Every worksheet has new notes. To send students straight to a level, copy the address: it keeps the clef and the level.

Who makes it?

PhonicScore in Vienna, the team that maintains OpenSheetMusicDisplay. Every note on this page is drawn with OSMD.