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Learn to Read Piano Music

Part 1

With this beginner piano lesson you will quickly learn to read piano music. If you have followed the first four video lessons for beginners, you have learned some of the basics of piano playing by ear.

You have learned direction (up and down), finger numbers, hand position and some piano theory like note names and intervals. Now the time has come to actually learn to read piano music!

"Up" and "Down" on the Piano:

First you need to know that the piano keyboard has two "parts".

The treble part of the piano are all the piano keys from the middle to the right (up). These notes have a high pitch. This part of the piano is often played with the right hand.

The bass is from the middle of the piano to the left (down). This part is usually played with your left hand.

Keyboard with middle c

The Grand Staff:

When you learn to read piano music, you read two staffs, called a grand staff, at the same time! One staff is for the low or bass notes, and the other for the high or treble notes.

You will start playing the right hand while reading the treble, or G clef staff and with the left hand you will follow the bass, or the F clef staff.

Grand staff

Hand Position:

Remember to check your hand posture each time before you begin to play. It is also a good habit to do so when you finish. Don’t worry so much yet if your hands “collapses” while you play, but fix the posture properly as you start and end at first. If you need a reminder of how to keep a good hand posture, click here.

The hand position you will learn here is called “middle C position”. It is not the greatest to play in since your hands are kind of "squashed" together, but when you first begin to learn to read piano music it is a very quick way to understand the notes.

In part 2 we will “spread out” the hands for a more comfortable hand position.

Right Hand Notes on the Treble Staff:

Starting on “middle C”, the C located in the middle of the piano, play with your right hands' first finger (thumb) the note C, finger 2 the note D, and finger 3 the note E. Practice these three notes and play them up and down, anyway you like, singing along the note names:

Keyboard and staff c-e

Here is a little melody with these three notes. Notes are read from left to right, as you read a book. All the notes are quarter notes and last for one beat each. The melody moves only by steps yet. Oh, and yes! Sing along the note names as you play!

Reading treble staff c-e

Left Hand Notes on the Bass Staff:

This time let’s practice the left hand position. Starting from the same middle C again with the first finger (thumb), the second finger playing B and the third finger playing A. Practice these three notes in the same way as above, up and down, here and there, singing (or saying) the note names.

Keyboard and staff c-a

Here is a little tune with only the left hand. Keep singing the note names!

Reading bass staff c-a

Both Hands Together on the Grand Staff:

Now, both hands together. Both thumbs ( finger 1) are placed on the same note, middle C, the other fingers 2 and 3 in each hand is placed on their keys. Remember to keep a cupped hand position, and that all fingertips should be on a key even if they are not used.

Here is the "middle c" position with both hands:

Keyboard and staff a-e

And here is an exercise to practice note reading with both hands. Observe how the notes move in steps and repeats, up and down. Sing along the note names, and notice how the notes moving up get a higher pitch (means how high or low the tone is), and the notes moving down get a lower pitch:

Reading grand staff a-e

-Ready for more?

OK. Let’s add fingers number 4 in both hands.

Keyboard and staff g-f

In this example you will also use half notes. They last for two beats. So, you will count “1” for each quarter note, and hold each half note for 2 beats, while you count 1-2. Play slow and steady.

Reading grand staff g-f

-Easy?

-Thought so. Let’s add one more finger, number 5 (pinkie) in both hands. Observe that each finger 5 is now playing each of the notes that the clefs are also showing us. The treble, or G-clef tells us where G is.

Keyboard and staff f-g

Right now you play that particular G in your right hand. With your left hand you play the bass clef, F-clef, which tells us where F is. And now you play that particular F with your left.

You already know that the piano has many G's and F's, but here are the special notes that can also be called "landmarks", since by knowing where on the keyboard they are, we can find all the other notes in relation to them. You will learn more "landmark notes" in part two.

Here is an exercise with all five fingers in both hands. This example also uses the whole note. The whole note lasts for four beats, count: “1-2-3-4” while you hold that note. Keep a steady beat. And...sing along the note names;)

Reading grand staff f-g

Up to now you have played notes moving in steps, and repeats. This exercise has skips as well. A skip is an interval of a third, skipping one note in between the notes up or down. Watch out for where the skips are! Remember to sing along the note names as you play, this helps you learn to read piano music faster.

Reading grand staff skips

Continue learn to read with part 2: Reading Music Notes

Return from Learn to Read Piano Music to How to Read Music

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