B B B - Interactive Piano Chord · PDF filebar. THE SECRETS OF SIGHT READING PIANO MUSIC B IN...

Chapter

1 T H E S E C R E T S O F S I G H T R E A D I N G P I A N O M U S I C

The Lines of the Treble Clef Two different worlds of black and white.

he treble clef is the best place to get started with music reading, because it’s the most commonly used clef. The treble clef is five thin black lines with an elaborate, swirly and somewhat hard-to-recognize capital letter G. Other “ledger lines” will be added above and below to add additional notes, but most

music will stay within the five lines of the treble clef.

T Here is a treble clef with the note B added. The note B sits on the middle line of the treble clef.

We’ll start with the note B, because it sits in the middle of the staff.

On the piano, the note B is just to the right of the three black keys:

B

In fact, everywhere on the piano where you see the thrright is the note B (only in different octaves).

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T H E S E C R E T S O F S I G H T R E A D I N G P I A N O M U S I C

B I N D I F F E R E N T O C T A V E S :

B

The B in the middle of the treble clef is slightly to the rkeyboard.

Now let’s learn another note, E. E is the bottom line o

E the note on the keyboard just to the right of the two

Here’s an example of some music just playing E and B

Try it out! Get two fingers ready hovering above thesethrough this example. You should be right in the midd

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B

ight of the middle of the

f the treble clef:

black keys.

.

two keys and then try to plale of the piano.

B

y

B

E

E


OK, let’s learn another note, the note G.

The note G is the second line on the staff. It’s between B (the middle line) and E (the bottom line)

On the piano, the note G is the note just to the right of the first of the three black keys.

So now we’ve got three notes:

Here’s an example of some music that just uses these it.

Below you see three measures of music. In the thplayed at the same time. They make up a chord. A are played at the same time.

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three notes. Try playing through

ird measure, all three notes are chord is when a group of notes


OK, now let’s add a fourth note, the note D. The note D sits on the line just above the middle of the staff. Or you could say it sits on the second line from the top.

On the piano, the note D is the note just to the right of the first of the two black keys.

D

This D the highest note we’ve learned so far. It will be the farthest right on the keyboard.

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B
E Gylo D
When two notes are tied together, you only play the first one.


There two very common chords that are made from the notes we’ve learned so far. The first is the chord E minor. It has the notes, E, G and B in it:

Em

The next chord is the chord G. The G chord uses the

G

You’ll notice that the G chord takes up the three mid

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B

notes G, B and D.
B
E
G--ah
G

dle lines

D

of the staff.


Now just to be complete, let’s learn the last line on the staff. It’s the note F. It’s it ironic that the note F comes up on top? You’d think you’d get an F on bottom!

On the piano, the note F is just to the left of the three black keys.

So now we have all five lines of the staff:

There’s a mnemonic trick that’s often taught to learn thdoes fine”.

Just remember, the middle line is B (boy).

The top line is F (fine).

The bottom line is E (every).

The second-to-bottom line is G (good).

And the second-to-top line is D (does).

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B
E Gylo
ese not

D

es: “Eve

F

F

ry good boy


Drill for the lines of the staff Practice reading. I’ve given you two very helpful training wheels: The notes are written in for you, and I’ve put a diagram of the notes on the piano on the same page!

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B
E G D F


OK, now do the drill without the notes written in:

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Chapter


The Spaces of the Treble Clef Let’s FACE the music . . .

hen you read, you will want to use a mix of knowledge and “figuring out”. For example, can you figure out what the mystery note below is? Notice that the note just before it is an E – and it’s on a line. The mystery note is on the next line. So if you remember the order of the lines we’ve learned,

you’ll know what note that is.

W

It’s the note G. The same principle will come in handy with learning the spaces of the treble clef.

For example if you know that the first line is E and the next line is G, what note will sit in the space in between?

To figure this out, just use the alphabet. A B C D E F G.

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So the first space on the treble clef is the note F.

What note would come on the space between D and F?

Again, use the Alphabet. A B C D E F.

So the mystery note here is the note E.

OK, how about between the notes B and D?

Again, use the Alphabet. A B C D.

So the mystery note here is the note C.

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Using context like this is a little tricky if you want to find the note between G and B.

This is because the musical alphabet only goes to G, and then it repeats:

A B C D E F G | A B C D E F G | A B C D E F G | A B C D E F G |etc.

So the note between G and B is A!

So here are the lines of the staff:

C A

E F

They spell out the word “face”.

Now let’s learn these notes on the piano. Remember, this is the note B?

B

If you go to the two white keys on either side, you’ll ge

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t the notes A and C respectively.


B Here’s a little exercise to practice these three notes:

Now try without the notes written in:

Now let’s add the note E for the next little exercise:

Now try this example without the notes written in:

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B

A

A

C

C
E


So, A and C fill the two middle spaces of the staff:

We can now play the first five notes in the key of G. The Key of G is written by putting on sharp on the top line right after the squiggly, cursive G.

This one sharp on the top line (F) means that we’re in the key of G.

D BG

OK, now try reading this passage. You can cheat by loabove.

Now let’s practice the top space on the staff. It’s the n

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E is the sixth scale degree in the key of G. You need it in order to play “Twinkle, twinkle, little star”. Here are the first four measures. I’ve written in the spaces, but you should know the lines by now!

The first two measures will use these three notes.

E D G

Now let’s practice the bottom space of the staff. It’s the note F:

If you play “Twinkle, Twinkle” in the key of F. you’ll use these three notes for the first two measures:

C

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ah

D
F


In the third measure, you have to use a flatted note. When a note is flatted, it goes to the black key just to the left on the piano from the original note.

So the note “B flat” is the right-most of the three black keys:

Here are the first five notes in the key of F:

Here they are on the staff:

You’ll notice that B and Bb flat look exactly the sameapart is by the key signature. That’s the little symbo

Key Signature:

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o eversion without

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B
B
A se t

. Thl just

C
Ghog
Fubt

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b

e only way to know them after the clef:


In the key of F, there is one flat symbol placed on the middle line (B). This means that instead of B, every time a note sits on the middle line in a piece of music, it will play the key Bb instead of B.

The middle line in the key of G

B

The middle line in the key of F

In the Key of G, this middle line will be B, in the key o

Key of G Key o

Here’s “Twinkle, Twinkle” again in the key of F. Ninstead of B:

Now here it is again in the key of G. Notice how the m

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B

f

o

f

b

F it will be Bb.

F

tice how the middle line is Bb

iddle line is now B:


OK, now let’s just practice the spaces:

Now let’s practice mixing the spaces and the lines:

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Chapter


The Black Keys Double agents that hold the key to other keys

xcept for B flat, we’ve not discussed the black keys. Now let’s focus on them and get to know them. Black keys each have two names, depending on the key you’re in, or how they’re being used.

The name of the black key can either be a sharp name, or a flat name.

E The sharp symbol looks like the pound sign on your phone, except it’s cursive and it’s skewed slightly. Here’s the note F sharp:

Here’s the note F sharp on the keyboard:

But this note could also be spelled G flat:

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F
# G b


On the staff, it looks like the note G, but with the flat symbol before it.

Notes can either be flatted in the key signature, which we discussed briefly in Chapter 2, or they can be altered at any time using either an accidental. Accidentals are not, as they sound, accidents, but they bring the note outside of its original key. Usually this means replacing a white key with a black key that’s either just below or just above the original white key.

One of the rules that usually confusing people when they first start to read music is that an accidental is good throughout an entire measure. So it only needs to be written once to count:

F# or Gb

If you want to change a note back from benatural symbol, which looks like this:

Natural symbol cance

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F

ing a

ls a

#
G
ltered in a measure, you have to use the

ccidentals


Keeping the accidentals straight is one of the most difficult aspects of music reading.

Let’s first look at the group of three black keys.

These can alternately be named:

F sharp

G sharp

and

A sharp

or

G flat

A flat

and

B flat

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Use these three charts to read the music below:

B

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Now after you’ve practiced using the last page, do this exercise without referring to any of the helpers on the last page. Ideally, you want to get to the point where you can play this without looking at your fingers!

Often times, you can use context to help you find a note without knowing exactly what it is. For example, here’s one trick for the first four lines of the staff:

If the note just below these notes is a sharp, it will be the black key just to the left.

Just move to the black key to the left!

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Here are the names of these black keys from the previous example. The last three you should recognize because they are the first three spaces of the staff.

This trick of moving to the black key to the left doesn’t work for the top line, because the top line is the note F, and there is no black key to the left of the key F. In fact, you will probably never see these three notes together because of one interesting fact: they’re all the same note!

ALL THE SAME NOTE! E# is very rarely used – it’s the same note as F!

Here are notes that have a black key to the left:

Here are notes that don’t have a black key to the left, and must be watched out for!

These are the places on the piano where there no black keys. So the key just to the left of each of these keys is another white key.

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B C E B E F C F

Notice that among the spaces on the staffblack keys to the left, and the F and C do n

E

E

Sometimes you’ll see notes that are right ne

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For example:


Here are the same elements we’ve gone over only with flats:

The lines and their “just-to-left” black key neighbors:

G

G b

B

B b

E

E b

D

D b

The spaces with “just-to-left” black key neighbors:

E

A

D

And of course, the other two spaces, C and F, have white keys to

OK, now let’s look at the group of two black keys:

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b
bA D
b

E

t
heir left.


These can alternately be named:

C sharp

and

D sharp

or

D flat

and

E flat

Use these three charts to read th

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C D E

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Now after you’ve practiced using the last page, do this exercise without referring to any of the helpers on the last page. Ideally, you want to get to the point where you can play this without looking at your fingers!

Now let’s look at black key neighbors on the right side of white keys. Here are the five keys that have black keys on their right:

F

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G
A C D


My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean

#

#

#

b

b b

White keys:

A

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Ledger Lines Below The Staff In the last few pages, you’ve seen a few notes we haven’t discussed yet. These notes go down below the staff. First let’s talk about the note “middle C”. Middle C is on the first ledger line below the staff.

On the piano, this note will be close to the middle of the piano. It sits just to the left of the group of two white keys.

The next ledger line is the note A, which down an octave from the A we’ve already learned:

Go back to the previothe white keys and no

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A

us page tice thes

30 o

C

and play through “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” on e two notes.

f 104


Change Any Funky Diapers The next two ledger lines below the staff are less common. The 3rd ledger line is F and the fourth ledger line is D. To remember the ledger lines below the staff, you can remember the mnemonic “change any funky diapers”.

F

This gives us

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“Moonlight Sonata” Here are the first nine measures of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”. Beethoven uses these notes below the staff frequently:

F
#
G
#
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C
#
104

D

#

A
E
Bottom Line of Staff: E

To be continued . . .

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Now let’s focus on the note D. This note is Just above middle C, but below the first line of the staff, so it will sit

A) just below the staff

and

B) without a ledger line – it’s above the first note with a ledger line.

D

Here’s the same selection, but with

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Don’t Bring Giant Elephants The spaces below the staff are a little trickier than the lines because they just under a line (unless they are part of a chord that goes below them).

D sits just below the first bottom line of the staff, E

B sits just below the first ledger line below, C

G sits just below the second ledger line below the staff, A

E sits just below the third ledger line below the staff, F

Compare with the notes that sit on the ledger lines below the staff:

And to review:

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And to review the sharp black notes:

And to review the flat black notes:

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Chapter


Exercises to Improve Your Reading

emember where the lines of the staff fall on the piano? We’re going to start with these notes and then build around them to help familiarize ourselves with reading on the piano.

T H E L I N E S O F T H E S T A F F I N T H E T R E B L E C L E F

R

So, now practice reading this selection

Now let’s mix these notes with the sha

#

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rp black keys:

#

#

#

yellow bar.

B
Goy #
D

D
#
#

F

C
F G A D C


OK, now try the same selection without the notes written in below:

OK, now try this one. Every other note is a half-step above the note that precedes it.

Now let’s mix these two:

(below) (above)(below) (above)

Here’s another drill mixing these two. Try writing in the notes lightly in pencil, then play it on the piano. You can check your answers on the next page.

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Remember the spaces of the staff?

T H E S P A C E S O F T H E S T A F F I N T H E T R E B L E C L E F

E

This exercise mixes several of the elements we’ve been learning:

(lines)(spaces) (the 3 black keys)

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F
C A
(the 2 black keys)


(lines)(the 2 black keys)(the 2 black keys)

(middle C) (same as last measure, just up the octave!)

(remember, the sharp carries through until negated by the natural!)

Now let’s look at some of these elements in chords:

Try to read this selection. If you have trouble, I’ve written in the notes below.

OK, here’s a cheat sheet:

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Here’s another drill that uses whole-steps.

OK, now let’s take a look at the flat black keys.

b

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b b b b b B G D D A E E b


Here’s the same selection with the notes written in.

OK, here’s another drill that mixes in some of our “line” notes (E, G, B, D, F) with flat black key notes. (Cheat sheet on next page)

OK, here’s a cheat sheet for the last exercise.

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Now let’s compare the black keys written as sharps and flats. All of these notes are black keys, so don’t worry about reading the individual notes. Just recognize the group of three and the group of two black keys and use your intuition!

Remember, accidentals carry through the whole measure!

OK, I’ve expanded the last drill by adding the natural equivalents of the black keys.

Same notes, spelled differently

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Remember: If the notes are flat, such as the first measure, they will go up one key (to a white key) when made natural. If they’re sharp, such as measure 4, they’ll go down one key (to a white key) when made natural.

To double check your work, I’ve written the note names in on the next page:

UP

UP UP

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DOWNDOWNDOWN

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The Sharp Black Keys Again for this exercise, don’t try to read the individual notes. Just look at the shape, determine if it’s one of the groups of two black keys or three black keys, and then the rage. The first measure is the group of two black keys just above middle C. Practice this exercise every day for a week or two until you’ve memorized the shapes and their relationship to the staff.

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The Flat Black Keys Now repeat the exercise with the flat black keys. Again practice every day for a week or two.

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The White Keys Up a ½ step from the Flat Black Keys I don’t know how to give this exercise a shorter title! Once you start to recognize the shape of the three black keys and three white keys on the staff, you can find the white keys that relate to them.

To find these notes, find the group of two black keys and three black keys and go up a half-step. Eventually, you should be able to play this exercise without looking at your hand. The group of two black keys and the group of three black keys will be like a tactile guide – sort of like how blind people read Braille with their fingers. Great sight readers use the groups of three black keys and two black keys to find their way round the piano.

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The White Keys Down a ½ step from the Sharp Black Keys This is the same basic idea as the last exercise, except, you’ll be going down from the black keys instead of up.

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The most common group of three black keys is the one above middle C. Notice that it sits just below the middle of the staff. From this group of three black keys you will find two “white key chunks” that you will want to memorize. The first is the notes F, G and A. The second is the notes G, A and B.

Blind Pianist Drill A good drill is to turn the lights off in the room with your piano (or just close your eyes) and practice finding the notes F and B. Use the group of three black keys as a guide, as you see above. Then practice finding the notes C and E using the group of two black keys as a guide.

Then, you can practice finding the note D. D is really easy to find in the dark, because it’s right between the two black keys.

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Top note D# goes down ½

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Bottom note Db goes up ½ step


You can practice this drill with the lights on or off. Be very methodical about feeling the group of three black keys before playing the notes.

A) feel the three keys

B) Move up or down to the FGA group or the GAB group.

C) Play the notes

Now let’s find the notes C, D and E using the group of two black keys. I would recommend using the thumb and index finger of your right hand to find the two black keys, then slide down a half-step into position. Also, try to do the higher octaves without looking at your hand! Be sure when finding the higher notes to slowly feel the groups of two and three until you are in the right octave. Don’t get lazy and look at your hand. You want to develop a tactile map of the keyboard – and you won’t do that cheating! Don’t worry about the rhythm. Take your time.

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Now let’s use our newfound tactile map to find these notes without looking at our fingers:

A) (Without looking at your hand) find the group of two black keys just above middle C, then reach between them to play the note D.

B) Play the remaining notes in a lower position. Find the group of three black keys with your index finger middle finger and ring finger. Then slide up a half-step into position to find the note B.

C) Your index finger should be in position to play the note G

D) Reach down with your thumb to play the E. You might want to feel the note F# lightly with your thumb (without playing, of course) then move past the note F, to find the note E. If you are feeling the group of two black keys with your thumb, you’ve reached too far. You might lightly bump/stroke the note D#(Eb) with your thumb to know you’re in position to play E.

Now try this exercise without looking at your hand

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After you’ve mastered this exercise in the lower octave, it should be a breeze up the octave:

And now try it in the highest octave:

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Dancing Ducks OK, now practice reading this music!

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Now let’s practice the lines below the staff the same way:

E) (Without looking at your hand) find the group of two black keys just above middle C, now slide the finger that rests on the left-most of those two keys down a half-step to middle C.

F) Play the remaining notes in a lower position. Find the group of three black keys with your index finger middle finger and ring finger. Then slide down a half-step into position. Your ring finger should be in position to play the note A.

G) Your index finger should be in position to play the note F

H) Reach down with your thumb to play the D. Eventually, you’ll just know the distance in your hand. For now, you can lightly graze the two black keys with your thumb (without playing, of course) to find the note in between them, which is D.

Now try this exercise without looking at your hand.

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Cat Ate Fur! OK, now practice reading this music! Refer to the last page if you have any difficulty.

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Chapter


Recognizing Key Shapes ecognizing common musical elements on the page and on the piano will improve your reading immeasurably. First let’s learn some common keys. The easiest musical key to learn is the Key of C. It’s only white keys on the piano. R

The Key of C

A

There are two keys that are very similais the key of G. The Key of F has all tnote B is replaced with Bb.

The Key of F

The Key of G is similar in that only on

The key of G replaces the note F with

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an o in el w

E

r to the key of C. One is the key of F, the other he same notes as the key of C, except that the

A

b

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C

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The Key of G

#

A

When a key signature is written at thnotes from the key of C with notes fro

So these notes will mean different thin

In the key of F, the middle line will be

In the key of G, the first space will be

Key of C

Key of G

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Key of F


Some Common Chords in the Key of C

Some Common Chords in the Key of F

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Some Common Chords in the Key of G

OK, here are the last three exercises, but without the notes written in.

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The Key of Eb Another very common key is the key of E flat. It has three flat notes: Bb, Eb and Ab

Here are some common chords in E

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b b

b
C D
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F

rever-

Pleurcboto ersithno

yelba

G

isi- ahogioylor

A

ew on

se asek et on ut ingw .

B
E


Now try reading this exercise without the notes written in.

The Key of E The Key of E is less common than its flat cousin. It has four sharp notes: C#, F#, G# and D#.

##

#

A

#

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purchase book to get version wi

ann yellow bar.
E
Ftho
G
uin

B

tg

oy
D C


NOTE: B# is just C spelled differently

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Here’s the same exercise now without the notes written in. Notice how it looks nearly identical to the Eb version – only the key signature and the accidentals (such as B#) are different.

Comparing E with Eb: Practice playing the notes of these two keys and compare their shape on the keyboard.

Hint for fingering: Keep your thumb off the black keys as much as you can.

##

#

A

#

Suggested fingering: [Index, middle , th

b

Suggested fingering: [thumb, index, mi

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annoying yellow

E
umb; index middle thumb, middle]
b b
C D ddle; t
Fb

F
hum
G.

G
b
A

, ind

B

B

ar
D C
E

ex, middle, ring]


Pur Dicesti, O Bocca Bella Antonio Lotti (1667-1740)

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The Key of A The Key of A is similar to the key of E. The only difference is that the note D is natural in the key of A and sharp in the key of E.

##

A

#

The Key of Ab The Key of Ab is similar to the key onatural in the key of Eb and flat in the

b b

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E

f Eb. The only difference is that the note D is key of Ab.

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annoying yellow bar

b b
C
D

F

F

G

G

A.

B

B

C

E
D


Common chords in Ab:

Now practice reading without the notes written below the staff.

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Common chords in A:

Now practice reading without the notes written below the staff.

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The Key of D The Key of D is similar to the keys of A and G. It has two sharps, C# and F#.

#

#

A

Here are some common chords in D:

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E
D
PrVe

Ppu

btovewi

anny

F

evr-

lerco rstho

elba

G

iewsion- asehasok getionouyinlowr.

e

t g

B

C


Now try to read these chords in the key of D without the notes written below.

The Key of B Flat

The Key of B Flat is similar to the ke

Try reading these chords in Bb. Ans

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E
b

A

b

Please purchase

o k et

C
D
ys of

wers o

vw

an

Fbto

Eb a

n th

ersithno

yelba

Gog

nd

e n

ionouyinlowr.

F.

ex

t g

B

t

It has two flats, Eb and Bb.

page.


Here’s the same exercise as the last, only this time with the note names written in.

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Chapter


Recognizing Major Triad Shapes

ajor triads are one of the most common elements in music. A major triad is made up of the root, 3rd and 5th of a chord. If you would like a more complete discussion of this, check out my book How to Speed Read Piano Chord Symbols.

M Here’s the chord C in Root position:

G

You’ll often see the order of the noteinversion:

and second inversion:

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annoying yel w b .
E
s rearranged. For example here’s C in first first

C
E E
loar

G

G

C

C


This exercise is built from Root position and 1st inversion triads. I’ve written the chord symbols above so you can add a bass note if you like. Just play the chord Root down an octave or two. For example, if the chord is Bb, you would play the note Bb in the left hand while reading the notes written on the staff in the right.

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Here is the same exercise repeated, only this time the key signature is the key of E flat. Notice how certain chords fit into the key without accidentals and others require more accidentals than in the key of C.

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Here is the same exercise repeated, only this time the key signature is the key of E. E has four sharps (out of a possible seven notes). So slightly more than half of the notes will be sharp by default. Reading flat chords in a sharp key requires lots of flats and naturals!

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Chapter


The Bass Clef he bass clef handles the notes below middle C on downward and is played with the left hand. Once you know the treble clef, the bass clef is easier to learn. Notice that the notes in the first two measures below are on the same lines and spaces (but in different clefs)

T

One octave below Middle C

The notes on the bass clef are two octaves down and one third higher. So if the second space in the treble clef is A, go down two octaves to A, then up a third and you have the first note, C, that you see above.

If this is middle C

F G

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C

These A’s are two octaves apart

f 104

A
A
B
b


An even handier comparison is:

A note in the bass clef that is down two octaves from a note in the treble clef sits one line or space lower on staff in the bass clef.

Just above 1st 1st line 2nd line 2nd space

Two octaves apart 3rd spaceJust below 1st 2nd line 3rd line

One octave above middle C One octave below middle C

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Moving from Treble to Bass Here we have a five note pattern, where the last note or two are written in the bass clef. This should help you understand the relationship between the two clefs. Even though you could easily play this with one hand, put the bass clef notes in the left hand and the treble clef notes in the right.

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Moving from Treble to Bass – Part II I’ve added a few more notes to the left hand on this exercise.

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Moving from Treble to Bass – Part III

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Triads in the Left Hand Here is the triad exercise from chapter 6, only this time in the left hand and I’ve added chords in the right hand as accompaniment. This exercise will take some practice but should greatly improve your reading!

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Common Chords in C Here are some common chords (and some more elaborate variations) in the key of C. I’ve added a walking bass line in the bass clef.
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Common Chords in G Here’s the same exercise transposed to the key of G.
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Common Chords in D Here’s the same exercise transposed to the key of D.
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Common Chords in A Here’s the same exercise transposed to the key of A.
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Common Chords in F Here’s the same exercise transposed to the key of F.
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Common Chords in Bb Here’s the same exercise transposed to the key of Bb.
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Common Chords in Eb Here’s the same exercise transposed to the key of Eb.
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Common Chords in Ab Here’s the same exercise transposed to the key of Ab.
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.
Common Chords in E Here’s the same exercise transposed to the key of E
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