The piano sight reading exercises in this article are comparable in difficulty to those tested by AMEB examiners in grade 1. Playing these exercises will help you feel better prepared for your exam. Consistent practice is the key to improving one’s sight-reading skills. If possible, set aside some time every day for sight-reading practice. Begin by practicing simple examples and progress to more technical ones as you become more proficient. Before playing a sight-reading example, check its key signature. This will help you identify any sharps or flats found in the music. In addition, check the melody’s range and what fingers (if given) are recommended to use.
Exercise 1
Exercise 1 is in C major because there are no sharps or flats in the key signature. In addition, the melody finishes on note C. There are no accidentals in the melody. The first note on the right hand is to be played with finger 5. The range of the right hand melody is a fourth from note G down to note D. The melody changes to the left hand in bar 3. The recommended finger to use for the first note is finger 1. The range of the melody on bars 3 and 4 is from a note G to a lower note C. So that is the range of a fifth. Before beginning to play, count yourself in to ensure you maintain a steady rhythm.
Exercise 2
Exercise 2 is in G major as there is one sharp in the key signature (F sharp). However, there are no F sharp notes in the melody nor accidentals. On the right hand, start the melody with finger 1. On the left hand, start the melody with finger 3. The right-hand melody spans a fifth. It is from note G to note D. On the left hand the range is a fourth. It is from note D to note G at the top space on the staff.
Exercise 3
Exercise 3 is the first of the piano sight reading exercises in this article in 3/4 time. The previous exercises were in 4/4 time. The key is F major. There are no B flat notes in the melody. In addition, there are no accidentals. Start the melody with finger 1. On the left hand, start the melody with finger 3. Finally, let’s have a look at the melody’s range. In the right hand, it is a fifth. It is from note F to note C. On the left hand, the range is also a fifth. It is from note C to note G.
Exercise 4
Exercise 4 is in C major. There are no accidentals in the melody. Start the melody on both hands with finger 5. The range of the right hand melody is a fourth. It is from the note G to a lower note D (just below the staff). On the left hand, the range is a fifth. The lowest note is C and the highest is G (on the top space on the staff).
Exercise 5
The time signature for exercise 5 is 3/4. The key signature is A minor. This is because there are no sharps or flats in the key signature and the last note is an A. As in previous exercises, no accidentals appear in the melody. Start the melody on both hands with finger 1. The right hand moves within a fifth interval from note A to note E (the top space on the staff). On the left hand, the range is also a fifth. The lowest note is an A (the last note) and the highest is an E (beginning of bar 4).
Exercise 6
Exercise 6 is in 3/4 time. The key signature is C major and there are no accidentals in the melody. Both hands start with finger 1. The melody played by the right hand covers an interval of a fifth. The lowest note is a C (middle C) and the highest note is a G. On the left hand, the range is a fourth. The lowest note is a G (on the top space on the staff) and the highest is a middle C.
Exercise 7
Exercise 7 is in 3/4 time. The key signature is E minor. Each hand starts with finger 1. The right hand’s range is a fifth from note E to note B. On the left hand, the range is also a fifth. The highest note is B (above the top line on the staff). The lowest note is E (the last note).
Exercise 8
Exercise 8 is in G major. The time signature is 3/4. The melody on both hands starts with finger 5. The range of the melody on the left hand is a fifth from note D to note A (in bar 3). On the right hand, the range is also a fifth. The highest note is D and the lowest note is G (the last note).
Exercise 9
Exercise 9 is the first of the piano sight reading exercises in this article in 2/4 time. It is in F major. Start with the right hand using finger 1 and the left hand using finger 2. Ensure that all B notes are played as B flat notes because of the key signature. The right-hand melody extends to a fifth. The lowest note is F (the starting note) and the highest note is C (the starting note on bar 3). On the left hand, the range is also a fifth. The highest note is middle C and the lowest note is an F (the last note).
Exercise 10
Exercise 10 is in 2/4 time. It is in D minor as there is a B flat in the key signature. In addition, the last note is a D. The melody on the left hand begins with finger 5 and on the right hand begins with finger 3. Both the right and left hand melodies are limited to a fifth interval. On the left hand, the lowest note is a D (the starting note) and the highest is an A (the starting note in bar 3). On the right hand the highest note is an A (the first note in bar 6) and the lowest note is a D (the last note).
For more piano sight reading exercises, check out the AMEB Series 18 Piano Sight Reading book.