Reading music guides

Free guides to reading piano music, written in the order Octotune teaches it: the keyboard and middle C, the treble and bass clefs from three landmark notes, ledger lines, rhythm, keys, chords and sight-reading, plus guides for adult beginners (practice, keyboards, falling notes), three for parents and one for piano teachers and their students.

Each guide opens with the short answer, then explains, lists the common mistakes and gives a way to practice. Start at the top if you are new, or go straight to the question you have.

Start here

How to read piano music: the whole route, from the first note to sight-reading.
Landmark notes: read from middle C, treble G and bass F instead of counting from the bottom.

For adult beginners

Learning piano as an adult: is it too late, how long reading takes, and a teacher, a book or an app.
How to practice piano: how long, how often, and a plan for a short session.
Falling notes or sheet music?: what each teaches, and how to move to reading.
Choosing a keyboard: 61 or 88 keys, weighted or not, and USB MIDI.

The keyboard

Piano keyboard layout: find any note from the black keys.
Where is middle C?: on the keys and on both staves.
Finger numbers: 1 to 5 in each hand, and the five-finger position.
Connect a MIDI keyboard: Chrome, Edge and Firefox, and what to do on an iPad.

Reading notes

Treble clef notes: every line and space, E G B D F and F A C E.
Bass clef notes: G B D F A, A C E G, and the F landmark.
The grand staff: how the two staves meet at middle C.
Playing hands together: the order that makes two hands work.
Steps, skips and leaps: reading by distance.
Ledger lines: every note from C2 to C6, above and below both staves.
Note mnemonics, and when to drop them: Every Good Boy Deserves Fun and friends.

Rhythm

Note lengths: quarter, half, dotted half, whole and eighth notes.
Rests and 3/4 time: counting silence, and three beats in a measure.

Keys, chords and reading at sight

Key signatures: G and F major: F sharp and B flat.
Triads and I, IV, V: chords as one shape.
Sight-reading: look ahead, keep the beat, keep going.

For parents

Teaching your child piano at home: even if you don't play; what to teach by age, and a routine without battles.
Piano for toddlers: what a 2½-year-old can really learn, and how to practice at home.
Color-coded notes for children: why colors come before letters.

For teachers and their students

Teaching piano with Octotune: studios: start a studio, invite adult students, and see what each chooses to share.

Each guide links to the unit of Octotune's adult path or Kids path that teaches it.

In the order to read them

The Octotune team · Updated September 29, 2026