Music Reading Trainer

The Staff and Clefs

Music is written on a five-line staff. A clef at the start tells you which notes each line and space represents.

• Treble clef — higher pitches (right hand piano, flute, violin). Lines bottom to top: E G B D F. Spaces: F A C E.
• Bass clef — lower pitches (left hand piano, bass guitar, cello). Lines: G B D F A. Spaces: A C E G.
• The two clefs meet at middle C — one ledger line below treble, one above bass.
• Selecting Both displays the grand staff (treble on top, bass below) — the view pianists read from.

Key Signatures & the Circle of Fifths

Keys are arranged in circle of fifths order: C (no accidentals) → G (1 sharp) → D (2 sharps) → A (3 sharps) → E (4 sharps), then the flat side: F (1 flat) → B♭ (2 flats) → and so on.

Each major key is paired with its relative minor directly below it — they share the same key signature. C major / A minor both have no sharps or flats. G major / E minor both have one sharp (F♯).

Note Reference

The Note Reference panel (below the controls) shows every natural note on the staff with its letter name labeled. Use it as a visual guide when you're just starting out. The notes shown in gold are on ledger lines (above or below the staff).

What Is an Interval?

An interval is the distance between two pitches — a number (2nd, 3rd, 4th…) plus a quality (major, minor, perfect). Each exercise shows three beats: root alone, second note alone, then both together as harmony.

Descending Perfect Intervals — Root Relative vs. Exact Distance

For descending perfect intervals (P4, P5, P8) only, two approaches exist:

• Root Relative: the same note going up or down from the root. C to G going up, and C to G going down. The interval inverts (P5 becomes P4) but the letter name stays the same. Recommended for sight-singing and beginners — keeps you in the key.
• Exact Distance: counts the same number of semitones in both directions. C to G going up (7 semitones), but C to F going down (also 7 semitones). Used in Circle of Fifths thinking and chord progressions.

All other intervals (2nds, 3rds, 6ths, 7ths, tritone) always use exact distance — this toggle only affects P4, P5, and octave.

Accessibility

All interactive controls are keyboard-navigable and screen-reader friendly. The staff is not announced audibly — it is the curriculum. Users who cannot read notation visually are directed to the companion Ear Trainer, which trains the same skills through audio alone.

Audio & Attribution

Piano samples: Salamander Grand Piano by Alexander Holm (CC-BY 3.0). Audio: Tone.js by Yotam Mann (MIT). Notation: VexFlow (MIT).

The Descending Perfect Intervals toggle (above) only affects P4, P5, and octave. Two approaches:

• Root Relative — the descending note is the same letter name as ascending. Perfect 5th from C lands on G going up and G going down. The interval inverts direction but stays within the key. Good for sight-singing and ear training.
• Exact Distance — count down the exact number of semitones. Perfect 5th from C = 7 semitones down = F. The same physical distance in both directions, regardless of key. Essential for Circle of Fifths and chord-progression thinking.

All other intervals (2nds, 3rds, 6ths, 7ths, tritone) always descend by exact semitone distance — the toggle has no effect on them.