Grade 1 is the first piano sight reading level in SightReadingMastery. Exercises in grade 1 are very approachable because the hands remain in a five-finger position and always play separately.
While grade 1 exercises are perfect for beginning piano sight readers, they may be challenging for pianists with no previous music reading experience. You're expected to already be familiar with the treble and bass clef, several time signatures, key signatures and other music reading fundamentals at this grade level.
Grade 1 Piano Sight Reading Exercise
Try this free piano sight reading piece to get a sense of what you can expect in grade 1.
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Tips for Grade 1 Piano Sight Reading
- Get situated where you can comfortably see the piece from your piano or keyboard (an iPad or other tablet is especially convenient for this, as you can set it right on your piano's music stand; print this page if needed)
- Take 30 seconds to look over the piece before you attempt to sight read it
- Once you've started, keep going no matter what – learning not to stop even when you make a mistake is one of the most important skills in piano sight reading
- When you're finished playing, press the "Listen" button to hear a correct performance of the exercise; take a moment to reflect on how you did