Sight Reading Practice

Sight Reading Practice › Music library

Music library

23 hymns, classical themes and folk songs that are free of copyright, written out for reading practice. Open any piece to see it on the staff, hear it, and practice it note by note.

Every melody here was composed long ago enough to be in the public domain, and words are only included when they are too. The arrangements are our own: single-line melodies in easy-to-read keys, with the famous opening of longer works where the whole piece would be too long to read in one go. Each page explains where the music comes from and what to watch for when you read it.

Level:

Hymns and carols

Melodies from congregational singing and the Christmas tradition, with the first verse under the notes where the words are also in the public domain. Good practice for singers, and for pianists learning to read a melody line by line.

Classical themes

Famous themes from Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and others, arranged as single-line melodies. Several are excerpts: the opening that everyone knows, at a length you can read in one sitting.

Folk songs and rounds

Traditional songs from England, Scotland, France and America. Short, singable and built from simple patterns, which makes them ideal first pieces for reading practice.