A graded sight-reading course
Read at Sight
for the piano
Volumes 1-7 · Technique
Learn to read piano music at sight.
A complete, graded course for adults: 1,600 short exercises and 270 pieces, explained step by step. Every score plays, with the notes lighting up as they sound.
Volume 1 and Before You Begin are free, no account needed. Then $3 a month or $24 a year.
Try it: Hot Cross Buns, from Volume 1, Unit 1. Press Play, or click a note to start there.
Every unit reads like a chapter of a good book.
Sight-reading improves when you read a lot of music that is just easy enough. Each unit adds one or two new things, explains them in plain words, then gives you dozens of short pieces of music to read once each.
- What is newOne or two ideas at a time, explained for adults: the treble clef, a new hand position, dotted rhythms.
- Reading tipsHow to look ahead, what to scan for before you start, what to do when you play a wrong note (keep going).
- Exercises in partsParts A, B, C and more: dozens of short exercises per unit, each a little harder, at a marked tempo. Play each one once, at sight.
- Pieces to keepReal music at the same level, from folk tunes to Bach, Beethoven and Joplin, each with a note on what to look for.
- A checkpointA plain test that tells you when you are ready for the next unit, so you never wonder whether to move on.
Volume 1Unit 1
The Right Hand Finds Its Home
New: treble clef, right-hand C position, whole, half and quarter notes, 4/4
Put your right thumb on middle C and let fingers 2, 3, 4 and 5 rest on the next four white keys: D, E, F and G. Your hand does not move for the whole unit, so every note you read is already under a finger.
The whole course, on one shelf.
From your first note to Level 10 repertoire, in order. Start at the beginning, or take a checkpoint and start further along.
- Before You BeginFree
- First StepsFree
- Moving HandsMembers
- Two VoicesMembers
- Patterns and KeysMembers
- Repertoire ReadingMembers
- Reading Like a ProfessionalMembers
- Repertoire, Levels 7-8Members
- Repertoire, Levels 9-10Members
- TechniqueMembers
Volumes 1-6: 54 units, about 1,600 exercises, with pieces in every unit. Hands separately, then together; new keys, rhythms and clefs one at a time.
Books 7A and 7B: 71 complete repertoire pieces, Levels 7-10, from Bach to Debussy and Joplin, each with a note for the reader.
Technique: scales, arpeggios, chords and cadences matched to each volume.
Every book also prints. Practise from paper at the piano, from a screen, or both.
How it compares.
Other apps give you endless exercises or a library of songs. Read at Sight is a course: it teaches you what to read, in what order, and why.
| Feature | Read at Sight | Sight Reading Factory | Piano Marvel | Song apps (Simply Piano, flowkey, Skoove) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price per year | $24 (or $3 a month) | about $45 | $129.99 | about $85-170 |
| A course that explains each step | Yes, written for adults | No teaching | App-style lessons | Teaches songs, not reading |
| Graded reading exercises | 1,600, plus a daily exercise | Unlimited, generated | Yes | No |
| Real repertoire | 270 pieces, 71 complete | No | 25,000+ songs | Songs |
| Books you can print | Every volume | No | No | No |
| Checks your playing (MIDI keyboard) | Coming: wait-for-note and scored play-along | Yes | Yes | Varies by app |
| Listens through the microphone | No | Yes | Yes | Varies by app |
| Instruments | Piano only: two staves, fingering, pedal | 60 instruments | Piano | Piano |
Prices and features checked on the makers' websites on 1 November 2026. Check them again before you choose.
One price for everything.
Start free with Volume 1. When you are ready for Volume 2, one plan opens the whole course.
Free
$0
No card. No account needed to start.
- Before You Begin and Volume 1
- The daily exercise
- 16 openly licensed repertoire pieces
- With a free account: progress and 3 practice exercises a day
Monthly
$3 / month
Cancel any time.
- Everything in Free
- Volumes 2-6, Books 7A and 7B, Technique
- Unlimited practice exercises
- Every book as a printable PDF
- Keyboard checking when it arrives
Yearly
$24 / year
$2 a month: a third less than monthly.
- Everything in Monthly
- One payment a year
- Refund for unused months if the course ever closes
Prices in US dollars; tax is added where it applies. 14-day refund, no questions asked. There is no lifetime plan: if the course ever closes, you get 30 days' notice and a refund for unused months.
Questions.
Do I need a MIDI keyboard?
No. Every exercise plays back with the notes lit up, and you play along on any piano. A digital piano connected by USB can also check your playing (coming in a later update), on Chrome, Edge or Firefox on a computer, and in our app on iPad.
Can I use an acoustic piano?
Yes, for reading, playback and the metronome. Checking your playing needs a keyboard with MIDI; we do not listen through the microphone, because wrong marks are worse than none.
What level do I need to start?
None. Before You Begin and Volume 1 start from the first note. If you already read a little, try the checkpoint at the end of a unit: if you pass it, move on.
Which devices does it work on?
Any modern browser on a computer, tablet or phone. The score scales to the screen; on a laptop or iPad on the music stand it is easy to read from the bench. Light and dark themes.
Can I print the books?
Yes. Volume 1 is a free PDF. Members can download every book and unit, ready to print.
Is it for children?
It was written for adults teaching themselves. A parent or teacher can use it with an older child, but the explanations speak to grown-ups.
How do I cancel?
From your account page, in two clicks. Refunds within 14 days, no questions asked. There is no lifetime plan: if the course ever closes you get 30 days' notice and a refund for unused months of a yearly plan.
What is free?
Before You Begin, all of Volume 1, the daily exercise and 16 openly licensed repertoire pieces. With a free account you also get progress tracking and 3 practice exercises a day.
Once a week, by email
A short piece to read at sight
One exercise at your level each week, with a tip on what to look for. Nothing else.
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