About and credits
A course written as books, engraved like books, and made to play.
The course
Read at Sight is a graded sight-reading course for adults learning the piano: Before You Begin, six volumes of short exercises and pieces, two books of repertoire and a Technique book. Each unit adds one or two new things, explains them in plain words, and gives you a lot of music that is just easy enough to read once. The course was finished as printed books first; this site lets you read and play it.
The exercises are generated to graded rules and checked; the pieces are original or public domain, and the repertoire comes from the Mutopia Project. Every score is engraved with LilyPond and plays back with its notes lit up. Open the course.
Credits
- Piano sound: the Salamander Grand Piano by Alexander Holm, under CC BY 3.0.
- Engraving: LilyPond, free software under the GPL. Its licence covers the program, not the scores it engraves.
- Repertoire: the Mutopia Project, whose volunteers typeset public-domain music and share it freely. Every piece we took from it is listed below.
- Type: Literata and Atkinson Hyperlegible Next, under the SIL Open Font License.
Free pieces, shared alike
16 pieces in Books 7A and 7B come from Mutopia engravings shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence. They are free for everyone on this site, and our versions of them are shared under the same licence as their sources. They also appear, marked, in the printed books.
Sources and licences
Volumes 4-6 use the notes of these Mutopia engravings, retyped and often simplified; Books 7A and 7B reproduce them complete. The music itself is in the public domain; a licence below is the engraving's.
| Book | Piece | Composer and work | Mutopia | Typeset by | Licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume 4, Unit 1 | La Candeur | Friedrich Burgmüller, Op. 100 No. 1 (opening) - simplified | no. 202 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 4, Unit 2 | Morning Prayer | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Op. 39 No. 1 (opening and close) - simplified | no. 2032 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 4, Unit 3 | Humming Song | Robert Schumann, Op. 68 No. 3 (first section) - left hand an octave lower | no. 651 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 4, Unit 3 | Sonata in C (opening) | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sonata K. 545, first movement - simplified | no. 998 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 4, Unit 4 | The Happy Farmer | Robert Schumann, Op. 68 No. 10 (first part) - simplified | no. 659 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 4, Unit 5 | The Entertainer | Scott Joplin (1902), first strain - simplified, note values doubled | no. 263 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 4, Unit 6 | Musette in D | From the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (1725), BWV Anh. 126 - first part | no. 79 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 4, Unit 6 | Soldiers' March | Robert Schumann, Op. 68 No. 2 (first part) - shortened | no. 650 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 4, Unit 7 | Minuet in C minor | From the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, BWV Anh. 121 - first part | no. 1613 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 4, Unit 8 | Minuet in G minor | Christian Petzold (attributed), BWV Anh. 115 - first part | no. 76 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 4, Unit 8 | Old French Song | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Op. 39 No. 16 (opening) - simplified | no. 2080 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 5, Unit 1 | Melody | Robert Schumann (1848), Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 1 - complete | no. 647 | Philippe Hezaine | CC BY-SA 2.5 |
| Volume 5, Unit 1 | Consolation | Friedrich Burgmuller (1851), 25 Easy Studies, Op. 100 No. 13 - the introduction, with a closing chord added | no. 224 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 2 | Aus meines Herzens Grunde | J. S. Bach, chorale, BWV 269 - first two lines | no. 378 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 2 | Chorale | Robert Schumann (1848), Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 4 - complete | no. 782 | Philippe Hezaine | CC BY-SA 2.5 |
| Volume 5, Unit 2 | O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden | J. S. Bach, chorale from the St Matthew Passion - complete | no. 107 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 2 | Ich dank dir, lieber Herre | J. S. Bach, chorale, BWV 347 - complete, without the repeat | no. 379 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 3 | First Loss | Robert Schumann (1848), Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 16 - first part | no. 676 | Philippe Hezaine | CC BY-SA 2.5 |
| Volume 5, Unit 3 | Poor Orphan | Robert Schumann (1848), Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 6 - first part | no. 687 | Philippe Hezaine | CC BY-SA 2.5 |
| Volume 5, Unit 4 | Für Elise | Ludwig van Beethoven (1810), Bagatelle in A minor, WoO 59 - the opening theme | no. 931 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 4 | Of Foreign Lands and Peoples | Robert Schumann (1838), Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15 No. 1 - first part | no. 354 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 4 | Ballade | Friedrich Burgmuller (1851), 25 Easy Studies, Op. 100 No. 15 - first part | no. 227 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 5 | Moment musical No. 3 | Franz Schubert (1823), Moments musicaux, D. 780 No. 3 - the opening, grace notes left out | no. 1023 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 5 | Impromptu in A-flat | Franz Schubert (1827), Impromptu, D. 935 No. 2 - the first eight bars, the last chord lengthened | no. 1195 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 5 | Moonlight Sonata | Ludwig van Beethoven (1801), Sonata Op. 27 No. 2, first movement - bars 1-9, simplified | no. 276 | – | CC BY-SA 2.5 |
| Volume 5, Unit 6 | Raindrop Prelude | Frederic Chopin (1839), Prelude in D-flat, Op. 28 No. 15 - bars 1-8, simplified | no. 471 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 6 | Impromptu in G-flat | Franz Schubert (1827), Impromptu, D. 899 No. 3 - the first sixteen bars, simplified | no. 1193 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 7 | Little Piece | Robert Schumann (1848), Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 5 - complete | no. 653 | Philippe Hezaine | CC BY-SA 2.5 |
| Volume 5, Unit 7 | Prelude in A | Frederic Chopin (1839), Prelude, Op. 28 No. 7 - complete, one grace note left out | no. 470 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 7 | Prelude in E minor | Frederic Chopin (1839), Prelude, Op. 28 No. 4 - first half, with a closing chord added | no. 468 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 7 | Gymnopedie No. 1 | Erik Satie (1888), Trois Gymnopedies No. 1 - first half | no. 37 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 8 | Invention No. 8 | J. S. Bach, Two-Part Invention in F, BWV 779 - the first twelve bars, with the last bar shortened | no. 61 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 8 | Polonaise in D minor | From the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, BWV Anh. 128 - complete | no. 1615 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 8 | Pastorale | Friedrich Burgmuller (1851), 25 Easy Studies, Op. 100 No. 3 - complete | no. 218 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 8 | Prelude in C | J. S. Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier I, Prelude in C, BWV 846 - bars 1-19 | no. 5 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 5, Unit 8 | Prelude in C minor | Frederic Chopin (1839), Prelude, Op. 28 No. 20 - complete | no. 472 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 1 | Sinfonia No. 1 | J. S. Bach, Sinfonia No. 1 in C, BWV 787 - bars 1-6, with a closing chord | no. 142 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 1 | Sinfonia No. 11 | J. S. Bach, Sinfonia No. 11 in G minor, BWV 797 - bars 1-16 | no. 200 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 1 | Fugue in C minor | J. S. Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier I, Fugue in C minor, BWV 847 - bars 1-8, with a closing chord | no. 1941 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 6, Unit 2 | Arabesque No. 1 | Claude Debussy (1888-91), Arabesque No. 1, L. 66 - bars 6-12, with a closing chord | no. 1777 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 2 | Nocturne in E-flat | Frederic Chopin (1830-32), Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 - the first phrase | no. 1590 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 6, Unit 2 | Solace | Scott Joplin (1909), Solace: A Mexican Serenade - the first strain | no. 482 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 3 | Promenade | Modest Mussorgsky (1874), Pictures at an Exhibition: Promenade - bars 1-6, with a closing chord | no. 475 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 3 | Gnossienne No. 1 | Erik Satie (1890), Gnossienne No. 1 - the first theme | no. 2035 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 6, Unit 4 | Prelude in C minor | Frederic Chopin (1839), Prelude Op. 28 No. 20 - bars 1-8, with the closing chord | no. 472 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 4 | Pathetique: Grave | Ludwig van Beethoven (1798), Sonata Op. 13, first movement - bars 1-4, the run simplified | no. 299 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 4 | Album Leaf | Edvard Grieg (1867), Lyric Pieces Op. 12 No. 7 - the first section | no. 2194 | – | Public domain music |
| Volume 6, Unit 5 | Wedding Day at Troldhaugen | Edvard Grieg (1896), Lyric Pieces Op. 65 No. 6 - bars 1-10 | no. 781 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 5 | March of the Trolls | Edvard Grieg (1891), Lyric Pieces Op. 54 No. 3 - bars 1-10, with a closing chord | no. 2014 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 5 | March of the Wooden Soldiers | Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1878), Children's Album Op. 39 No. 5 - the first strain | no. 1806 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 6 | Heidenroslein | Franz Schubert (1815), Heidenroslein D. 257 (words by Goethe) - the first verse | no. 1555 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 6 | An die Musik | Franz Schubert (1817), An die Musik D. 547 (words by Franz von Schober) - the first verse | no. 1001 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 6 | Ich liebe dich | Edvard Grieg (1864), Ich liebe dich Op. 5 No. 3 (German words by F. von Holstein) - the verse, from bar 3 | no. 586 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 7 | If ye love me | Thomas Tallis (1565), If ye love me - the first section | no. 412 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 7 | O nata lux | Thomas Tallis (1575), O nata lux de lumine - the first and last phrases | no. 949 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 7 | Emperor Quartet: the theme | Joseph Haydn (1797), String Quartet Op. 76 No. 3, second movement - the theme | no. 385 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 8 | Waltz: Bethena | Scott Joplin (1905), Bethena: A Concert Waltz - the first strain, with chord symbols | no. 463 | – | Public domain |
| Volume 6, Unit 8 | Clair de lune | Claude Debussy (1890-1905), Suite bergamasque: Clair de lune - bars 1-8, with a closing chord | no. 1778 | – | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Little Prelude in D minor, BWV 926 | J. S. Bach (1685-1750) | no. 69 | Allen Garvin | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Little Prelude in C, BWV 933 | J. S. Bach (1685-1750) | no. 1537 | Hajo Dezelski | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
| Book 7A | Invention No. 1 in C, BWV 772 | J. S. Bach (1685-1750) | no. 40 | jeff covey | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
| Book 7A | Invention No. 4 in D minor, BWV 775 | J. S. Bach (1685-1750) | no. 67 | Allen Garvin | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Invention No. 8 in F, BWV 779 | J. S. Bach (1685-1750) | no. 61 | Allen Garvin | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Invention No. 13 in A minor, BWV 784 | J. S. Bach (1685-1750) | no. 59 | Allen Garvin | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Sinfonia No. 2 in C minor, BWV 788 | J. S. Bach (1685-1750) | no. 140 | Olivier Vermersch | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Prelude in C, BWV 846 | J. S. Bach (1685-1750) | no. 5 | Tobias Erbsland | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Prelude in C minor, BWV 847 | J. S. Bach (1685-1750) | no. 550 | Davide Castellone | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Gavotte in G, BWV 816 | J. S. Bach (1685-1750) | no. 99 | Joel Mayes | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Aria from the Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 | J. S. Bach (1685-1750) | no. 979 | JD Erickson | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
| Book 7A | Air with Variations in F | G. F. Handel (1685-1759) | no. 165 | Bas Wassink | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Sonata in C minor, K. 11 | D. Scarlatti (1685-1757) | no. 141 | Bas Wassink | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Tambourin in E minor | J.-P. Rameau (1683-1764) | no. 487 | Ludovic Sardain | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Sonata in G, Hob. XVI:27: III. Presto | J. Haydn (1732-1809) | no. 187 | Bas Wassink | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Sonata in C, K. 545: I. Allegro | W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) | no. 998 | Alejandro Sierra | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
| Book 7A | Sonata in C, K. 545: II. Andante | W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) | no. 1007 | Alejandro Sierra | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
| Book 7A | Sonata in C, K. 545: III. Rondo | W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) | no. 1027 | Alejandro Sierra | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
| Book 7A | Fantasia in D minor, K. 397 | W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) | no. 2034 | Andrés Necochea | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Für Elise | L. van Beethoven (1770-1827) | no. 931 | Stelios Samelis | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Sonata in G, Op. 49 No. 2: I. Allegro ma non troppo | L. van Beethoven (1770-1827) | no. 776 | Stelios Samelis | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Sonata in G, Op. 49 No. 2: II. Tempo di menuetto | L. van Beethoven (1770-1827) | no. 777 | Stelios Samelis | Public domain |
| Book 7A | "Moonlight" Sonata, Op. 27 No. 2: I. Adagio sostenuto | L. van Beethoven (1770-1827) | no. 276 | Stewart Holmes | CC BY-SA 2.5 |
| Book 7A | "Pathétique" Sonata, Op. 13: II. Adagio cantabile | L. van Beethoven (1770-1827) | no. 295 | Chris Sawer | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Moment musical No. 3 in F minor, D. 780 | F. Schubert (1797-1828) | no. 1023 | Claude Chaudron | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Impromptu in A-flat, D. 935 No. 2 | F. Schubert (1797-1828) | no. 1195 | Ph. Raynaud | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Nocturne No. 5 in B-flat, H. 37 | J. Field (1782-1837) | no. 2137 | Alex Schreiber | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Book 7A | Venetian Gondola Song in G minor, Op. 19 No. 6 | F. Mendelssohn (1809-1847) | no. 1679 | Ryan Prince | CC BY 3.0 |
| Book 7A | Venetian Gondola Song in F-sharp minor, Op. 30 No. 6 | F. Mendelssohn (1809-1847) | no. 1741 | Ryan Prince | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Of Foreign Lands and Peoples, Op. 15 No. 1 | R. Schumann (1810-1856) | no. 354 | Ying-Chun Liu | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Träumerei (Dreaming), Op. 15 No. 7 | R. Schumann (1810-1856) | no. 504 | Ying-Chun Liu | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Prelude in E minor, Op. 28 No. 4 | F. Chopin (1810-1849) | no. 468 | Magnus Lewis-Smith | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Prelude in B minor, Op. 28 No. 6 | F. Chopin (1810-1849) | no. 469 | Magnus Lewis-Smith | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Prelude in A, Op. 28 No. 7 | F. Chopin (1810-1849) | no. 470 | Magnus Lewis-Smith | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Prelude in D-flat 'Raindrop', Op. 28 No. 15 | F. Chopin (1810-1849) | no. 471 | Magnus Lewis-Smith | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Waltz in B minor, Op. 69 No. 2 | F. Chopin (1810-1849) | no. 511 | Roland Goretzki | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 9 No. 2 | F. Chopin (1810-1849) | no. 1590 | Renato Biolcati Rinaldi | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
| Book 7A | Waltz in A-flat, Op. 39 No. 15 | J. Brahms (1833-1897) | no. 794 | Brian D. Rude | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Consolation No. 1 in E, S. 172 | F. Liszt (1811-1886) | no. 1654 | Ryan Prince | CC BY 3.0 |
| Book 7A | In the Hall of the Mountain King | E. Grieg (1843-1907) | no. 1888 | Coyau | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Gymnopédie No. 1 | E. Satie (1866-1925) | no. 37 | Evin Robertson | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Gymnopédie No. 3 | E. Satie (1866-1925) | no. 39 | Evin Robertson | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Gnossienne No. 1 | E. Satie (1866-1925) | no. 2035 | Knute Snortum | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Book 7A | The Entertainer | S. Joplin (1868-1917) | no. 263 | Chris Sawer | Public domain |
| Book 7A | Elite Syncopations | S. Joplin (1868-1917) | no. 1540 | Benjamin Bloomfield | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Fugue in C minor, BWV 847 | J. S. Bach (1685-1750) | no. 1941 | Urs Metzger | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Book 7B | Sonata in G, K. 455 | D. Scarlatti (1685-1757) | no. 2104 | Knute Snortum | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Book 7B | Sonata in A, K. 331: III. Rondo alla turca | W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) | no. 108 | Rune Zedeler and Chris Sawer | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Sonata in C minor, K. 457: I. Molto allegro | W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) | no. 356 | Will Oram | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Sonata in G, Op. 79: I. Presto alla tedesca | L. van Beethoven (1770-1827) | no. 955 | Stelios Samelis | Public domain |
| Book 7B | "Pathétique" Sonata, Op. 13: III. Rondo | L. van Beethoven (1770-1827) | no. 296 | Chris Sawer | Public domain |
| Book 7B | "Pathétique" Sonata, Op. 13: I. Grave - Allegro | L. van Beethoven (1770-1827) | no. 299 | Chris Sawer | Public domain |
| Book 7B | "Moonlight" Sonata, Op. 27 No. 2: III. Presto agitato | L. van Beethoven (1770-1827) | no. 276 | Stewart Holmes | CC BY-SA 2.5 |
| Book 7B | Impromptu in G-flat, D. 899 No. 3 | F. Schubert (1797-1828) | no. 1193 | Ph. Raynaud | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Impromptu in E-flat, D. 899 No. 2 | F. Schubert (1797-1828) | no. 1551 | Ph. Raynaud | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Impromptu in A-flat, D. 899 No. 4 | F. Schubert (1797-1828) | no. 1552 | Ph. Raynaud | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Folk Song in A minor, Op. 53 No. 5 | F. Mendelssohn (1809-1847) | no. 592 | Stelios Samelis | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Romance in F-sharp, Op. 28 No. 2 | R. Schumann (1810-1856) | no. 314 | [email protected] | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Nocturne in E minor, Op. 72 No. 1 | F. Chopin (1810-1849) | no. 509 | Benjamin D. Esham | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Book 7B | Waltz in D-flat 'Minute', Op. 64 No. 1 | F. Chopin (1810-1849) | no. 483 | Magnus Lewis-Smith | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66 | F. Chopin (1810-1849) | no. 1693 | Guy D. Lederfein | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Intermezzo in A, Op. 118 No. 2 | J. Brahms (1833-1897) | no. 535 | Aron Fay | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Consolation No. 3 in D-flat, S. 172 | F. Liszt (1811-1886) | no. 1647 | Ryan Prince | CC BY 3.0 |
| Book 7B | Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, Op. 65 No. 6 | E. Grieg (1843-1907) | no. 781 | David Whipple | Public domain |
| Book 7B | January: By the Hearth, Op. 37a No. 1 | P. I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) | no. 1171 | Till Rettig | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Prelude in C, Op. 11 No. 1 | A. Scriabin (1872-1915) | no. 1779 | Keith OHara | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3 No. 2 | S. Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) | no. 2033 | Petro Kostandy | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Book 7B | Maple Leaf Rag | S. Joplin (1868-1917) | no. 23 | Chris Sawer | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Arabesque No. 1 | C. Debussy (1862-1918) | no. 1777 | Keith OHara | Public domain |
| Book 7B | Arabesque No. 2 | C. Debussy (1862-1918) | no. 1994 | Knute Snortum | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Book 7B | Clair de lune | C. Debussy (1862-1918) | no. 1778 | Keith OHara | Public domain |
Questions, or a credit we got wrong? Write to [email protected]. See also the terms.