Learn to read notes one clef at a time, then keep them sharp. Every game has an endless practice mode, a 60-second sprint and a map of the notes you miss. Free, no signup.
Reading notes is half of it. Fifths trains your ear to hear them.Try the app →
Each staff game starts small (just the lines, or the notes around middle C) and builds up to the whole staff, ledger lines and accidentals. Get 13 of your last 15 right and the next level unlocks. The mixed-clef game on this page is for once you know two or more clefs.
Why practise clefs mixed?
When you drill one clef at a time, your brain can stop looking at the clef. Mixing them forces the check every time, which is exactly what real music asks of a pianist moving between staves or a cellist switching from bass to tenor clef. Mixing is harder in the moment and tends to stick better; see interleaved practice for why.
Landmark notes, clef by clef
Clef
Lines
Spaces
Middle C
Treble (G clef)
E G B D F
F A C E
1 ledger line below
Bass (F clef)
G B D F A
A C E G
1 ledger line above
Alto (C clef)
F A C E G
G B D F
Middle line
Tenor (C clef)
D F A C E
E G B D
Fourth line
Mnemonics get you started; landmarks make you fast. Learn where middle C and each clef's own reference line sit (G for treble, F for bass, C for alto and tenor), then read nearby notes by step or skip. The same sense of distance is what you hear in intervals.
Ledger lines and accidentals
Ledger lines are short lines added above or below the staff. They continue the line-space-line pattern, so count out from the nearest staff line. A sharp (♯) raises a note by a semitone and a flat (♭) lowers it; the letter still comes from the line or space. The games leave out E♯, B♯, F♭ and C♭, which are correct spellings but rare in beginner material. The circle of fifths shows which sharps and flats belong to each key.
Reading notes vs hearing them
Note reading tells you what a note is called. It doesn't tell you what it sounds like, which is why many good readers still can't play by ear or sing a line they haven't heard. That's ear training: hearing which note is higher, how far apart two notes are, and how each note relates to the key. Every game here plays the note when you answer to start linking the two; for the hearing side, try the interval ear trainer or read what is solfège.
Frequently asked questions
What is note identification?
Note identification means naming a written note from its position on the staff. It depends on the clef: the same line or space is a different note in treble, bass, alto and tenor clef. These games train it one clef at a time and then mixed.
Where is middle C on the staff?
One ledger line below the treble staff, one ledger line above the bass staff, the middle line of the alto clef and the fourth line of the tenor clef. On the grand staff it sits between the two staves.
What are ledger lines?
Short lines added above or below the five-line staff for notes outside it. They continue the line-space-line pattern of the staff, so you can read them by counting steps out from the nearest staff line.
Should I rely on mnemonics or landmark notes?
Use both, but aim to move past spelling out mnemonics. A few landmark notes, such as middle C and each clef's reference line, read by step or skip from there, are faster in real music than reciting a sentence for every note.
Which clef should I learn first?
The one your instrument reads. Treble clef for most high instruments and voices, bass clef for low instruments, both for piano, alto clef for viola. Add the others when your music needs them.
Are these note reading games free?
Yes. They are free, with no signup and no email gate, and they run in your browser on phone or desktop. Your progress is saved on your device only. On iPhone, sound starts after your first tap because iOS requires a tap before a page can play audio.
Reading notes is half of it. Fifths is an ear-training app that trains the other half: hearing which note is higher, how far apart two notes are, and how each note sits in the key, with practice that adapts to what you miss.
