Quarters and Eighths (Right Hand)

Mix long and short notes without letting the tempo drift.

Level:
2 of 6
Hands:
Right hand
Key:
C major
Notes:
10
Range:
C4 to G4
One run:
about 8 seconds at 80 bpm

The notes, in order

10 notes, one at a time.

  1. C4
  2. D4
  3. E4
  4. F4
  5. G4
  6. G4
  7. F4
  8. E4
  9. D4
  10. C4

How to practise it

  1. Count 1-2-3-4 out loud the whole way through
  2. Two eighth notes fit inside one quarter note
  3. The pulse stays the same even when the notes change

The scale behind it

This one is built on the C Major scale: C D E F G A B (no sharps or flats). Its right-hand fingering runs 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5, and the scale page has the full diagram if you want to hear the shape on its own first.

How to play it here

Play along on the keys with your mouse, your computer keyboard, a touch screen, or a MIDI keyboard you have plugged in. Every key can show its own name, and the metronome will hold the tempo while you work through the 10 notes.

What it trains

  • rhythm
  • counting

More rhythm

Subdivision and steady time, which is the skill people skip and then cannot hide.

All piano exercises