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Read notes in the bass clef

Low C, the five notes up to G, the bass octave, the way up to middle C, leaps, sharps and flats, all the way to the key signature. Your left hand learns to read like your right.

See the exercises How you learn

With the subscription. Free: keyboard discovery and the start of the treble clef.

The start screen of a bass clef exercise: “The left-hand C”, its learning goal and Guided mode
“The left-hand C”, before you start.

What you'll learn

The bass clef, for the left hand.

The bass clef sits on the fourth line of the staff: its two dots frame that line, and the note on it is an F. It's the clef of the low notes, the ones your left hand plays.

Okyla starts from low C, climbs the five notes up to G, plays the bass octave, then heads back up to middle C, where the two clefs meet. After that come leaps, sharps, flats and the key signature in the bass clef.

If you've already learned the treble clef, the path will feel familiar: the same stages, with different landmarks.

The exercises

Chapter by chapter.

In the order the app offers them.

  1. Bass clef tutorials

    Subscription

    Interactive tutorials

  2. Around the low C

    Subscription
    This chapter's exercises
    • The left-hand C
    • A step in the bass
    • F and G
    • The bass answers
    • The little bass phrase

  3. The low pentachord

    Subscription
    This chapter's exercises
    • The bass stairway
    • The descent to C
    • The same bass again
    • Three steps in the bass
    • The left-hand echo

  4. The bass octave

    Subscription
    This chapter's exercises
    • Three beacons in the bass
    • From C to C in the bass
    • The star in the bass
    • Low three-note windows
    • The hidden phrase

  5. Toward middle C

    Subscription
    This chapter's exercises
    • Climb back to the middle
    • The bass travels
    • Every other phrase
    • The recognized melody
    • Down to the second octave
    • Low waves

  6. Leaps in the bass

    Subscription
    This chapter's exercises
    • Thirds in the bass
    • Fifths in the bass
    • Leap or step?

  7. First accidentals in the bass

    Subscription
    This chapter's exercises
    • The black neighbour: F sharp
    • Two black neighbours
    • The transformed motif

  8. Sharps, flats, naturals

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    Read the three signs in bass clef

    This chapter's exercises
    • The sharp goes up
    • The flat goes down
    • The natural
    • Until the bar line

  9. The key signature

    Subscription

    Read a key signature on the bass staff

    This chapter's exercises
    • One sharp in the key
    • One flat in the key
    • Two sharps
    • Two flats
    • Three sharps
    • Three flats
    • Which key signature?
    • The key and the accidental

Each exercise comes in several sequences: “Redo” the same one, or “New sequence” to play another.

What to play on

Play with what you have.

In Guided mode, the piano waits for you if you slip; in Performance, you play in tempo.

The on-screen keyboard

Played with your finger: the tablet is enough, even on the go.

An acoustic piano

Put the tablet on the music stand: Okyla listens through the microphone, and the sound never leaves the device.

A digital keyboard

Plugged in over USB, every note is read the moment you play it.

Questions

How do you read notes in the bass clef?

Find F: it's the note on the fourth line, between the clef's two dots. On the lines, from bottom to top: G, B, D, F, A. In the spaces: A, C, E, G. Middle C sits just above the staff, on a small added line.

Do I need a piano?

No. The bass clef reading exercises can also be played with your finger, on the on-screen keyboard. With a piano, Okyla listens through the microphone; with a digital keyboard plugged in over USB, every note is read the moment you play it.

Treble clef or bass clef first?

In the path, both come right after keyboard discovery. Most pianists start with the treble clef, the right hand; the order is up to you.

Is it free?

The bass clef needs the subscription. Keyboard discovery and the start of the treble clef are free.

The path

All the domains.

Get your left hand reading.

Free to start, no account.

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