It is easy to imagine the pattern in the last post in a descending form:

How to Read Music Notes Exercises (Part 3)

Writing out and then saying aloud these patterns, in addition to playing them in different keys can help breath new life into our scale practice.  As a final example, here is a variation on the thirds pattern in F major, starting on the second scale degree:

How to Read Music Notes in F

You may need to adjust these exercises to suit the register and range of your instrument.  I hope you find that working with these kind of exercises will increase your music reading abilities, as well as your understanding of your instrument and music theory in general. Now you’re off to good start learning how to read music notes, and we’ll have a new lesson in the next few days!

4. Now try descending thirds:

C A F D B G E C . . .

5. Could you figure out ascending and descending fifths?  Here’s how ascending fifths starts:

C G D . . .

Once you have mastered these basic patterns, its time to look at them on the staff.  The first two exercises are really just ascending and descending scales respectively.  What perhaps is a little different, however,  is that these scale-like patterns can start on any scale degree. – What this means is that the music notes in this scale can begin on any note -  For example below is the same music reading exercise in G major that presents a series of continuous scales that start on each pitch in the key:

How to Read Music Notes Exercises