For teachers
Root Note is a piano trainer for between lessons. Your student practises note reading, chords, rhythm and ear training in short sessions, whenever it suits: on the phone on the go, or at home with the piano or keyboard.
How it supports your lessons
- It takes no lesson time. What you explain in the lesson, your student practises at home in short rounds of ten questions.
- Reading, hearing and playing the same topic. Recognising a chord on the staff, hearing it, and playing it on their own instrument.
- Honest about what works. Per exercise your student sees what is already mastered and what still needs attention. No points, no streaks you must not break.
What it costs your student
- Nothing. Every exercise at the three levels is free, also with a digital piano or MIDI keyboard.
- No account needed. Without an account everything stays on the student's own device; nothing about your student is stored.
- Works everywhere. In the browser on phone, tablet and computer, also offline once the app has been opened.
- Root Note Pro is there for those who want more (such as tailored repetition and all the theory). Your student does not need it to do your assignments.
The learning path
Every exercise has three levels, each with its own material. So you know what you can assign.
| Exercise | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Note reading | The notes around middle C, in the treble clef. No sharps or flats. | Treble and bass clef: every note on the staff plus middle C, with the first sharps and flats (F♯ and B♭). | Treble and bass clef across the whole keyboard, with all sharps and flats. |
| Chords | Major and minor on C, G and F, in root position. | Major, minor, diminished, augmented, sus2, sus4 and dominant seventh (C7), in 9 keys. In root position. | Every chord type in every key, including inversions. |
| Chords (by ear) | Major and minor. You hear the chord broken first, then together. | Major, minor, diminished, augmented, sus2, sus4 and Dom7. Together. | Also the seventh chords: Maj7, Min7, half-diminished (m7♭5) and diminished seventh. |
| Scales | Major on C, G and F, in the treble clef. | Major, natural and harmonic minor in 9 keys, in treble and bass clef. | Every scale in every key, in treble and bass clef. |
| Scales (play) | Major on C, G and F, with the right hand, one octave. | Major, natural and harmonic minor in 9 keys, with both hands, one octave. | Every scale in every key, with both hands over two octaves. |
| Intervals | Minor and major third, fourth, fifth and octave. | Seconds, thirds, fourth, fifth, sixths and octave. | Every interval, from minor second to octave. With your piano or keyboard the right octave counts too. |
| Intervals (by ear) | Major second, major third, fifth and octave. Ascending, always from C. | Seconds, thirds, fourth, fifth and octave. Ascending, from changing notes. | Every interval, ascending and descending. With your piano or keyboard the right octave counts too. |
| Rhythm | One bar in 4/4 with whole, half and quarter notes and rests, at 70 BPM. | One bar with eighths, dotted notes and triplets too, at 95 BPM. | Two bars with sixteenths too, at 120 BPM. |
| Chord progressions | Progressions with I, IV and V, in C, G and F. In the treble clef. | Progressions with I, IV, V, ii and vi, in 9 keys. On two staves. | Every progression: major, minor and with seventh chords, in every key. |
| Chord progressions (by ear) | Authentic and half cadence, in C, G and F. | Also the plagal cadence, in 9 keys. | Also the deceptive cadence, in major and minor, in every key. |
| Circle of fifths | Key signatures and relative minors of C, G and F. | Key signatures (how many and which), relative minor, dominant and subdominant, in 9 keys. | Every question type in every key. With your piano or keyboard you also play the relative minor and the dominant. |
Give an assignment
Choose an exercise, a mode and a level. You get a link to put in a message or the lesson folder. Your student taps it and starts right away; the student's own settings stay as they are.
Assigning your own selection of material is not possible yet; that comes with the overview for teachers.
Questions or wishes
We would love to hear what you miss in your lessons. Email contact@root-note.nl.