FIELD GUIDE 03 / GEM NOTES
Six gems.
Take your time.
Gem Notes is a free piano note-reading game in your browser. Match six colourful notes to the correct piano keys, practising both treble and bass clefs at your own pace.
Play Gem Notes
- Runs in
- Your web browser
- Access
- Free · no account
- Practice
- Treble & bass clefs
Play your first six notes
- Find the highlighted gem. Work from left to right. Each set contains three treble-clef and three bass-clef notes, shuffled together.
- Read its pitch and octave. Find the matching white key on the on-screen piano. A C in one octave is a different answer from C in another.
- Tap or click the key. You can also drag the highlighted gem onto its key. With a computer keyboard, use Tab to focus a piano key and Enter or Space to play it.
- Keep going at your own pace. A correct answer moves you to the next gem. A wrong answer lets you try the same note again. Complete all six and a fresh set appears.
There is no timer to beat.
Listen, look, and let the notes become familiar.
Make the practice yours
Start with the key labels
Show the piano labels while you find your bearings, then hide them when you want more of a challenge. The public game chooses fresh random white-note exercises from C3 to C5, with a wider on-screen keyboard around them.
Pause, listen, begin again
Use Pause whenever you like, switch the game sound on or off, or choose Start fresh for a new session. The How to play panel is there whenever you want a reminder.
Practise reading, not racing
Gem Notes checks pitch and octave. It is an untimed note-reading exercise, rather than a rhythm test or a complete piano course. The public version uses random notes; you do not need a score or a song to get started.
Use a MIDI keyboard
A physical MIDI keyboard can play the answers too, in a browser that supports Web MIDI. Desktop Chrome is a useful option.
- Connect your MIDI keyboard to the computer.
- Choose Connect keyboard in Gem Notes and allow the browser's MIDI permission when prompted.
- Select the input if more than one is available, then play the highlighted note in the correct octave.
- Release the key before playing the next answer. If your instrument makes its own sound, you can mute the game sound.
This connection reads MIDI note messages. It does not listen through a microphone. If your browser or device does not offer MIDI access, the on-screen piano still works.
A few useful answers
Do I need a real piano?
No. You can play with touch, a mouse or a computer keyboard using the piano on the page. A MIDI keyboard is optional.
Does Gem Notes save my progress?
There is no account or saved progress history. Scores belong to the current practice session.
What happens to my MIDI playing?
The game processes MIDI input locally in your browser. It does not store or upload those note messages, and the game has no analytics.
How much does it cost?
Gem Notes is free to play. You can support the Sorbus workbench if you would like to.