Sight Reading & Rhythm Every Day®, Book 3B: Early Intermediate Piano Book

This book respects the reality of how intermediate pianists actually develop: by layering new harmonic and rhythmic ideas onto skills already in their hands. The pacing never rushes, and the interweaving of old and new concepts means students encounter triplets, Sus4 chords, and authentic cadences not as isolated novelties but as natural extensions of what they already know.

Stepping into slightly deeper harmonic and rhythmic territory while remaining grounded in familiar patterns. The music opens doors, to keys like B flat major and B minor, to chord extensions, to rhythmic divisions that make melodies dance rather than march, without leaving earlier concepts behind.

Late elementary and early intermediate pianists ready to expand beyond five-finger patterns and basic triads. This book suits students in their second or third year of study who thrive when new vocabulary is introduced gradually and reinforced through repeated application.

• Work through the triplet counting exercises slowly before applying them to written rhythms. Say the count aloud while tapping the beat to anchor the division before the hands touch the keys.
• When introducing Sus4 chords, play the root position major chord first, then lift the third finger to the fourth, so students hear the tension and release built into the sonority.
• Use the crossover passages as a moment to check hand position; the second finger crossing over the thumb should feel like a natural extension, not a contortion.
• Practice authentic cadences in both keys by playing them repeatedly in block form before encountering them in context, so the ear builds immediate recognition.

Assign this as the core sight-reading and musicianship text for early intermediate students across your studio or program. Many teachers use it three to four times weekly in lessons or group classes, allowing students to work through two to three pages at a time, building sight-reading stamina and harmonic vocabulary in tandem.

• Counting and performing triplet rhythms accurately
• Identifying and playing Sus4 chords; understanding their function and sonority
• Recognizing and resolving authentic cadences (V to I)
• Reading and executing dotted quarter followed by eighth note rhythms with precision
• Executing smooth second-finger crossovers over the thumb while extending the five-finger pattern
• Understanding and identifying intervals (M2, m2, M3, m3, P4, P5)
• Sight-reading in B flat major and B minor
• Reviewing tonic and dominant chord function in new harmonic contexts