How to read letter notes
No music theory required. If you can read the alphabet, you can read these. Here’s the whole system.
Read left to right, stacks together
Each line of letters is played from left to right, like reading a sentence. When two or more letters sit in the same column (stacked vertically), you play them at the same time — that’s a chord.
Lowercase = white keys · UPPERCASE = sharps
Lowercase letters (a b c d e f g) are the natural notes — the white keys. Uppercase letters (A C D F G) are the sharps — the black keys, i.e. A♯ C♯ D♯ F♯ G♯.
The number is the octave — each has a colour
The number in front of each line tells you which octave to play in. Higher number = higher pitch. To make melodies easy to follow, every octave gets its own colour, on the page and on the keyboard below.
Dashes are time; hands are optional
The dashes - - - between letters are spacing in time — roughly 5–6 dashes ≈ one second at normal speed. Press play and slow the tempo down if you need to; your ear will do the rest.
Some sheets label lines RH / LH (right hand / left hand). If you only want the tune, play the right-hand melody lines — the left hand is usually just the bass.
The live sandbox
Edit the notation below — change letters, add dashes, stack a chord — then hit Rebuild and press play. This is exactly how every piece in the library works.
Frequently asked questions
What are piano letter notes?
Piano letter notes write each note as the letter of the key you press — c d e f g a b for the white keys — instead of dots on a five-line staff. If you can read the alphabet, you can read them, so you can start playing without first learning to read sheet music.
Do I need to read sheet music to use DoReDog?
No. Every piece is written in letter notes and plays in your browser. You can hear it, slow it down and follow the highlighted keys, so no staff-reading is required at any point.
What does the number in front of a line mean?
It is the octave — how high or low to play. A higher number means a higher pitch. Each octave also has its own colour, on the page and on the on-screen keyboard, so your eye can find the right register.
What do the capital letters mean?
A capital letter is a black key — a sharp. Lowercase letters (c d e f g a b) are the white keys; uppercase letters (C D F G A) are the sharps C♯ D♯ F♯ G♯ A♯. There is no black key between E–F or B–C, so those sharps do not exist.
What do the dashes mean?
The dashes between letters are time. Roughly 5–6 dashes is about one second at normal speed, so more space between notes means you wait longer. It is a rhythm you can see.
What do RH and LH mean?
RH is the right hand and LH is the left hand. If you only want the tune, play the right-hand lines — the left hand is usually the bass underneath.
Is playing from letter notes "real" piano?
Yes. The keys you press and the sound you make are identical to what a sheet-music reader plays. Letter notes are just a different way to write down the same music.
Are the pieces really free?
Yes. Every piece on DoReDog is in the public domain, so it is completely free and legal to play, and there is no sign-up or paywall.
Can I slow a piece down?
Yes. The player has a speed control you can drag as low as you like, plus an A–B loop to repeat a tricky bar and a hands-separate mode — the tools you need to actually learn a piece, not just hear it.
Which piece should a complete beginner start with?
Pick something you already know the sound of — a familiar tune is easier because your ear checks your hands. Good first pieces include Ode to Joy, Twinkle Twinkle and Gymnopédie No. 1. See our guide to the easiest classical pieces.
Can I download or print the notes?
Yes. Any piece can be downloaded as a MIDI file to open in other music apps, or printed as a clean letter-note sheet to play away from the screen.
Will using letter notes stop me learning sheet music later?
No — if anything it helps. You learn the keyboard and how pieces are built first, which makes standard notation easier to pick up afterwards, from a position of already being able to play.