They count up from the bottom line for every note.
Book 1 teaches three landmark notes: Middle C, Treble G and Bass F. Every other note is read as a step or a skip from the nearest landmark, so children stop counting lines.
Book 1
Piano workbooks for ages 7–10
Short piano quests that make the week between lessons count
Piano Quest is a ten-book workbook series for young pianists. Each page teaches one small idea, practices it in a game, and brings older notes back so they stick. It takes 5–10 minutes a day at home, or works as ready-made homework between lessons.
The free sample is Book 1's first two levels, complete, with the answer key. A PDF, no sign-up.
Answer key in every book
10books, ages 7–10
1,000+printable pages
5–10 mina day is enough
Answer keyin every book
No appor audio files needed
What it solves
Built for the problems teachers see every week
Each answer below is printed in the books, page by page.
They forget last week's notes.
Older notes come back on every checkpoint, in the games and in mixed review pages, so recall is practiced on purpose, not left to chance.
Every bookA new note and a new rhythm arrive together.
One new thing at a time. In Books 3 and 4 the note range stays the same while rhythm is taught, so a child never has to decode a new note and a new rhythm at once.
Books 3 and 4Homework takes you time to prepare.
Each level is ready to hand out: a worked example, a few practice pages and a checkpoint with a score box. Assign one level, then check it at the next lesson.
Every bookParents want to help but don't read music.
An answer key at the back lets any adult check the written work. In the ear-training book, a printed card tells the adult exactly what to play or clap.
Every book · Book 8Printing for a whole studio adds up.
Every PDF comes with a teacher license: buy it once for $7.99 and print as many copies as your own students need.
PDF edition
For the child
Practice that feels like a game
- ⏱Five to ten minutes a dayShort sessions that stop while the child still feels successful.
- 🧩Games, not drillsMazes, bingo, treasure hunts, and Error Detective pages where the child checks printed answers for mistakes.
- ⭐A map, badges and a certificateA Quest Map shows the whole journey. Each level ends with a badge to color, and each book with a certificate.
- ♪A friendly guideQuaver, a cheerful eighth-note character, gives hints along the way.
- ✓No race against the clockAccuracy comes first. Every timed activity is optional.
How it works
Every level follows the same four steps
Children always know what to do next, and so does the adult helping them. These pages are from Book 1. Click any page to see it full size.
Meet one small idea
Each level opens with its new idea and a worked example, before any practice.
Practice it on the staff and the keys
Every note the child names on the staff is also found on the piano keyboard.
Play games that mix in older notes
Mazes, bingo and treasure hunts bring earlier notes back, so they are not forgotten.
Pass the checkpoint, earn the badge
A short checkpoint with a score box ends the level. Then the child colors the badge.
The routine on every page:
1Name it2Point to the key3Play it4Check it
One-minute tour
See inside before you buy
A page-by-page look at Book 1, the whole series and the new Christmas book:
- The landmark method for reading notes
- How every level is built
- Games, checkpoints and badges
- The answer key and the certificate
The video has no sound. Captions explain each page.
Get the free sampleFree sample
Try two complete levels with a student this week
Download, print and use them. There is no email to enter and nothing to sign up for.
Book 1: Note Reading Launchpad
- How to use the book, and the landmark method
- The Quest Map
- Levels 1 and 2, complete: 15 pages of practice
- A mini-mission page, the certificate and the answer key
Piano Quest Christmas: 25 Easy Carols
- How to read the music: fingers, keys and notes
- The list of 25 carols and the Christmas Quest Map
- Jingle Bells and Silent Night, each with its teacher duet
- Two Christmas puzzles, their answers and the certificate
You are welcome to pass the samples on to other teachers and parents, unchanged.
The series
Ten books, from first notes to a first composition
Books 1–5 build reading, rhythm and chords, in order. Books 6–10 each train one skill, and a child can start any of them once ready. Click a cover to look inside.
BOOK 1 · 108 PAGES
Note Reading Launchpad
Reading notes from three landmarks, on the staff and on the keyboard.
Start here if: New to reading notes.
BOOK 2 · 108 PAGES
Sharps, Flats & Pattern Power
The whole grand staff, F♯, C♯, B♭ and E♭, and fourths and fifths read by shape.
Start here if: Reads the notes near Middle C.
BOOK 3 · 108 PAGES
Rhythm & Key Decoder
Counting, rests, eighth notes, ties, and the keys of G and F major.
Start here if: Reads notes on the grand staff.
BOOK 4 · 104 PAGES
Hands Together Team-Up
Dotted rhythms, 6/8, pickup notes, D and B♭ major, and first pieces with both hands.
Start here if: Counts confidently and reads the grand staff.
BOOK 5 · 110 PAGES
Scales, Chords & Song Studio
Scales, major and minor chords, I–IV–V accompaniment and transposing.
Start here if: Plays a short piece with both hands.
BOOK 6 · 108 PAGES
Sight-Reading Explorer
125 short pieces read at first sight, with an 8-point Look-First Checklist.
Start here if: Reads both clefs and counts simple rhythms.
BOOK 7 · 96 PAGES
Music Theory Detective
Whole and half steps, intervals, major scales, key signatures and triads.
Start here if: Ages 7 and up, after Books 1–6 or similar.
BOOK 8 · 108 PAGES
Ear Training Lab
Pitch, rhythm, intervals, chords and melody memory. A printed card tells the adult what to play.
Start here if: Reads basic notation. No audio or app needed.
BOOK 9 · 108 PAGES
Technique Gym
Posture, relaxed finger patterns, legato and staccato, first scales and chords.
Start here if: Any beginner, beside any method.
BOOK 10 · 108 PAGES
Composer Quest
Improvising, writing rhythms and melodies, and composing a first complete piece.
Start here if: Plays simple pieces.
For piano teachers
Use it in your studio
Piano Quest isn't a method book. It is the practice that sits beside your method, whatever you teach from.
One way to use it each week
- At the lessonLook over last week's checkpoint with the answer key, and hear a few of the notes at the piano.
- AssignThe next level: its worked example, a few practice pages and the checkpoint.
- At home5–10 minutes a day is enough.
- If it wobblesRepeat a page or two from the level. Older notes come back later anyway.
Where should a student start?
| Your student is new to reading notes | Book 1 |
|---|---|
| Your student reads the notes near Middle C | Book 2 |
| Your student reads the grand staff and needs counting and rhythm | Book 3 |
| Your student counts confidently and reads the grand staff | Book 4 |
| Your student reads both staves, knows the G, F, D and B♭ key signatures, and plays a short piece hands together | Book 5 |
| Your student needs one skill: sight-reading, theory, ear training, technique or composing | Books 6–10 |
A teacher license comes with every PDF
Buy a PDF once and print as many copies as your own students, classes or children need. Each teacher needs their own copy, so please don't share the file or post it online. For a studio with several teachers, or a school, write to us.
$7.99a book
$29.99Books 1–5
$29.99Books 6–10
US Letter PDFs that also print on A4. The answer key is at the back of every book.
Buy the PDFsFamilies who prefer a printed book
Every book is also a paperback on Amazon (8.5 × 11 in), so parents can order their child's copy themselves.
See the paperbacks on AmazonQuestions?
Ask about a book or the license: email us.
New for Christmas 2026
Piano Quest Christmas: 25 easy carols, with a teacher duet for every one
The carols students want to play in December, in five levels that grow step by step. Every note shows its letter name inside the note head, finger numbers guide each hand, and a "start here" keyboard picture shows where each finger begins.
- 25 carols in five levels: hands take turns, left hand joins in, busy hands, moving hands, and a grand finale
- A teacher duet printed under every carol: the child plays the tune, an adult plays the accompaniment
- The words to sing along, and a note-length guide with the counts
- Six Christmas puzzles with answers, practice stars, and a Carol Champion certificate
For the December recital: the student plays the melody and you play the duet part underneath, so even a first-year pianist gives a full-sounding performance.
Free Christmas sample
Paperback on Amazon: link coming soon
The 25 carols: Jingle Bells, Carol of the Bells, Joy to the World, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Good King Wenceslas, Away in a Manger, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, Silent Night, We Three Kings, O Christmas Tree, The Holly and the Ivy, Deck the Halls, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, Angels We Have Heard on High, Go Tell It on the Mountain, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Come, All Ye Faithful, I Saw Three Ships, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Once in Royal David's City, Coventry Carol, In the Bleak Midwinter, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, What Child Is This? and Ding Dong Merrily on High.
Jingle Bells, from the free sample: the student part on top, the teacher duet on the smaller staves underneath.
Seasonal extras
Printable activities for the season
Clefira Piano Worksheets: short printable packs for fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, sold at the same shop with the same teacher license.
Where to buy
Two ways to get the books
Printable PDF
$7.99 a book
or $29.99 for Books 1–5 or Books 6–10
- Download as soon as payment clears
- Teacher license: print for all of your own students
- Answer key at the back of every book
- US Letter, and prints on A4
Paperback
Amazon
printed and shipped by Amazon
- 8.5 × 11 in, black and white
- A book the child keeps and fills in
- Easy for parents to order themselves
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is this a piano method?
No. Piano Quest is a workbook series that sits beside any method or lesson plan. Books 1–5 build reading, rhythm and chords in order. Books 6–10 each train one skill: sight-reading, theory, ear training, technique and composing.
Which book should we start with?
Book 1 for a child who is new to reading notes. Books 1 to 5 build on each other in order. Books 6 to 10 each train one skill after the core course. The table under For teachers shows where a student should start.
Can I print copies for my students?
Yes, from the PDF edition. You may print as many copies as your own students, your own classes or your own children need. Please do not share the file with other teachers, post it online or put it on a shared drive. Each teacher needs their own copy.
What do I get after paying for a PDF?
The whole workbook as one printable PDF, with its answer key at the back, ready to download from your library as soon as payment clears. A set gives you each of its five books as its own PDF. Nothing is shipped.
Do we need an app, audio files or a subscription?
No. Everything is on the page. Even the ear-training book (Book 8) prints a helper card for each exercise, so the adult reads it and plays or claps the clue.
Will the PDFs print on A4 paper?
Yes. The pages are US Letter size and print on Letter or A4.
What ages is it for?
Children aged 7–10 in their first years of piano. Book 7, the theory book, also suits older beginners.
Is the free sample really free?
Yes. There is no email to enter and nothing to sign up for. Print it, use it with your students, and pass it on unchanged if you like.
Start today
Start with two free levels
Download the Book 1 sample, try it with one student for a week, and see how they get on.