Photo Credit: Ryan Schmitz
Happy Thursday! I hope your day has been great so far. Today I begin a series to help you with specific difficulties your child may face while taking music lessons. Over the course of the next month or so, I’ll discuss everything from note reading to rhythm to playing with the metronome, etc. I hope you enjoy it!
Since I began running Winterhalter Music 7 years ago and even prior to that when I taught lessons while in high school and college, I’ve helped students who’ve faced many difficulties while learning to play the piano or another instrument. One of the biggest challenges for students, and often young students, is learning to read notes. To a young child, the music notes can look like little dots scattered on a page. For them and many students, it’s hard to decipher the difference between each one.
In my experience, note reading ability often correlates with reading ability. If reading words comes naturally to a student, reading notes usually does too. The reverse is also true. I’ve tried many strategies over the years to help my students overcome their note reading challenges and master the art of reading music. I’m including my first two top recommendations below:
1. Note Sentences
Every type of note on the staff whether on a line or space and in treble clef or bass clef has a corresponding note sentence. You can make up your own or use the ones I use:
F A C E (treble clef space notes)
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge (treble clef line notes)
All Cows Eat Grass (bass clef space notes)
Great Big Dogs Fight Animals (bass clef line notes)
When I first introduce the sentences, I’ll write them out in my student’s notebook. For awhile when they get stuck on a note, I’ll allow them to use their notebook to figure it out. After a bit I ask them to memorize the sentences. When a student has the sentences memorized and understands how to use them, they can figure out the letter name of any note on the staff. I can’t recommend this tool enough!
**Important Caveat- I don’t usually introduce these sentences when a student has learned only a few notes on the staff. Most students do ok reading just a few notes. Once they have learned more notes and I can tell they are getting overwhelmed, I introduce the sentences.
2. Flashcards
I love using flashcards to help students with note reading! They work amazingly well. My favorite set of music flashcards is this one. It includes all the notes, and they are written larger than on some other flashcards. I start by pulling out the notes that the student I’m working with knows. Next, I’ll lay the cards on the piano and review the notes in sequential order. After that I shuffle the cards and have the students try to tell me the note name for each card I hold up.
Most students don’t find it as difficult to read notes in the context of a song, but if they can read the notes shuffled in any order, I know they know them. Finally, it works very well to time (I use the stop watch on my cell phone) students while they go through their stack of cards. If you do this each week, students will feel motivated to get faster than they were the week before.
I have a lot more to share on this topic than I could fit in one blog post, so I’ll continue this discussion in two weeks. Now I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below and tell me if you’ve had success with either of these suggestions, or is there something else you recommend? Don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter and “like us” on Facebook. Have a joyous day!
Sincerely,
Cassie
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
I am a violin/viola teacher. The bass clef is not what I need. Treble and Alto clefs would be great. Most violin teachers also teach viola, so why hasn’t someone thought of expanding the string clientele to include the alto clef?
Hi Janet,
You raise a good point! I mostly teach piano, thus the treble and bass clef specific tips. I’d love to hear the note sentence you use for alto clef or if you have any other resources to recommend for note reading specifically for viola players. Unfortunately this is not my area of expertise, so it’s not something I would feel comfortable writing about in a blog post.
Hi Cassie,
In my 37 years of teaching I have found that some lefties hate flash cards because it takes time to “translate” the info in their head. If I use flash cards with them I give them extra time to think. And even then many of them as well as many of my “ear students” don’t retain the info. If you tell them a story about each note and THEN have them tell it back to you, they remember much better.
Hi Tanya,
I haven’t noticed that with lefties, but will keep an eye on that as I work with lefties in the future. I do notice that practically every student– lefty or righty has more trouble reading bass clef than reading treble clef. It is a struggle with the “ear students”, as they just want to memorize rather than read. All of my students know that “C” is my note since my name starts with C. If they forget a C, I’ll say something like, “Wow, I can’t believe you forgot my favorite note”! They always know it’s C. I should try using stories for the other notes too. Thanks for your comment!
Tanya, I love the idea of story-telling for the notes. Do you have suggestions of stories?
Tanya, what if you ask them to PLAY the note instead of translate it into language?
Hello Cassie Winterhalter,
thank you for your precious work!
I have invented a little game to learn the names of the notes: With closed eyes the student puts his finger on the page with written music and then looks and calls out as quick as possible the name of the note closest to the finger. It can also be played with two children, one pointig, one guessing or with teacher and pupil.
Yes it’s true, that sometimes children who are week in reading words are also week in reading notes.
Looking foreward to what you are going to post next
best greatings (from Bavaria, Germany)
Bernhard (visit my website…)
Hi Bernhard,
You’re welcome! Thanks for checking out my blog! What a great idea for a note reading game. I’m going to try it. I’ve also done a game where I’ll hold up a card for 2 students (siblings or friends) and whoever can tell me the note name 1st gets to keep the card. At the end of going through the stack, the student with the most cards, wins. I find anything with a healthy amount of competition works wonders. What is the link for your website? I would love to check it out. 🙂
Hi Cassie,
As a cellist for the bass clef line notes I like:
Good Boys Do Fine Always
and spaces either:
All Cows Eat Grass
or
All Cars Eat Gas
I’m looking for ideas for Tenor clef, which we cellists also have to read. Lines are D-F-A-C-E and the spaces are E-G-B-D. By the time my students are reading tenor clef, they are intermediate level and do an excellent job of reading bass clef. Maybe this is something I’ll find if I look around more on the internet.
Gary
Hey Gary,
Thanks for chiming in and bringing up the tenor clef for cellists. Maybe another cellist has some suggests for a tenor clef sentence?
And Eagles Gracefully Bring Drinks.
How about Dragons Fly Away Cheering Elephants?
Hi Cassie,
I also have used the same flash cards that you recommend for a number of years. In addition to using them during the lesson, I encourage family members to use these cards to quiz the student during the week, between lessons. With the information that is printed on the back of these cards, even someone who does not read music can know if the student named the correct note and played the correct key.
I have also used the sentences for many years. Like you, I don’t get into them right away, but when I do, I start with the treble clef line notes, which the boys like. When we get to the bass clef line notes, I use Girls Bake Delicious Fudge Apples, which the girls like. Kids like the idea that there is one for the boys and one for the girls. Plus, “delicious fudge apples” sounds so good!
Hi John,
I love the idea of the different set of sentences for girls vs boys. I always give my students the option to make up their own sentences as well, and have gotten things like: Good Buddies Don’t Fail Addition, Even George Bush Drives Fast, and some other creative, but fun sentences.
Hi, Cassie. Thank you for addressing the issue of note reading. I use the sentences and flashcards, too. I have noticed students using crazy cat, dumb dog, Mr. E, etc for r.h. middle c position (learned from music classes at school.) I haven’t heard one for l.h. middle c position so I make that up as I go. I teach 4-5 year olds with Alfred’s Music for Little Mozarts, but when it comes to note reading for this age, I prefer Alfred’s landmark note approach from the Alfred Premier level 1A method. This age group does tend to have a problem “seeing” the difference between the notes. I like the game ideas! Looking forward to reading more on this in your blog!
Hi Mary,
I like the crazy cat, dumb dog, etc. idea. I love teaching the young students- ages 4-5 so much just like you do. 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
Hi Cassie,
Great ideas and am using Flashcards with a particular student now.
I also came up with:
Elvis’s Guitar Broke Down Friday for Treble clef lines. Students seem to like that one! Its a bit of a mouthful, but all I have to do is say “rock and roll” and they remember. I am happy when my elementary students get it and I don’t even have to explain who he was;)
I love it Anne Marie!
On the music paper , separately from the piano playing , the students can read , the problem is the combination read and play at the same time.
I see also that some students are confusing the bass, (mostly left hand ) from the clef. I realize that playing piano also have to do with the ability to get orientated on the keyboard .
I always say to then : first read from under and going up.
I give them an enlarged manuscript paper and ask them to “compose”. Afterwards, I ask them to name the notes and play on the piano. They love it as they are not looking at a book and seem to learn to read the notes quite quickly.