Category: Theory

Free Landmark Note Worksheets!

4/26/2018

A great way to build strong note-reading skills is by teaching "landmark" notes: notes on the staff that are easy for students to memorize and identify quickly.

The landmark notes that I have found to be the most helpful for my students are shown in the picture on the left.

To help students practicing identifying and drawing these landmark notes, today I am sharing six free worksheets that you can use with your students! Each worksheet focuses on just 2-3 of the landmark notes pictured above. Click on the photos below to download each set of PDF worksheets.

Worksheets 1 and 2:
Treble G, Bass F, and Middle C.

Students learn to use the treble and bass clefs to find these landmark notes quickly.

Worksheets 3 and 4:
The 3 C's: treble, middle, and bass C.

Students learn to count 3 spaces up or 3 spaces down on the staff to find treble and bass C.

Worksheets 5 and 6:
"Ground" G and "Floating" F, plus a review of drawing the 3 C's.

The terms "ground" G and "floating" F are great hints to help students remember the locations of these landmark notes.

What do you think? Do you teach note-reading using landmark notes? Please leave a comment if you find these worksheets to be helpful for your students--I would love to hear from you!

P.S. Don't forget to check out the other free worksheets and teaching resources on my "Free Stuff" page HERE.

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Developing Strong Note Reading Skills, Part 3: Apps

3/20/2017

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As a follow-up to my previous posts on teaching note reading (see HERE and HERE), I thought I would share the iPad apps I use to work on note reading with my students. Apps are a great way for students to drill note reading, both in lessons and at home.

I have included the current price of each app, as well as the pros and cons of each that I have discovered while using these with my students.

Flashnote Derby ($4.99): this is first note reading app I ever purchased. At the time, the app was $.99; however it is now a bit pricier and offers more features than the original version I purchased a few years ago.

Pros: My favorite thing about this app is that it is easy to customize with the notes your student is learning. For example, you can drill only space notes, or only landmark notes. The newer version of this app also offers the option to play notes on the piano instead of tapping the screen, as well as student progress reports.
Cons: Because this game is timed, it can be frustrating for some students. The graphics and sounds can also be distracting for young students. This is also the most expensive of the apps in my review.

Note Rush ($3.99): this is my most recent app purchase.

Pros: The biggest feature of Note Rush is that students play the given note on the piano and the app detects whether or not the note is correct. This is a great way to drill note-key recognition. There is also no time limit on naming notes, and students are given a hint if they don't play the given note right away.
Cons: Although there are five levels in Note Rush, there is not a way to customize the app to drill specific notes. Some students also find some of the background themes distracting (although there is a plain background to choose from as well).

Tenuto ($3.99): this is an ideal app for middle school through adult students.

Pros: There are no graphics or sounds to distract young students. The app also includes other theory activities too, such as naming intervals or key signatures. All of the exercises are available for free online at www.musictheory.net so you can preview the app before you purchase.
Cons: Tenuto is not as customizable as Flashnote Derby, although you can select a limited range of notes on the staff to name. The app is not as “kid-friendly” as some of the others (both in appearance and in ease of manipulating the app settings).

Music for Little Mozarts ($.99): this app coordinates with the "Music for Little Mozarts" series of books for ages 4-6.

Pros: This app contains several activities appropriate to preschool students, and it is easy to switch to other activities when a young student's attention span wanes. The app isn't timed, so students have time to think about each note.
Cons: Although there are several levels of note naming, there is no way to customize the app to only name specific notes. This app also might be a bit "babyish" for older students.

What do you think? What are your experiences with any of these apps? Are there other apps you use to help your students with note reading? Please leave a comment below!

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Developing Strong Note Reading Skills, Part 2

2/13/2017

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My first post on developing strong note reading skills can be found HERE.

So, you have followed the strategies I introduced in my first post, and your student is still struggling with note reading. Now what?

If you have ruled out any learning challenges (such as dyslexia) or physical challenges (such as poor eyesight), then it is time for more in-depth strategies to help your student with note reading. Some students just aren’t visual learners and require a more kinesthetic approach to reading. Other students just need a little more practice mastering the fundamentals of note reading. Either way—don’t give up! Here are my additional resources for helping your students become strong readers:

1. Faber's “I Can Read Music” series.
I have had good luck using this series of books with students that just need extra practice with note reading. Each book contains note naming puzzles, interval identification exercises, and short sight-reading activities to provide a three-pronged approach to reading. Take a look at these books HERE.

2. Manipulatives.
For students that are kinesthetic learners, manipulatives can be a wonderful way to work on note reading! A large magnetic staff board that students can touch and move notes across, or a floor staff that students can step on are both good tools to work on identifying notes and intervals. As a bonus, it gets those wiggly kinesthetic learners up off the piano bench and moving around!

3. Writing on the staff.
Have students practice drawing notes using a dry-erase board, iPad app, or pencil and paper. Encourage students that enjoy playing by ear to notate the pieces they know on the staff. Create short compositions that students can notate on staff paper. Just like in spoken language, reading and writing go hand-in-hand.

4. Incorporating rote playing in lessons.
This may sound counter-intuitive, but teaching a piece by rote, and then introducing it on the staff, can help kinesthetic students make the connection between what they feel when they play and what they see in the music. Rote playing also helps give students that struggle with note reading a way to be successful at the piano until their reading skills catch up to their playing level.

What do you think? Do you have students that have extra difficulties with note reading? I would love to hear your strategies for helping students in this area!

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Free Landmark Note Worksheets!

Developing Strong Note Reading Skills, Part 3: Apps

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