Student unable to identify notes on staff
Found in: Reading
Kristin I., Illinois
I have an extremely dedicated mom (5 years of lessons, with all 3 of her kids) who is concerned that her oldest, who just celebrated his 200th lesson last week, does not recognize note names very quickly. I am wondering if there are any suggestions out there from experienced teachers who have been through the Reading Program that can offer some advice? These were the first students I took through the program, and I definitely have my own doubts about how well I did. My questions are mainly – where do I go from here? Is flashcards a good idea? Somehow the intervallic approach didn’t translate into being able to identify any note on the staff quickly and easily with this group. More than willing to acknowledge my part in this, but mainly wanting a solution, too!
Carrie L., Michigan
The best way to sight read is to do lots and lots of it. Easy duets too.
Stephen R., California
Have you done Time For More Music yet? That’s the third part of the reading program where we gain practice reading actual pieces. Through the Reading Notes program, we have learned to identify notes intervallically in relation to the C’s. The C’s need to be committed to memory. I have students write a grand staff at the end of Reading Notes to demonstrate this. I also recommend lots of writing/transcribing while in Reading Notes and using the Read&Play series for extra practice. Students will be practicing reading the rest of the lives through actual music. The approach for this is explored in Time For More Music.
Ruth P., North Carolina
Ours is an intervallic approach so things are played in relationship to the C’s. Students don’t need to be able to say the lines and spaces necessarily. I also like my students to be able to quickly identify treble G and bass F.
Becc S., Australia
Take them back to easy music. I’ve had the same thing- a large difference between reading and playing based ability and they get very frustrated. I tell them it’s a skill that takes years to master but the best way is to get music they have never seen that is easy, and work through them quickly, progressing quickly. I had one student go from total beginner to intermediate in a year. We zoomed through the pieces. I teach them the interval method to start but I also add in FACE for the spaces and it just gets them going faster. They can easily find where they are starting and then it’s intervals from there if there’s a big leap it helps to have a couple of other notes known. That’s my experience and I have kids who have started with me just under seven years ago doing grade 6 level pieces and have only learnt Simply Music. That’s pretty good.
Neil Moore
Addressing challenges with identifying intervals (note names) – video response: https://www.facebook.com/ThePianoCoach/videos/10156493657816959/
Stephen R., California
Neil Moore, just to add on to what you said, we’re always within a fourth or a fifth of any C. This program equips students to read up to a 5th above High C (2 leger lines above treble clef) and a 5th below Low C (2 leger lines below Bass clef) where the majority of written music lies. Beyond that, 8va or 15ma symbols are often used to represent the notes beyond those ranges.
Deb K., South Dakota
I take my kids back to note read all the music they have learned before reading the notes. Works well , they know the songs, know the melody and see patterns on the page. I give them a chart to have on the piano they can look at to name the notes. By the time they get to level 4 reading the notes, they are pretty good at naming the notes on the music and playing.