How to Read Piano Music for Kids
Learning to play the piano and read music takes time and dedication. Most people put in years of practice to master this skill. Reading music, however, doesn't need to be an unsolvable mystery. There are two basic parts to understanding piano music. Rhythm explains why some notes have stems and some don't. Knowing how to read notes explains why they're all over the page.
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Instructions
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Rhythm
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1
Learn about time signatures. All piano music has an assigned time signature that tells you the beat. Most music written today is in 4/4 time, meaning there are four beats per measure and a quarter note equals one beat. In 3/4 time, there are three beats per measure.
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2
Learn about note values. As mentioned above, in most music written for kids, a quarter note (solid dot with a stem) receives one beat, or one count. A half note (open dot with a stem) receives two beats and a whole note (open dot) receives four beats.
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3
Learn to count the beats. In 4/4 time, there are four beats per measure. These beats are counted one, two, three, four. Any combination of notes can be used as long as it adds up to four beats. For example, you might have two quarter notes and one half note, or one quarter note, one half note and another quarter note, or just one whole note.
Note Reading
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4
Figure out your starting note. You don't need to know every note on the staff, but if you know a few, you can figure out the rest of them. In treble clef, the space notes spell out FACE. Start on the F above Middle C, go to the A above the F, then C one octave above Middle C and finally the E above that C. In bass clef, the space notes say (starting at the bottom) "All Cows Eat Grass." The G for Grass is the one below Middle C and the C is one octave below Middle C.
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5
Determine whether the next note is the same or different. If it is the same, play it and move on in your music. If it is different, then move on to Step 3.
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6
Determine whether the notes go up or down. As the notes go up toward the top of the staff, they move toward the right of the keyboard. As the notes go down the staff, they correspondingly go down the keyboard to the lower pitches on the left end.
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7
Determine the interval between notes. Notes written on the staff sometimes step up the musical alphabet, going from line to space to line, or E to F to G. These are called seconds. Other times, the notes skip up the musical alphabet, from space to space, or F to A. This is called a third. Sometimes, the notes will skip two keys, such as from E to A. This is a fourth. A fifth skips three keys and would go from E to B. All together, these are called intervals.
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Tips & Warnings
Counting out loud helps you focus and keep a steady rhythm.
Remember these three questions:
1 -- Is the note the same or different?
2 -- Does it go up or down?
3 -- What is the interval?
Properly playing the piano truly does take years of practice and dedication. Finding a reputable teacher in your area is necessary to master this skill.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit piano image by Sergey Goruppa from Fotolia.com
