How to Teach Children to Recognize Notes in Piano Books

Teaching a child to read music takes patience and persistence.

Learning to read music can often be a significant challenge for a young child. Teaching a child to recognize the notes in piano books can be an even greater challenge for the adult teaching him or her. It requires patience and persistence from each. However, the music teacher can simplify this challenging task, for both the child and the teacher, by teaching the child a few simple phrases and acrostics.

Things You'll Need

• Piano music that includes notes on the staff of the treble and bass clef

Instructions

1. Explain to the child the difference between the treble and bass clefs. The treble clef, also called the "G" clef, is the top clef in the stanza of music. Likewise, the bass clef, also referred to as the "F" clef, is in the bottom of the stanza. Each staff contains lines and spaces.

2. Encourage the child to memorize the phrase, "Every Good Boy Does Fine," to assist in learning the names of the lines in the treble clef. Teach the child to start at the bottom of the staff, and use the first letter of each word to name the lines of the staff. E, G, B, D, F are the names of the lines of the treble clef from the bottom to the top.

3. Spell the word "FACE" and explain to the child that these letters name the spaces of the treble clef. If the child is very young and cannot spell, encourage the child to memorize these letters.

4. Use the phrase "Good Boys Do Fine Always" to assist the child in learning the names of the lines in the bass clef. Once again, start from the bottom of the staff. Use the first letter of each word to name the lines of the bass clef, G, B, D, F, A.

5. Teach the child the phrase "All Cows Eat Grass" to help the child learn the names of the spaces in the bass clef. Once again, teach the child to begin at the bottom of the staff.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't forget the notation for middle C, which appears below the treble clef or above the bass clef depending on which hand plays it.

• Repetition is the key to mastering this skill. Encourage the child to be patient and practice often.

References

• Lesson Tutor: Introduction to Music Notation