The Story of The Nutcracker in Music Notes
This is the story of The Nutcracker, the most famous ballet of all time, in music notes. Just a few facts about what was happening in Tchaikovsky’s life while he was writing the music for this ballet. Many have a family tradition of going to a performance of the Nutcracker every year. While this year might be a little different, thanks to technology we can still access and enjoy the music we have come to love at Christmas. Tchaikovsky based the story on E.T.A. Hoffman’s fantasy story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The BBC has a dramatized recording of this story. There are other audio books and dramatized recordings that you can…
Can You Find the Hidden Notes?
I loved reading Highlights Magazine as a kid. There was always one hidden picture in each magazine. I would spend so much time pouring over these pictures looking for the lists of items. So, here is a fun worksheet using basic music symbols! Can you find the hidden notes and music symbols? This is a list of symbols and notes that a student needs to be able to recognize in order to succeed at solving the puzzle. List of Hidden Notes Treble Clef Bass Clef Alto Clef Whole Note Half Note Quarter Note Quarter Rest Half Rest Whole Rest Time Signature – 3/4 Eighth Notes Forte Piano Mezzo Forte Up…
Learn Intervals on the Fingerboard
Introduce students to intervals on the fingerboard. This worksheet and activity helps students identify steps up and down in the music alphabet. And then transfer that knowledge to the fingerboard.
Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Vivaldi
Here is a great composers note reading worksheet on Vivaldi. While most of the Baroque composers composed for strings, Vivaldi was prolific. He wrote over 200 concertos for violin. Being a violinist himself we see his great love for the instrument as well as his virtuosic skill in all his compositions. He took orders as a priest and served as a priest for year and a half. But due a health condition he was given a dispensation to not participate in Mass. Because of his red hair, he was nicknamed “The Red Priest.” Vivaldi the Teacher-Composer He began to teach violin at Ospedale della Pietà, a home for abandoned girls. Under Vivaldi’s teaching…
How to Draw Quarter Notes
Here is a worksheet on how to draw quarter notes. It’s perfect for young students. Whether the student is learning to play an instrument or just exploring music, his worksheet is perfect for ages 4-6. My young students are just getting ready to enter kindergarten, so their writing and small muscle skills are still developing. These notes are large and the young student can trace quarter notes. The notes are drawn in dot to dot. Students also learn how to draw quarter note stems going up and down. First students trace 5 quarter notes with stems going up. Trace the circle. Color in the circle. Trace the stem. Then, they…
Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Paradis
The Great Composers note reading worksheet this week teaches about Maria Theresa von Paradis. Maria Theresa von Paradis was both a composer and performer in a time when women were not encouraged to do either. She performed, composed, and taught. Maria Theresa von Paradis: Education Maria Theresa von Paradis’ parents named after Empress Maria Theresa, the empress of Austria. Her father worked as the Imperial Secretary of Commerce and Court Councilor. Maria Theresa von Paradis began to lose her eyesight at age 2. And she was completely blind by age 5. Paradis studied composition, keyboard and music theory with Vienna’s best teachers. Her composition teacher Antonio Salleri taught students who became famous. His students include Beethoven,…
Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Martini
Learn about the life of Giovanni Battista Martini in The Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Martini. This worksheet helps violin students review staff notes that are on the A and E string. And the worksheet is also available for viola students. They will review the staff notes found in alto clef C and G strings. Students can learn about the composer, Giovanni Martini, who wrote the first piece in Suzuki Book 3, Gavotte. And they will review staff notes. Have your students get to know about the composers of their music with The Great Composer series! Violin Download here Viola Download here Giovanni Martini was born in Bologna, Italy.…
My Happy Heart Practice Chart
It’s Valentine’s Day is this week so here is a practice chart with hearts, My Happy Heart Practice Chart! As I was working on my group lesson plan I decided to incorporate a little holiday spirit into our class. I’ve had some parents mention that they are starting to struggle with practicing. And let’s be honest, I don’t always have a happy heart when practicing. Sometimes it’s really hard to practice with a happy heart. Our face looks like all those heart faces in the picture above. This is especially true when there is something else that seems a lot more fun. Maybe it’s sunny outside and all your friends decide…
Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Paganini
The Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – 10 tells the story of Niccolo Paganini. This worksheet covers the E string notes – E5, F5, G5 and A5 for violin. For viola it covers the C string – C3, D3, E3, F3, and G3. There are variations as to the notes printed and the missing letters between the two sheets since they cover different strings. Because the Great Composer Note Reading Worksheet numbers 1-9 use the same pitches and are on the same strings, the violin and viola answers are identical. But on this worksheet they are different! Violin Download here Viola Download here https://youtu.be/1M6FRoac4uU Suzuki students are first introduced to…
Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Brahms
The Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – 9 tells the story of Johannes Brahms. This worksheet covers the three strings that the violin and viola have in common, the G, D and A string notes. You can download the worksheet below in either treble clef or alto clef. Students can learn about the great composers while working on their note reading on the staff. Violin Download here Viola Download here I did say that worksheet eight was the last covering these three strings, but I decided that a little more review and reinforcement never hurt a student. And the letters in the name Johannes Brahms lent themselves to the letters on these three strings.…
