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I Spy Rests Notes and Clefs
I Spy is a worksheet to help students identify rests, notes and clefs by their name. How many times have students heard you refer to it in lessons, but then when you ask them what it’s called you get a blank stare? In the lesson I’ve started asking them to repeat the word or read the definition out loud. I’ll often ask a question where they have to answer with the term. Students might understand the concept but not know what it’s called. I find this to be especially true of rests. They often call it a “rest.” I’ll ask what kind of rest…. that’s when the sheepish grin happens….…
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Primer Level
The Magic of Music Theory Primer level is now available at Amazon.com as well as ingramspark.com! This Primer level is perfect for the student who is age 6-10 who has started reading notes or is ready to begin reading. Incorporating the concepts taught in the pre-reading series. Students review pitch placement for the basic finger pattern for all 4 strings. New for this level is learning A and E string notes on the staff. Basic note values of quarter, half, dotted half and whole notes are reviewed. New for this level, 2 beamed eighth notes are introduced for students to recognize and draw. New in Primer level students will draw…
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Music Theory for Little Violinists
I’m really excited to tell you that my NEW music theory workbooks are available this summer. The PreReading series has just been released. Primer, Book 1 and Book 2, will be available Fall 2024. My students have been testing out these pages and lessons for the last 5 years. I told my husband this is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever attempted, not because the subject matter is hard, but explaining concepts in concise clear, and engaging manner was a challenge. I want a 4 or 5 year old or a non-musical parent to be able to understand. Lesson time is valuable and already rather full. So, I wanted each…
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How To Draw a Bass Clef
Here is a worksheet for kids to learn how to draw a bass clef. I think the bass clef is the easiest of all the clefs to learn to draw. The important part to remember is where the dots go, and that the bottom of the half of the heart doesn’t touch the bottom line. I also like teaching bass clef because it reinforces where bass F is. The large dot is an easy visual reminder and marker to help them remember F! Here are a couple of talking points when you are introducing bass clef to violin students. What does bass mean? How do you pronounce bass? (It’s not like…
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How To Draw an Alto Clef
Teachers of beginners know that clefs are hard to draw. The treble clefs aren’t that easy to draw, but I think that the alto clef is just as complicated to draw. Here is a a worksheet on how to draw an alto clef. Sometimes the alto clef is also called the C clef. Everyone who uses the alto clef needs to know how to draw one. And that means that young violist need to know how to draw the clef they use! Why do we even have an Alto Clef? Technically this clef is called the moveable C clef. The middle sideways v can be placed on any line on…
