There are many components of note reading. These skills begin to develop in the beginning of piano classes. While many parents expect their children to understand how to read notes within a couple months (afterall, there are only 7 letters!), the truth is that it could take years.
Why is it difficult to read notes?
As it’s own language, it must be considered to have it’s own unique grammatical structure. Here are some key differences it is different from the English language.
- Most piano books will start on note C , when kids are more accustomed to learning that A is the first letter.
- The English alphabet generally only goes one way- A B C D ……. Music notes go up, and down; they also skip and step, and later on: leap.
- The note letter is correlated to a specific pitch/key on the piano. There is no equivalent concept in English
- Sometimes the note has a different rhythm and looks drastically different (ex. a whole note to a quarter note), but it is still the same note if it is on the same line/space.
With this, we can start to understand why it takes time for students to acquire the musical language.
How Can We Help?
Below are some tips parents can do to support their children in reading notes.
- Encourage children in singing the note letter name as they play the note. This helps encourage association between the note and the pitch. If children are unwilling, parents can sing along.
- Sing the Alphabet backwards– with music going up and down and up and down. Knowing the alphabet forwards and backgrounds gives children the ability to not have to worry about tongue tied. Once they’ve mastered the alphabet backwards, try skipping every second letter.
- Compose – composing helps children realize that there is logic to music notation. Through this exercise, children realize that a circle on a specific line means a specific note.
Conclusion
In conclusion, know that are many components to note reading! How long do children spend listening and speaking English before they can read simple words? How long until they can read books? Just like learning another language, learning music notation takes support, effort, and ultimately, time for all the concepts to click. Don’t be discouraged!
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