BE AN AMAZING NOTE- READER FOR ORCHESTRA by Angela Harman
Let s Build a Note In order to draw notes, you need to have all of the building materials: Note-head: or Stem: Beam: Flag: Label the parts of the notes below, then draw a few of your own in the box provided. 6. 1. 2. 4. 7. 3. 5. 8. 2
This is a staff. It is like a road for notes. Each staff has 5 lines and 4 spaces (or lanes). LINES 5 4 3 2 1 1 SPACES 4 3 2 Trace the staff below: Draw your own staff below. Number the lines and the spaces. A car is driving on the staff. Write the number of the line the car is driving on. A car is driving on the staff. Write the number of the space the car is driving on: Write the number of the line or the space where the note sits. Write L if the note is on a line or S if the note if on a space. L1 3
Off-Road Vehicles Ledger Lines Driving on lines and spaces above and below the staff The lines above and below the staff are known as LEDGER LINES. When you run out of room for notes on the staff as the notes go higher or lower, you need to add small lines to the note. Instead of our car driving on the staff, it is now going off-road...but must still stay on the dirt roads - either a line or a space. Write the number of the ledger line or space on which each of the following notes if placed above or below the staff: 1 S above above above above above above above above above 1 S below below below below below below below below below 4
Drawing Notes Each note consists of a note-head and a stem Notes should be oval shaped and slightly tilted downward. Trace the following note heads: Draw 8 note heads on the following staff. You may draw them where-ever you like on the staff. Be sure to draw them as neatly as possible. Draw 8 note heads above or below the staff below. Remember to add ledger lines when needed! Add stems to the following notes of the staff. Try to make the lines as straight as possible. The stem should be on the left side of the note. 5
Drawing Notes 2 When writing notes, there is a rule to determine where the stem is to be placed. If the note is on the middle line, the stem can go either up on the right side or down on the left side. If the note is above the middle line, the stem must go down on the left. If the note if below the middle line, the stem must go up on the right. Middle line down or up with the stem Draw the stems going up on the right on the following notes: Draw the stems on the following notes. Be sure to draw the stem the right direction! 6
Drawing Notes with Stems on the Staff Draw a note with a stem on the correct line over each box. Line 1 Line 3 Line 2 Line 5 Line 4 Line 1 Line 4 Line 2 Line 3 Draw a note with a stem on the correct space over each box. Space 1 Space 4 Space 3 Space 2 Space 4 Space 1 Space 3 Space 2 Space 1 Draw a note with a stem on the correct line or space over each box. Line 1 Space 4 Space 2 Line 5 Space 1 Line 3 Line 2 Space 3 Line 4 7
Drawing Notes with Ledger Lines Draw a note with a stem on the correct space over each box. Make your own ledger lines. 1 S below 1 S above 2 S above 3 S below 1 S below 1 S above 1 S below 3 S below 2 S below Draw a note with a stem on the correct line over each box. Make your own ledger lines. 1 L below 1 L above 2 L above 2 L below 1 L below 1 L above 1 L below 3 L below 2 L below Draw a note with a stem on the correct line or space over each box. Make your own ledger lines. 1 S below 1 L above 2 L above 3 S below 1 S below 1 S above 1 L below 3 S below 2 S below 8
CLEFS The clef is a symbol drawn at the beginning of each staff. There are 4 different clefs. We will learn about 3 clefs used in orchestra. The clef is important because it determines the letter note names of the lines and spaces on the staff. Violinists use Treble Clef: This line is called a G Violists use Alto Clef (and sometimes Treble Clef). This line is called a C Cellists use Bass clef (and sometimes Tenor, Alto and Treble Clef). This line is called an F Bassists use Bass Clef (and sometimes Tenor, Alto and Treble Clef). This line is called an F Draw 10 clefs on the staff below. Draw the clef you will use with your instrument. Pick another clef and draw 10 more: 9
Music Alphabet Steps 1 The music alphabet is: A B C D E F G The music alphabet ALWAYS stays in order up and down the staff. Think of the staff like a staircase. Each stair gets an alphabet name, or note name, and they must always be in order. When you find yourself at the end of the music alphabet (G), you must start over again at A. Use the music alphabet to fill in the steps on the worksheet below: B E A C G F 10
The Music Alphabet Music notes are named A, B, C, D, E, F or G. There is no H in note reading! When you need to find the note after G, you go to A again and start over. (A B C D E F G A B C D E F G) Complete the following note name patterns: What comes next? Find the patterns. A B C A B C D E F G A C E G B A C E G B D F G B D F F A E G E G F A E 11
EAR TRAINING EXERCISE 1 1. Listen to your teacher play each measure. Circle the note that is HIGHER. 2. Listen to your teacher play 2 notes. Circle whether the second note is higher or lower than the first note. 1. higher lower 2. higher lower 3. higher lower 4. higher lower 5. higher lower 6. higher lower 7. higher lower 8. higher lower 12
Steps, Skips, or Same Music notes can move up or down the staff. Notes that move directly up or down to the very next note are called steps. Notice that steps are always either from a line note to a space note or a space note to a line note. Notes that move farther than one note away are called skips. Notes that repeat can be labeled the same. Look at the music below and label each example as either a step, skip or same. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 13
Draw Steps and Skips Draw the next note as indicated using a step or a skip. 1. Step up 2. Step down 3. Skip up 4. Skip down 5. Step up 6. Step down 7. Skip up 8. Skip down 9. Step up 10. Step down 11. Skip up 12. Skip down 13. Step up 14. Step down 15. Skip up 16. Skip down 14
EAR TRAINING EXERCISE 2 Listen to your teacher play the 2 notes in each box. Your teacher will then play a 3rd note. The 3rd note will either be the same as the 2nd note, or one note above or below the second note. Listen and write in the correct note. 15
NOTE READING Questions 1. Think about the staff. Are higher notes written high up on the staff, or low on the staff? 2. Is it possible to have more than one A on an instrument. If so, how can you tell them apart? 3. What are ledger lines? 4. Why do we use ledger lines? 5. What is a clef? Where is the clef found on the staff? 6. Why do we need a clef? 7. Why is it important to draw notes carefully and neatly? 16
TREBLE CLEF Look at the staff below. If you know that the 2nd line is called G, can you figure out the rest of the names of the lines and spaces? G G LINES SPACES 17
ALTO CLEF Look at the staff below. If you know that the 3rd line is called C, can you figure out the rest of the names of the lines and spaces? C C LINES SPACES 18
BASS CLEF Look at the staff below. If you know that the 4rd line is called F, can you figure out the rest of the names of the lines and spaces? F F LINES SPACES 19
NAME THE NOTES Write the names of the notes for your instrument. If you already know the notes in your clef, try a different one! Notice all of the notes are on a line. and Bass Write the names of the notes for your instrument. All of these notes are on spaces. and Bass 20
WRITE THE NOTES Draw your clef on the staff below. Next, draw the labeled notes on the staff. Be sure to draw your notes neatly with straight stems going the proper direction. A C G E F B D A G F D B E C Let s make some words! Look at the note name letters: A B C D E F G. Make at least 8 words using only these letters, then draw and label the word with note names on the staves. WORDS: example: AGE 1. 3. 5. 7. 2. 4. 6. 8. Ex. A G E (Treble Clef) 21
NOTE NAME SPEED TEST VIOLIN How many can you name in ONE minute? Wait for your teacher to say Go! Label as many note names as you can for one minute. NOTES NAMED: /100 22
NOTE NAME SPEED TEST VIOLA How many can you name in ONE minute? Wait for your teacher to say Go! Label as many note names as you can for one minute. NOTES NAMED: /100 23
NOTE NAME SPEED TEST CELLO/BASS How many can you name in ONE minute? Wait for your teacher to say Go! Label as many note names as you can for one minute. and Bass NOTES NAMED: /100 24
VIOLIN - OPEN STRINGS Using the chart on the left for reference, draw a treble clef at the beginning of each staff and draw the following notes: 1. Draw 8 open G s. 2. Draw 8 open D s. G D A E 3. Draw 8 open A s. 4. Draw 8 open E s 5. Label the following notes: G D A E 25
VIOLA - OPEN STRINGS Using the chart on the left for reference, draw a treble clef at the beginning of each staff and draw the following notes: 1. Draw 8 open C s. 2. Draw 8 open G s. C G D A 3. Draw 8 open D s. 4. Draw 8 open A s 5. Label the following notes: C G D A 26
CELLO - OPEN STRINGS Using the chart on the left for reference, draw a treble clef at the beginning of each staff and draw the following notes: 1. Draw 8 open C s. 2. Draw 8 open G s. C G D A 3. Draw 8 open D s. 4. Draw 8 open A s 5. Label the following notes: C G D A 27
BASS - OPEN STRINGS Using the chart on the left for reference, draw a treble clef at the beginning of each staff and draw the following notes: 1. Draw 8 open E s. 2. Draw 8 open A s. E A D G 3. Draw 8 open D s. 4. Draw 8 open G s 5. Label the following notes: E A D G 28
EAR TRAINING EXERCISE 3 Listen to your teacher play a note on the piano to tune the open strings of a violin. Mark whether the open string on the violin is too high, too low, or the same as the note on the piano. 1. too high too low same 2. too high too low same 3. too high too low same 4. too high too low same Same exercise using cello: 1. too high too low same 2. too high too low same 3. too high too low same 4. too high too low same 29
SHARP SIGNS and FLAT SIGNS Notice the piano keyboard above. The keys follow the letters of the music alphabet. But what about the black keys? Every letter of the music alphabet has been used...what could they be called? That is where sharps and flats come in. Every note can be raised one key, or lowered one key by adding a sharp or a flat sign. # A sharp sign raises a note one half step. On the piano you can make a C# by finding the very next key (to the right) after the C on the keyboard. It is a black note. It is called C#. b A flat sign lowers a note one half step. On the piano you make a B b by finding the very next key BEFORE (to the left) the B on the keyboard. It is a black note. It is called B b. 30
SHARP SIGNS and FLAT SIGNS Worksheet C 1. Label all of the white keys on the piano. 2. What does a # (sharp) sign do to a note? 3. What does a b (flat) sign do to a note? 4. Find and label F# and C#. 5. Find and label Bb. 31
D STRING VIOLIN Look at the chart to the left. Notice that the note names on the D string follow the order of the musical alphabet. Can you guess what the notes might be on the A string? G D A E E 1st finger F# G 2nd finger 3rd finger # Write the note names and the finger numbers for the notes below: 32
D STRING VIOLA Look at the chart to the left. Notice that the note names on the D string follow the order of the musical alphabet. Can you guess what the notes might be on the A string? C G D A E 1st finger F# G 2nd finger 3rd finger # Write the note names and the finger numbers for the notes below: 33
D STRING CELLO Look at the chart to the left. Notice that the note names on the D string follow the order of the musical alphabet. Can you guess what the notes might be on the A string? C G D A E 1st finger F# G 3rd finger 4th finger # Write the note names and the finger numbers for the notes below: 34
D STRING BASS Look at the chart to the left. Notice that the note names on the D string follow the order of the musical alphabet. Can you guess what the notes might be on the A string? E A D G E 1st finger F# 4th finger # Write the note names and the finger numbers for the notes below: 35
Know your D String Look at the music below. Circle all of the note that are on the D string. Label them with note names and fingerings. Violin: Viola: Cello and Bass: Write your clef on the staff below. Next, draw the note names and add the fingerings. (Basses draw open G s) D E F# G E G F# D F# E G D E F# G D D F# E G 36
Teach the A String Notes Design your own worksheet for teaching the notes on the A string. Make at least 2 exercises to help students memorize the note names and fingerings on the A string. You may use the pre-drawn staves. Be sure to write directions for each exercise. 37
A STRING VIOLIN Look at the chart to the left. Notice that the note names on the A string follow the order of the musical alphabet. Can you guess what the notes might be on the G string? G D A E B 1st finger C# D 2nd finger 3rd finger # Write the note names and the finger numbers for the notes below: 38
A STRING VIOLA Look at the chart to the left. Notice that the note names on the A string follow the order of the musical alphabet. Can you guess what the notes might be on the G string? C G D A B C# D 1st finger 2nd finger 3rd finger # Write the note names and the finger numbers for the notes below: 39
A STRING CELLO Look at the chart to the left. Notice that the note names on the A string follow the order of the musical alphabet. Can you guess what the notes might be on the G string? C G D A B C# D 1st finger 3rd finger 4th finger # Write the note names and the finger numbers for the notes below: 40
A STRING BASS Look at the chart to the left. Notice that the note names on the A string follow the order of the musical alphabet. Can you guess what the notes might be on the G string? E A D G B 1st finger C# 4th finger # Write the note names and the finger numbers for the notes below: 41
Know your A String Look at the music below. Circle all of the note that are on the A string. Label them with note names and fingerings. Violin: Viola: Cello: Bass: Draw your clef on the staff below. Then the note names and add the fingerings. (Basses draw open D s) A B C# D B A D C# D B A C# 42
Teach the G String Notes Design your own worksheet for teaching the notes on the G string. Make at least 2 exercises to help students memorize the note names and fingering on the G string. You may use the pre-drawn staves. Be sure to write directions for each exercise. 43