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Note to
PPrreesseennttss
II CCaann
RReeaaddMMuussiicc
Walden Pond Press
Childrens Music Books
New York
by John Aschenbrenner
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2
I CAN READ MUSIC
Copyright 2000 by Walden Pond Press.
Unauthorized copying, arranging, adapting, recordingor public performance is an infringement of copyright.
No portion of this work may be copied in any respect
without the express written permission of the copyright
holder. All rights reserved in all media.
The purchaser of this printable download copy is
authoriz4ed to make one copy for their personal use.
You may not distribute, resell, or copy this ebook for
any reason other than your personal use. All rights
reserved.
I CAN READ MUSIC
ISBN # 0-9718936-4-0
Walden Pond Press
PO BOX 566 Crugers, NY 10521
This book is dedicated to my son Jake,who is my inspiration.
Some images 2003 www.clipart.com
Some images by Nova Development Corp. / Art Explosion
The terms PIANO BY NUMBER and MILLER POND PRESS are
trademarks of Miller Pond Press used to identify its publications. Thesetrademarks are to be used only with the prior consent of Miller Pond Press.
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3
Easy Setup: Step #1
1.1 Look at your piano. There are two colors of keys,
white and black. (Only part of a full keyboard is shown.)
1.2 The black keys are arranged in groups of 2 and 3.
1.3 C is the name of the first white key to the left
of any group of two black keys:
2 3 2 3 2 3
2 2 2
C C C
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4
Step #2
2.1 There is a special, single white key (one of the white
keys named C) in the center of the piano keyboard, which is
specifically called Middle C. (Only part of a full piano
keyboard is shown.)
2.2 On an acoustic piano, Middle C is located in the
area to the left of the manufacturers name printed above thekeys in the center of the keyboard. On any piano, electronic or
acoustic, Middle C is the C which lies in the center of the
keyboard. (Only part of a full piano keyboard is shown.)
STEINWAY
2.3 Note the location of Middle C on your piano for the
next step.
2 2 2
C MIDDLE C C
MIDDLE C
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Step #3
3.1 There is a template for a set of six colored stickers
on page 51 of this book (five blue, one red.) Take a red stickerand place it on the white key named Middle C. (Only part of a
keyboard is shown.)
3.2 Take a blue sticker and place it on the second white
key directly to the right of Middle C. Finish placing the bluestickers as shown onto the white keys, moving to the right of
the keyboard as you place each colored sticker.
MIDDLE C
MIDDLE C
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Red
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Step #4
4.1 You should now have six colored stickers placed on certain
white keys of the piano, as shown below. Make sure. The numbered
stickers are shown as a reference for those who have used Piano IsEasy!
Well come back to the piano keyboard and the stickers in just a
minute. First we have to look at printed music!
YOURE READY TO READ MUSIC!
21 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11
MIDDLE C
10 12
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
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Hi! Lets learn to read music.
Its easy. Here we go!
Music is written down with five lines. Lets count
the lines, starting from the bottom line.
Top
Bottom
5
4
3
2
1
That was easy! Lets keep going!
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4
5 Top
Now lets meet a note! A note
looks like a circle.
Hi! Im a note!
In the drawing below, which line is the note on?The top or the bottom line?
Top
Bottom
The bottom line! That was
easy. Lets keep going!
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Notes can be found on any
one of the five lines!
Im a note!
In the drawing below, which line is the note on?The top or the bottom line?
Top
Bottom
The top line! That was
easy. Lets keep going!
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Sometimes notes are found on
the line above the bottom line!
I can be found on any
one of the five lines!
In the drawing below, which one of the fivelines is the note on?
5
4
3
2
1
Top
Second
Bottom
The second line, or the line
above the bottom line! That
was easy. Lets keep going!
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Notes can be found on the spaces
in between the lines, too!
Sometimes Im in
the space between
the lines!
In the drawing below, which space is the note on?
Top
Bottom
This note is on the space above
the bottom line! Lets keep
going!
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In the drawing below, where is Middle C?
Theres one special note called
Middle C. This note has its
own special line, just below the
bottom line.
Hi! Im a special note
called Middle C. I
have my own line!
Top
Bottom
Middle C is on its own littleline, just below the bottom
line! Lets keep going!
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When we see that a note has a line through the center
of the circle, we say that note is on a line.
When we see that a note doesnt have a line throughthe center of the circle, we say that note is on a
space.
Lets play games with lines and spaces!
Game #1: Line or Space?
Line! Space! Space!
Remember, a note is only on
a line if the line goes through
the center of the circle.
Game #2: More Lines and Spaces
Line! Space! Line!
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Some notes have a sort of stick
on their side. Its called a stem!
Stem goes up! Stem goes down! No stem at all!
Some notes are hollow! Some notes are filled in!
That was easy! Lets keep going!
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Now lets look at a group of
notes! Can you tell if each note
is on a line or space?
Tell us if were on
lines or spaces!
Line! Space! Line! Space! Line!
Hey! It looks like a stairway!
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We read notes from left to right,
ust like a book! Lets see if these
groups of notes are going up ordown the stairs!
Were going up the stairs!
Were going down the stairs!
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Were almost ready to start
reading music like grownups do!
First, remember these twoimportant things weve already
learned:
1
Notes are on lines or spaces! A note is on a
line if the line goes through the middle of the
notes circle. A note is on a space if the
circle does not have a line through the middle:
Line! Line! Space! Space!
2There is one special note, called middle C,
which is on its own, special line, just below
the bottom of the five lines:
Middle C
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Now were ready to read music
like grownups do! Make sure
youve already put the sixcolored stickers on your piano.
(See page 3 if you forgot!)
Your piano should look like this:
Middle C: (red) Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Okay! Here we go! Lets read
music!
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First, lets match up the blue
stickers on the piano with the
lines on the page. Its easy!Each blue sticker on a piano key matches one of the five lines!
When you see a certain note in the book, it means to play the
piano key that matches one of the five lines in the book. Lets
try it:
Middle C: (red)
Play the piano key that matches the note on the
bottom of the five lines. The piano key is the one
with the blue sticker farthest to the left.
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
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Lets find another note on the
piano! Its easy!
Each blue sticker on a piano key matches one of the five lines!
When you see a certain note in the book, it means to play the
piano key that matches one of the five lines in the book.
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Middle C: (red)
Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
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Lets find all five notes: every
blue sticker on the piano matches
one of the five lines!
Each blue sticker on a piano key matches one of the five lines!
When you see a certain note in the book, it means to play the
piano key that matches one of the five lines in the book.
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Middle C: (red)
Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
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Lets play our first song! A
famous song called Brahms
Lullaby uses the first two ofthe five lines:
Each blue sticker on a piano key matches one of the five lines!
When you see a certain note in the book, it means to play the
piano key that matches one of the five lines in the book.
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Middle C: (red)
Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
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Remember Middle C, the special
note that was on its own special
little line? Lets play it!
The red sticker matches the special white key called Middle C.
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Middle C: (red)
Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
Red
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Now lets play all three notes
that we have learned so far!
Each blue sticker on a piano key matches one of the five lines!
The red sticker matches the special note called Middle C.
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Middle C: (red)
Start here!
Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
Red
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Now lets play notes that arent on
the lines. Lets play notes that are
in the spaces between the lines!In between the red and blue stickers are white piano keys that
dont have a sticker on it. These are the spaces in between the
lines.
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Middle C: (red)
Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
Blue
Space Space Space Space Space
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Now heres the answer: see below. If
you didnt play the right three notes,
well try again!
Find the notes that come after Middle C!
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Middle C: (red)
Start here on
Middle C:Line Space Line
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Lets try another fun test! See if
you can find these notes without
too many hints. The answer is onthe next page! No peeking!
This song does not start on Middle C! It starts on the
bottom line. Remember, Middle C is not on the bottom
line, it is on a special, extra line just for Middle C.
Start here!
If you cant find the first note, ask yourself, Is the
note on a line or a s ace? Its on a line!
Play these notes on the piano:
Heres another hint: the stairs are going up!
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Now heres the answer: see below.
If you didnt play the right three
notes, well tr a ain!
Find the notes that start on the bottom of the five lines.
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Middle C: (red)
Start here on the
bottom line!
Line Space Line
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Now were going to play songs in our
songbook, and, after the first song,
were going to do it without hints orclues! If you get confused on the
following pages, you should go back
and read pages 20-31, and then try the
songbook again.
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33
JINGLE BELLS
For the first four parts of this song,
well give you hints!
PART 1
When you see the same note three times, play that
note three times!Start here on the bottom line!
PART 2
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Part 2 is the same as Part 1!
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
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Part 3
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Start here on the
bottom line!
Part 4
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Start here on
Middle C!
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35
Jingle BellsSection 1
With a lot less hints!
Start here on the
bottom line!
If you get confused playing the song
above, you should go back and read
pages 33-34, and then try Jingle Bells on
this page again. Keep trying! Its easy!
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36
Jingle BellsSection 2
With one hint! Well give you the starting note!
Red Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Middle C (red)
Start here on the space above
the bottom line!
If you get confused playing the song
above, you should go back and read pages
33-34, and then try Jingle Bells again.
Keep trying! Its easy!
On the next pages youll findmore songs you can play!
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37
Mary Had A Little
Lamb
When the Saints
Go Marching In
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38
Mary Had a Little
Lamb
A note to teachers and parents:
Having completed this section of the book, a student is ready foralmost any beginning piano method, or songbooks that contain
simple melodies on the first five white keys above Middle C.
In actual practice, the concepts presented in this book are offered to
young students many, many times, not just once. Sometimes these
attempts end in failure, sometimes ending in a return to the comfort
of piano by number.
If you try gently, again and again, to introduce these ideas in a fun
way, children will start to understand sheet music. The most
important accomplishment is that the child understands these ideason their own timetable, when they are good and ready.
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39
MY FIRST SONGBOOK
A note to Teachers and Parents:
There are no symbols such as clef signs, rests, finger numbers, etc,quite on purpose. Children dont really see such symbols at first,
and concentrate on finding the location of the notes (the circles.)
Until a child can easily match the notes on the page to the keys, even
with one finger, it is pointless to continue to more complex matters.
Give them time to become comfortable matching the notes to the
piano keys. Some children may require as much as a year.
Please remember that, in the long term, children easily comprehend
sheet music if it is taught in the following order:
1. Match the location of the notes on the page to the white keysof the piano. (This may take a year until the child is certain of the
first 12 white keys above Middle C.)
2. Assign fingering that makes it easy to navigate from note to
note. (Wait for quite a while, until the child reads notes fluently,
perhaps with one finger. Fingering can always wait. Better to
suggest that they use as many fingers as possible, rather than
assign specific fingers too early.)
3. Try to play the notes as close to the rhythm as possible.
(Rhythm is the very last thing to ask of a child, in terms of sheet
music. Its better to defer the issue while playing rhythm games.Believe it or not, children readily grasp rhythm when they are
comfortable with finding the notes.)
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#1: UP AND DOWN
#2: DOWN AND UP
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#3: SKIPPING UP
#4: SKIPPING DOWN
Sometimes a note has
a little dot after it!
Well learn moreabout this later!
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#5: SKIPS AND STEPS
#6: MIDDLE C OR THE FIRST LINE?
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#7: FOUR IN A GROUP!
#8: FIRST OR SECOND LINE?
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#9: ALOUETTE
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#10: SPACE ABOVE
THE SECOND LINE
Lets learn a new note! Heres a note that is just above the second line!
#11: ALL SPACES
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#12: TWINKLE, TWINKLE,
LITTLE STAR
Theres that new note!
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#13: London Bridge
Theres that new note again!
Theres that note with the littledot after it!
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#14: CAMPTOWN RACES(first half)
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Notes to Parents and Teachers:
This book is set up so that you can teach piano in the three phases discussed on page 39:
1. Allow the child to find the location of the notes with any finger, either hand,
without regard to rhythm (timing.) Any correct performance of a set of notes is
to be praised.
2. When a child is absolutely sure of the first six white keys (the notes taught in this
book, which are known in piano by number as the numbers 1-6) they are
ready for a standard piano book. At this point you can introduce the idea of
fingering, that is, using only a certain finger for a specific note.
3. Rhythm, or timing, is the most difficult concept of all for children, but is easily
taught if they are adequately prepared with the first two phases. A child who is
absolutely certain of all the notes, and has an idea of fingering and can
implement some of it, is ready to think about when to play each note. To ask
rhythm of a child who is struggling with the location of the notes is a mistake on
the part of the teacher. Its better to take a year to prepare the child for fingering
and rhythm than to make them fail by introducing it too soon.
The Rules
Here are rules that make piano study more enjoyable for children.
1. Always show the child the first note of the piece: play the key for them. Later,
they will want to do it themselves, but you need to get each exercise or try
going right away, successfully.
2. Follow each note on the page with your finger, or a pencil. Children are looking
from the page to their hands and get lost when they look back to the page. Later,
they will find their way alone across the page.
3. Do not insist on fingering, that is, assigning certain fingers to play certain notes.
Finding the notes is hard enough for children.
4. Do not insist on rhythm. Pretend that it doesnt exist.
5. Watch very carefully for fatigue. Reading sheet music is exhausting for children,and you need to stop well short of their saturation point and immediately
commence a fun activity, such as piano by numbers or a simple keyboard game
such as fours. See the next page.
6. Never express disapproval. Ignore mistakes that a child cannot correct on theirown. Almost all children know when theyve made a mistake. Make a joke of it,
make a game of it, but never make a child feel like a failure. Just trying to play
piano is a victory. It takes tremendous patience to teach this way, but it always
seems to work. Wait long enough, and any child can figure out the rudiments of
piano.
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Teaching Games
FOURS
Here is a fun keyboard game that you can play at any point to dissolve the fatigueand tension that children feel from trying to read sheet music. I usually play a
funny kind of Chico Marx oom-pah accompaniment, and follow the child, who
starts on Middle C (Middle C is known as the number 1 in piano by
number.)
Perhaps the first few times, make the child speak and count the numbers 1 2 3 4
while they play each key. Its important to connect what their hands are
struggling with to what they are thinking. Its very easy for almost any child.
Very young children need to be given wide latitude.
Children like to start on Middle C and go all the way to the top note of the piano,but once they are comfortable, I stop if they make a mistake (usually the mistake
is playing a key three times instead of four) and we go back to the beginning.
The child plays the numbers, and the parent/teacher plays the letters, or
chords.
FOURS
Child: 1111 2222 3333 4444 5555 6666 7777 8888 etc.
Parent: C G C F C F G C etc.
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Above youll find a template to print stickers for I CAN READ MUSIC. Please refer tothe sticker application directions on page 3-6. Office Supply stores have full sheet
removable label stock which can be used.
You can also use stickers from an Office Supply Store, which will have removable inch wide stickers in many forms. Using such stickers, you can easily use a colored
marker to make your own stickers. Alternatively, you can use masking tape.
10 11 12 C5
CD E F6
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
G A B
D
E
F13
14
15
16
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