The Importance of the Animal Note Method of Instruction
Note reading is the basis of all music education. The Animal Note method starts from this point. The first book for piano teaches the first nine notes on both the key board and the staff. Each note is a caricature of a different animal whose name starts with the letter of the alphabet normally used in American music. Each letter is introduced with a story that becomes a word clue for that note, like middle C is a cat with whiskers living in a box between the clefs. At least one song follows each note introduction. After each note is introduced it is used in all subsequent songs. Youngsters enjoy this as the notes are easily read, and they are able to play right away.
The Flash Cards should be used as soon as three notes have been introduced. With the Animal Note side of the card facing the child, remind him/her of the word clue associated with that note; then flip to the standard note side and ask them to play that note. My students call the standard note the rear side of the animal. There are lots of fun games that can be played with the cards, and gradually the student becomes as comfortable with the standard notes as the Animal Notes. The word clues are the secret to the transition.
The timing book is so helpful. The notes are easily read as the student knows the Animal Notes and can concentrate on learning and listening to the length of the notes and how that makes a special melody. Again the timing is introduced in stages starting with the whole note, and then the quarter note is added, etc.
The Christmas Song book is the only fun song book on the site at this time. Another one should be available in the next two weeks. Children love being able to play a song they have heard before. These books are written in the Animal Notes, with words for singing along. When you are working with children between 4 and 8, please consider adding these books to your teaching collections. Children this young need more time to be comfortable with standard music notation. Most eight year olds make the transition within a year of starting and move into five finger music books quite easily and love it.
Following the Animal Note series, select a standard note instructional series you have learned from or like. There are many good advanced teaching series available. The Animal Note method is valuable and important as it takes the frustration out of learning to read notes. So many youngsters quit because they just can’t learn to read notes and hate playing an instrument because of this. The Animals are friendly and comfortable for the children, which makes learning fun instead of frustrating. Using the Flash Cards for this instruction is also very important.
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April 27th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
The books we now have available are listed here on the right hand side of our web site. There are four books and a set of flash cards at this time. I hope to have another book of fun music, much like the Christmas book, with fun songs for any time of the year on the site within a week or two. It is almost ready. To look at the content page of each book and a sample book, click on the blue name of each book, that will also take you to an order page.