Piano Magic Flashcards

These piano magic flashcards might not look like magic to you, but they are really and truly magical. Proof is in the pudding, after using them. Piano practice becomes fun and engaging when you add these magic flashcards!

Within the very first few lessons, I help students find C on the staffs with these magical Flashcards.

The magic happens when students can find all their notes faster after they first find C and use it as a reference point.

This makes Identifying all the other notes easier, all over the piano. This is definitely quicker for every note needed to know on the piano!

Helping students find C

So how do I help students identify C’s?

Well, it’s with a little magical touch of color. I highlight where the middle, high or low C’s are right on their music. Typically, I use a colored pencil. This worked so well, I began using the colors on flashcards too.

Once they find high C, the B just before it is easy as pie. High E? It’s easy to find too. Try it, you will be amazed how fast it works!

Then we learn what mirrored image looks like, and we look for notes in the bass clef. Finding C is always first, but then we can quickly find a D or an E.

Application

Next I begin “flashing” their cards (using our highlighted flashcards) in front of them at the piano.

They see where the nearest C is, figure out where the flashcard note is then play it for me.

We aren’t focused on note names, but on finding them in a hurry. You can see why this helps in reading music. Finding notes becomes so quick, reading perks right up. It’s so much fun to see them garner confidence from the very beginning.

Gone is any fear of finding a “high” or a “low” note.

When I encourage my online students to do this, they think it’s a good idea, but most don’t get around to it…

Parents try new methods too

Last year I had one dad drilling his son with note names on flashcards, trying to teach his 7-year-old all the names.

Here I was, teaching his young boy to find C, play with LH chords, RH melody, and keep rhythm, you know, the basics. But he didn’t know the note names.

Dad was sincerely trying to drill the note names because he believed notes are most basic. And to Dad, flashcards should be used to teach note names. So every day he trudged through this note naming process believing it vital to his son’s music education. And who could blame him? It was how he was taught. Dad just couldn’t imagine his child learning any music without knowing every note name right off the bat.

I suggested he try it my way instead for a few weeks, which he finally agreed to because his son was not interested in naming the notes. I suspect Dad really just tried this to prove me wrong.

But guess what?

His son can find the notes quickly now and is learning to read music really well. Dad is seeing that his son can play dozens of songs before knowing all his note names. Does this mean we don’t care about note names? Not at all, it’s just not our primary exposure to notes.

This young 7-year-old boy knows he can find C. He also knows that from middle C or high C to 2 octaves up, C’s are all mirrored image. He can truly find lower and higher notes in a flash!

How To Use Flashcards

Print out the cards on cardstock. Laminate if desired. Cut the cards and shuffle them well.
Remember that this challenge is for students to find their notes on the piano, rather than master the note’s name.
Set a goal (30 seconds) to find all the notes from Low C to High C.
Review where the C’s are by referring to the colored hints on each card.
Then “flash” the cards in front of students so they can find then play the correct note. (Without the secondhand on the clock, all is calm. The moment they know the timer is on, all systems are “go” in their brains.)
Get a baseline time from the first attempt.
Now you have a basis for how many seconds need to be killed to reach the 30 second goal. This focus on how many seconds to kill (beyond where C is found) is very motivating. Once they remember to find C, they will find their notes much faster.

Motivation

Just this week my cute 8-year-old student in Michigan was able to find all the notes flashed at her from low C to high C, correctly identifying all of them in 31 seconds. She’s working hard to kill 2 more seconds to say she beat our 30 second challenge.

And just like that, magically, reading really develops.

Need to focus on the higher or lower ledger notes? No need to point out anything more than where the ledger C’s are located. This works the same for every note on the piano.

After using these flashcards on literally 1000’s of students, I can attest to their magic abilities.

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Tips for Parents, Students, and Teachers

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