| As a private violin instructor, I have witnessed | | | | new positions. At this point, the habit is well |
| many students who are unable to read notes. | | | | established and can be quite hard to break. |
| While one might expect this would be limited to | | | | Thus, learning note reading early is crucial to |
| beginners, players even at an intermediate to | | | | success on the violin. How to teach students this |
| advanced level often struggle with reading music. | | | | skill? One way is to use flash cards. Ideally, these |
| Why is this the case? One reason is that | | | | should require the student to learn both note |
| beginners often associate notes on the page with | | | | names and where these notes are found on the |
| finger numbers rather than note names. As a | | | | violin. However, students often find this task quite |
| result, they often struggle with playing in positions | | | | tedious. One way to make flash cards more |
| other than first position, because the finger | | | | interesting is to use ones that are colorful, or that |
| numbers are different from those they have | | | | incorporate pictures that are not related to note |
| already learned. For instance, the note B-natural in | | | | reading. It is important to use flash cards |
| third position on the E string is played with the | | | | frequently, because, in the beginning, students will |
| second finger, whereas, in first position, it is | | | | often count bar lines and spaces rather than |
| played with the first. | | | | recognizing notes at a glance. Yet, in practice, |
| In addition, the concept that octaves consist of | | | | music goes by too quickly for this technique to |
| the same notes, critical to good intonation, is | | | | work. Thus, teaching short cuts such as EBGDF |
| difficult to learn if a B-natural on the page is | | | | (every good boy deserves fudge/ Ernie gave |
| translated into a fourth finger on the E string, a | | | | Burt dead fish) for notes on lines, and FACE for |
| first finger on the A string, and a second finger | | | | notes in spaces is useful in the beginning - but, in |
| on the G string. Thus, students who read finger | | | | the long run, it is important that students |
| numbers rather than note names often have | | | | recognize notes immediately. |
| trouble with intonation in positions other than first, | | | | Teachers can assist in this process by asking |
| as well as difficulty locating the different positions. | | | | students if they are reading notes or finger |
| In fact, it makes sense why students would learn | | | | numbers, and by making sure they actually |
| to read finger numbers rather than notes when | | | | recognize the notes rather than counting lines and |
| beginning violin. After all, this is sufficient for | | | | spaces. For students reading finger numbers, they |
| reading first position. Thus, it can be difficult for | | | | can ask the student to use flash cards, and to |
| the teacher to realize that a student is not | | | | name the notes during lessons. |
| reading notes until that student needs to learn | | | | |