NOTE READING
I have students in Levels 1, 2A, 2B and higher who don't know their notes. Which level of Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading should I give them?
Test your students as shown in the demos while using the test sheets below.
Note Reading demo #1
9 year old student completes the "say" part of Say and Play Sheet #15 from Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading Level 1.
Note Reading demo #2
12 year old student completes the "play" part of Say and Play Sheet #9 from Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading Level 2A.
Test Sheets for using the STAR Note Reading books
If a student is past the Primer Level and is not able to name the five treble clef notes from middle C up to G and the eight bass clef notes from middle C down to bass C, start with Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading Primer Level Review. Continue with Level 1, Level 2A and finally Level 2B.
If a student is not able to name the twelve treble clef notes from middle C up to high G and the twelve bass clef notes from middle C down to low G, start with Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading Level 1.
Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading Level 2A will review all the notes learned in Level 1 and add treble clef B below middle C and bass clef E above middle C.
Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading Level 2B is a review of all the notes in all twelve 5-finger major and minor positions.
For students to feel they are succeeding, start in a lower level and focus more of the student's lesson and their assignment on note reading to quickly catch them up.
Test Sheets for using the TRIANGLE Note Reading books
If a student is past Level 1A and is not able to name the five treble clef notes from middle C up to G and the eight bass clef notes from middle C down to bass C, start with Mister Bass Clef® teaches Note Reading Level 1A Review. Continue with Level 1B, Level 2A and finally Level 2B.
If a student is not able to name the nine treble clef notes from middle C up to high D and the twelve bass clef notes from middle D down to low G, start with Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading Level 1B.
Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading Level 2A will review all the notes learned in Level 1B and add treble clef high E, F and G.
Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading Level 2B is a review of all the notes in all twelve 5-finger major and minor positions.
For students to feel they are succeeding, start in a lower level and focus more of the student's lesson and their assignment on note reading to quickly catch them up.
Test Sheets for using the DOT Note Reading books
If a student is past the Preparatory Level and is not able to name the five treble clef notes from middle C up to G and the eight bass clef notes from middle C down to bass C, start with Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading Preparatory Level Review. Continue with Grade 1, Grade 2A and finally Grade 2B.
If a student is not able to name the twelve treble clef notes from middle C up to high G and the twelve bass clef notes from middle C down to low G, then start with Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading Grade 1.
Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading Grade 2A will review all the notes learned in Grade 1 and add treble clef high A, bass clef low F and bass clef E above middle C.
Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading Grade 2B is a review of all the notes in all twelve 5-finger major and minor positions.
For students to feel they are succeeding, start in a lower level and focus more of the student's lesson and their assignment on note reading to quickly catch them up.
Is it possible to use the Note Reading books with any method series?
Yes, but since the notes may not be introduced in the same order as the method series you are using, it is best to use the Note Reading books to practice and reinforce the notes already learned.
Download either the test sheets for using the STAR Note Reading books, the test sheets for using the TRIANGLE Note Reading books or the test sheets for using the DOT Note Reading books and follow the instructions.
Important! If you start using the STAR Note Reading books, continue with them. If you start using the TRIANGLE Note Reading books, continue with them. If you start using the DOT Note Reading books, continue with them.
TO SEE THE ORDER THE NOTES ARE INTRODUCED
in the Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading series:
Do each of my students need to have their own Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading book?
Yes. Just using the Note Reading books to test students periodically during their lessons may help you, the teacher, to evaluate your students' competence at note reading, but it won't help them to become really proficient at recognizing notes quickly and easily. Your students need their own Note Reading books to take home with them along with properly scheduled assignments from their teacher so they can work on saying and the playing the notes on their own. Then they can prepare to be tested by their teacher at their lessons. There are Practice Sheets in the back of each book that can be used by a parent who doesn't know the note names or for self study.
How should I use the Say and Play Sheets at each lesson?
At each lesson, time your students and write their best times for saying and playing the notes. (Go to the first FAQ question to see Note Reading Demo #1 and Note Reading Demo #2.) For example: Joey says the notes in 35 seconds and plays the notes in 22 seconds. Fill in those times on the page in pencil. Tell Joey that his goal for the next lesson is to beat those times. At the next lesson, Joey might say the notes in 31 seconds and play them in 28 seconds. Change the say time to 31 seconds but leave the play time at 22 seconds (because his previous time was better than his new time). Each week, time Joey again until he gets 15 seconds or less on the say, the play or both. If he accomplishes the goal of 15 seconds on the play, but not on the say, then only time him on saying the notes at the following lesson.
Do my students need to say and play the timed sheets without making any mistakes?
No. A few mistakes are okay as long as the student can correct them and still complete the page in the time allowed. If a student makes too many mistakes, assign the page again for the next lesson.
Will my students love working on the Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Note Reading series?
Not always! Sometimes students grumble that they have to “work” at the books (oh no, not that!) and do those drills regularly. They may try to skip putting in the effort. Keep encouraging them, letting them know how much better they are doing each week (getting more notes right in a shorter time), and that there is a big payoff at the end. All of a sudden, your students will start showing off their skills at note reading and admit that those Note Reading books they have been trying to avoid have made a huge difference in being able to sight-read music and play songs much more easily.
IMPROVISING
If I have a student in Level 3A, what level of the Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Improvising series should I start with?
Even if you have students in higher levels in their Lesson and Performance method books, any student who has not been taught improvising in the past will need to start with Level 1 of Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Improvising. In order for the student to be on same level in all areas of piano study, you might temporarily focus more of their lesson on Improvising to catch them up.
Is it necessary to have the Teacher's Answer Key for the Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Improvising series?
The Teacher's Answer Key for Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Improvising contains all of the grand staff notation pages for every song in Level 1 through Level 3B and the review answers for Level 1 through Level 2B. Note: the Teacher's Answer Key DOES NOT include the instructions for each of the songs. The Teacher's Answer Key is a must so that you can be sure you correctly understand the instructions for each song in the student books.
Can I teach improvising even if I have not had a lot of experience with improvising?
Yes, each song in the Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Improvising series includes step-by-step instructions showing which chord or technique to use in each measure of the song. The songs move from simple to more complicated improvising as you work through the levels so you can learn how to improvise along with your students. Be sure you also have a copy of the Teacher’s Answer Key.
What if I want to give a Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Improvising book as a gift?
The Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Improvising Self-Study Editions have the instructions and the grand staff notation and answer pages in the same book. These books can be used for your own personal use or for a gift. DO NOT give these books to your students.
THEORY
What can I do about my teen and adult students who don't like to do the theory books with games and cute colored pictures?
Older students often get confused with the childish approach of many theory books and feel silly doing
books that were meant for grade school children. Younger students, while they like the fun stuff in the
theory books, may not learn the concepts terribly well. The Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Theory series can
be used with all students, young and old. Each concept is clearly presented and explained. The adults
understand easily and the kids do well with the help of their teacher. There are also "Do You Remember?"
pages throughout the books which review the concepts learned previously. At the end of each book, there
is a summary of everything the student has studied to that point.
TECHNIQUE
How can I get my students to practice and remember the 5-finger patterns, chords, scales and arpeggios?
While introducing new patterns, chords, scales and arpeggios, The Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Technique series continually reinforces what is learned.
My students are having fun being timed in the Note Reading books. Are there any other timed books?
Yes. Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO 5-Finger Patterns and Chords, Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Cross-Hand Arpeggios, Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO One-Octave Major Scales and Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO One-octave Arpeggios all have timed review exercises.
Do the Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Finger Exercises books include Hanon exercises?
Yes, Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Finger Exercises Level 3A includes Hanon’s classic exercises 1-10 along with others and Mister Bass Clef® teaches PIANO Finger Exercises Level 3B includes Hanon’s classic exercises 11-20 along with others.
ORDERING
When I try to place an order, the “Add to Cart” buttons and the “View Cart” button don’t always work?
Be sure to use the “Continue Shopping” button when moving from the Shopping Cart back to the website. If you’ve added a lot of books to the Shopping Cart, you will have to scroll down to the bottom of the page to be able to see the “Continue Shopping” button.
Can I place an order without going to the website?
Yes, orders can also be placed by phone (407-312-5770) with a credit card.