flashcards?

[BajoranD]

I just read through the thread regarding bass-clef note reading in the students' forum (https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=stud;action=display;num=1087022500), and nobody suggested the use of flashcards to increase fluency. I like to first make sure my students understand the fundamental concepts of the staff, and then use the flashcards to increase their recognition speed, so that eventually they KNOW the notes, without having to mentally translate (e.g. "Every Good Boy . . . that must be a B . . ."). Does anyone else out there use flashcards as a tool, or have strong feelings as to why I shouldn't?

[pianoannie]

i'll toss out some thoughts. some teachers don't like flashcards because they can be a bit dry and dull.  but i have 2 main arguments against such thinking.
1. rote drills, though a bit dull, are excellent for focusing in on a specific concept and to increase fluency.  like when a school pupil needs to memorize the multiplication table, they must drill drill drill.  than after the pupils know the mult table, they still need to cement the answers in their minds and be able to pull the answers out quickly, hence timed quizzes (ie 100 mult problems in 1 minute, every day, for however long it takes).  (at least that's how it was done when my kids were in elementary school).

so, what i'm saying is that some rote drilling of note flashcards can be useful.  sure, students need to *understand* how all the lines and spaces fit together, and how the treble clef is based on G and the bass clef is based on F, etc.  But ultimately, a student needs to get to the point where they have immediate recognition of notes on every line and space.  simple memorization, really.  and flashcards can help accomplish that.  i do have all my new students work with flashcards at home, with reviewing during lessons as needed.

2. but my second argument in favor of flashcards, is that they don't always have to be used in dull rote ways.  make a game of naming the notes, even if it is as simple as timing them each week and making a big deal out of the student's time improving each week.  here are some other flashcard games:
a. "pick-a-key"  Both teacher and student put a small game piece on a key on the piano (within the range of notes the student is learning with his flashcards.)  student pulls out a flashcard, names the note, plays the note, whoever put their game piece closest to the flashcard note "wins" that flashcard.  play until all flashcards are used up.
b. "higher-lower" using the stack of flashcards the student is studying, the teacher plays a key on the piano (within range of flashcards), student has to choose higher or lower, then pull out a flashcard and see if he was right.  in other words, if teacher plays treble G, student says "higher" and student pulls flashcard treble A, he wins that card.
c. "oops!" (for small group).  students sit in circle, stack of flashcards in the center (covered up so they can't be seen).  first player takes top card such that no one else can see it.  he decides what letter it is, then holds it up and says a letter (but not necessarily the correct letter).  the other students each try to be the first to either call out the same letter (if it's correct) or call out "oops" if he said it wrong (either intentionally or on purpose).  whoever responds correctly first wins the card.

there are lots of other things you can do with flashcards--hopefully these ideas will get you started.

[pianoannie]

btw, here's a link where you can print out note flashcards.  of course you'd want to use cardstock, not computer paper.

https://www.toddfamily.com/policies/flo's_flash_cards.htm