Notation Cheat Sheet

[klavieronin]

I've put together a piano music notation cheat sheet if anyone is interested. It doesn't cover everything but makes a handy reference for students and a useful decoration for your studio if you are a teacher. You can download it here (free); https://klavieronin.com/resources/notation-cheat-sheet/

[perfect_pitch]

I did try to download it to give my feedback, but I get the same error everytime:

AccessDeniedAccess Denied2N28TGMRH264T98RjTd4vSDu81I/hoWRAwsx9LTi5dcYkiEKlMDQWEbtmF3S0EzkzYx8F79nRFF0Z6g8MOatPqmR3+I=

It's too tiny on the web-site to see what it really covers.

[klavieronin]

Sorry about that, I forgot to make the link public. Try now.

[keypeg]

Wow, a lot of work must have been put into this.  I like the fact that note values are "bilingual" i.e. "quaver" and "crotchet".  I remember when I was trying to remember the names of things and what they were.  I could have used this.

[klavieronin]

Wow, a lot of work must have been put into this.  I like the fact that note values are "bilingual" i.e. "quaver" and "crotchet".  I remember when I was trying to remember the names of things and what they were.  I could have used this.

Thanks, glad you like it. Yeah, there's probably a full week's worth of work in there.

[ranjit]

This is fantastic! The formatting is really good. I remember not being quite sure when I first encountered some of those Italian terms.

[klavieronin]

This is fantastic! The formatting is really good. I remember not being quite sure when I first encountered some of those Italian terms.

Thanks. I appreciate the kind words.

[j_tour]

Oh, I actually like this quite a bit.  I use all kind of "cheat sheets" for computer stuff like editors (vi/vim, emacs) and basic commands in all kinds of stuff.  As in, a three-ring binder stuffed full of laminated reference pages. 

Good work!

Maybe one of these days I'll learn with the aid of a similar tool to read the C clef moveable fluently!

I like the idea, and at first glance, it's undoubtedly useful to many people.

A+!  Good stuff.

[lostinidlewonder]

The only issue I have with printing it off and using it constantly is that it then becomes an integral tool required to be used. I have had students who do this and never break away from them always referring to their sheets for the answer. It is a similar problem I find with students who have all the letters written in on their keyboard, these students struggle to remember names of notes without constantly cheating.

[ranjit]

I hadn't thought about that, but you are very right. I think that the same thing happens with those who are overly reliant on sheet music when it comes to memory.

[lostinidlewonder]

I hadn't thought about that, but you are very right. I think that the same thing happens with those who are overly reliant on sheet music when it comes to memory.

Specifically relying on the sheet music when you have strong reading skills is no problem since you already have memorised music like that a billion times and merely need to be cued. Of course if your over reliance of the sheets is also combined with poor reading then there’s a problem, is is pretty rare though to encounter since poor readers almost always try to memorise in some manner.

[klavieronin]

Oh, I actually like this quite a bit.  I use all kind of "cheat sheets" for computer stuff like editors (vi/vim, emacs) and basic commands in all kinds of stuff.  As in, a three-ring binder stuffed full of laminated reference pages. 

Good work!

Maybe one of these days I'll learn with the aid of a similar tool to read the C clef moveable fluently!

I like the idea, and at first glance, it's undoubtedly useful to many people.

A+!  Good stuff.

Thanks very much. I'm glad you like it.

[klavieronin]

The only issue I have with printing it off and using it constantly is that it then becomes an integral tool required to be used.

I hadn't imagined people would use it like that. It was more intended as a quick reference for when students get stuck or forget something they had learnt previously. Keep in mind, this is an A1 (or at a minimum A2) poster so it won't fit on the music stand, meaning you would have to get up from the piano in order to read it. As for my personal use, it serves more as a teaching aid for when questions come up during lessons.

[perfect_pitch]

We have a big A0 printer at our school (You read right), so I might see if I can try and get this printed. Might have to do a few favours for some people though.

[keypeg]

I hadn't imagined people would use it like that.

Neither had I.  Nor would I.  In fact, I can't actually imagine it being used that way.  I see it as a reference to go to, and a learning aid. For ANY tool, its effectiveness or harm depends on how it's used.  Here a teacher's guidance might come in.  How do you study / how do you learn things?

[klavieronin]

We have a big A0 printer at our school (You read right), so I might see if I can try and get this printed.

Please do. That'd be awesome!

[lostinidlewonder]

Neither had I.  Nor would I.  In fact, I can't actually imagine it being used that way.  I see it as a reference to go to, and a learning aid. For ANY tool, its effectiveness or harm depends on how it's used.  Here a teacher's guidance might come in.  How do you study / how do you learn things?

Logically it CAN happen and if you are a teacher who has taught many students you will have experienced it firsthand.

It most commonly occurs when they use guides to tell them the letters of the notes on a keyboard or how to read lines and spaces and ledger lines of the staves. Students who have the letters stuck on each piano key really take a lot longer to remember the names of notes they play. Some of my students photocopy my lesson notes and blow them up so they can use them as cheat notes, but the problem with that is that it doesn't become something they can do naturally and from within themselves, it always needs that paper reference to tell them. I use to think that over time they will use it less however some never really broke away from it.

Cheat sheets are fine for say decorative or classroom settings but if they are right next to you in your study area and you find yourself CONSTANTLY referring to it, then there is a problem.

I write negative possibilities (i.e. a student over using it as a reference) because I feel that only saying positive things doesn't always bring about much critical thinking. This doesn't mean I don't see a lot of positive things in what klavieronin has done.

[klavieronin]

Students who have the letters stuck on each piano key really take a lot longer to remember the names of notes they play.

I've definitely witnessed that problem and I always discourage it whenever a student or parent brings it up. I also take your point about using reference sheets to help find the notes on the staff but I've never had a student who felt the need to do that. It might be the way I teach or maybe just coincidence. How do you feel about using mnemonics for the lines and spaces though?

[ranjit]

I don't really see the need. Just have them play one of those games which quizzes your knowledge of the notes and gives you a time-based score, and they will probably get better in weeks. Worked for me fwiw

[lostinidlewonder]

...I also take your point about using reference sheets to help find the notes on the staff but I've never had a student who felt the need to do that. It might be the way I teach or maybe just coincidence....

I've had a few students who blow up line and space note charts and have them right next to them on the piano at all times. It is the students choice to do such things though it should be avoided if you find you are overusing it.

How do you feel about using mnemonics for the lines and spaces though?

Everyone should know it but how it is used can be different. I do encouage students to use say the space notes only to calculate the line notes, or the line notes only to calculate the space. This kind of calculation is helpful to practice. I also have them know well where all the Cs are below, on and above the staves, this can also be used as points to calculate notes and to estimate their location on the keyboard (between which two Cs the note lies).

[klavieronin]

It occurred to me that many people don't have access to a printer that can print on large paper so I've made a 4xA4 PDF that you can print at home and stick together. It's a little fiddly but I've overlapped each page to make it easier to put together. My printer at home is a little inaccurate the so pages didn't line up perfectly but it does the job if you can't print out a bigger version.

https://klavieronin.com/resources/notation-cheat-sheet/#quad-version