Musical Staff I

Materials:

• The bells, a mallet, the bell table (another table is necessary to place the staff on)

• Musical staff #1 (with the notes painted on it)

• 8 black notes with the names of the pitches of the C major scale on one side and the numerals 1-8 on the other side

Purposes: To show the placement of the notes of the C major scale on the staff

Age: 4 ½ 

Preparation: The child can pair and grade the diatonic scale and the child knows the names of the pitches/notes of the C scale.

Presentation: 

• Invite the child to play the ascending and descending scale.

• Ask the child to arrange the notes in order in front of each bell-strike then place the disc. 

• Show the child the musical staff #1.

• Bring the child’s attention to the lines and count them from the bottom full line upward. Bring the child’s attention to the spaces and count them from bottom to top. Explain the short line is the ledger line and its space is the space below the staff.   

• Do a brief three-period lesson.

• Explain that each note has a place on the staff.

• Play low C and place the low C note on the staff.

• Continue in this way for the rest.

• Point to the first note on the staff, say the name, and then play the bell.  Do for all from C to C.

• Place the notes back in front of the bells and invite the child to play the bell and then place the note on the staff.

• After the child is finished invite them to play what they wrote.

• Show the child to check their work by turning over the discs to see the numerical order

Control of Error: The number on the back of the discs matches the numbers on the board.

Language: Musical staff, line, space

Following Exercises:

• Using a Memory Marker with the Staff:  Place the memory marker randomly by a note on the staff and then play the corresponding bell.

Memory Games: None