Flashnote Derby (filtered)
What does Flashnote Derby do for me?
It helps me help students develop confidence when reading pitches on the grand staff.
In order to read from the grand staff, it’s necessary to memorize the look of pitches on the grand staff and their location on the keyboard. This takes a fair amount of repetition and that’s why flash cards were invented!
Flashnote Derby provides virtual flashcards with racing themes—horse, unicorn, reindeer or space ship. You can isolate drills down to two pitches on the grand staff including ledger lines and chromatics. The app comes with important upgrades that flashcards don’t have: immediate gamification, scorekeeping and feedback. This means that students can drill, assess and track their progress without your help!
In my studio, all students are asked to memorize landmarks and their names that are given by me:
Treble Clef: Middle C, Treble G, Face C, Outer Space G and Cloud C
Bass Clef: Middle C, Bass F, Cow C, Basement F and Deep Blue C
I give them a chart with the landmark names (found here) which has already been discussed on the bench with me. Then, during Off Bench Time, we choose a staff, select at least two landmarks and start a race in Flashnote Derby. The graphic below display the screen where players tap on the pitches to be reviewed.
Players may choose how to enter their answers:
on the screen with letter buttons
on the screen with a keyboard
on the screen with piano keys with letters
on an acoustic piano and the app listens to the answers
on a Midi keyboard with a USB to Midi cable.
Once they get a high score, students add another landmark or two and begin another race.
The total amount of landmarks reviewed in one session depends on the level of the student. With the help of Flashnote Derby, students become “best friends” with all the landmarks. Once this happens, they are ready to review notes that surround the landmarks and play continues until students see their confidence soar and their need for pitch recognition drills fades.
Leave your email and sign up for the Grand Staff Map as shown above. It also includes a blank map so students can practice writing in the landmarks.
App: Flashnote Derby
For: Pitch Recognition
Link: https://flashnotederby.com/
Grand Staff Map: https://www.leilaviss.com/store-home/grand-staff-map
Here’s a post that explains how to use Flashnote Derby and Rhythm Swing—another must have app. Read the complete blog here.