6 ‘Easy Steps’ To Teach Whole Notes

When you look at sheet music you will see that there are different types of notes, some are outlines without stems, others are outlines with stems, some are solid black with just stems, while others are solid black and joined together with beams etc. 

In this post I’m going to show you how you can introduce ‘Whole Notes’ to your kids in six easy steps. 

Once you are done reading the post, don’t forget to download the printable that I have made available  so you can take your child’s learning to the next level. 

Show And Tell

That’s it. Just show a flashcard with a Whole Note, or draw it out on a paper or white board or simply point it out on a piece of sheet music and tell your child that a notehead with no stem is called a Whole Note. 

Tell Him/Her The Alternate Names

Now tell your child that while in North America we call this type of note, a ‘Whole Note’, in other parts of the world, especially in Asia and Europe the note is called a Semibreve. 

Clapping And Counting

Now that your child can identify the note and knows both its names, it is time to explain that a Whole Note/Semibreve consists of 4 beats. 

This means when played on the piano, you play the note, and hold it down for 4 beats. 

You count 1, 2, 3, 4. 

If clapping, you clap once and then count 2, 3, 4, before you clap for the next note. 

Writing The Note

Next, you show your child how to write a Whole Note on a line, and in a space, as well as over the stave, hanging from the stave, as Middle C and ledger line notes. 

Identifying Whole Notes

Now, show your child some sheet music (if you don’t have any handy, use the sheet music in the printable I have made available) and ask your child to identify all the Whole Notes. 

On The Keyboard

Now have your child play Whole Notes. For this you can simply draw a treble or bass staff on a piece of paper and write out a few Whole Notes on different lines and spaces and have your child read the notes, play them and count four beats for each note. 

If your child cannot read music notes as yet, you can still have your child play Middle Cs. 

For this you need to draw about three Middle Cs on a paper, have your child play Middle C, hold it down and count to 4, then play the next Middle C, hold down the note and count to 4 and so on. 

So what do you think? 

Can you introduce the Whole Note to your child today, with these six easy steps? 

Don’t forget to download the printable included with this post.