Tracing Through Theory: Volume One: The Grand Staff

Tracing Through Theory uses simple instructions, diagrams, and tracing exercises to help young, beginner piano students understand and decipher music notation and theory.

Volume One teaches students how to recognize and identify the symbols and elements of the grand staff, which is used to read music. Without an understanding of the grand staff, the beginner music student-whether their instrument is the piano, digital keyboard, or organ-will find it difficult to adequately progress in their music studies. Topics include:

Horizontal and vertical lines Treble and bass clef signs Time signatures Key signatures Bar lines Brace Ledger lines Whole note Line notes and space notesFollowing the short (one-page) lesson, the student completes a worksheet. Each subsequent lesson and worksheet build upon previous concepts. Worksheets employ multiple-choice and true/false questions, diagrams, or tracing exercises. Extra worksheets are included to learn how to trace the treble and bass clefs and identify the black keys on the keyboard. Answer keys are included.

A combination of oral instruction, visual diagrams, and tracing over the elements of musical notation and concepts have proven to teach students as young as five-years-old the basics of music theory. By following the simple, clear lessons, the student (and teacher!) will be surprised how easy it is to learn the language of music: the key to reading music and playing their instrument well.

As a piano teacher, I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to see your student finally 'get it.' Almost all my young beginner students struggle with some of the essentials: line and space notes, middle C, and ledger lines. But I have learned I cannot start there. I must get down to the basics of basics: vertical and horizontal lines. I begin by asking my new students to draw a horizontal or vertical line, and often they can't do it. Thanks to "Tracy Though Theory," my students not only learn the basics, they 'get it' and are so excited! They now love to learn about music theory and play their instrument.

For more information, and to review sample pages, please visit our website: www.TracingThroughTheory.com.