For some reason, a few of my kids have been having trouble playing the correct notes when sharps and flats are used. I am going to go over this with them tomorrow in their group lessons.

For flats, I usually ask them to think about what happens when they get a flat tire on their bike. They usually say that the tire goes down...so that's an easy parallel for them.

But, how do you all teach sharps? Is there a visual image you give them for sharp notes?

Thanks!

A pin is sharp. When you sit on a pin you go up. I'm sure there is something better, but I remember hearing this at some point.

Sharp tacks! They're pointy! You get up if you sit on one.

Like Arlene, I use the sharp tack example.

I actually say, if I were a really mean teacher and wanted to play a terrible joke on you - I could put a sharp tack on the bench - and what would you do? Then I make sure to say that I would never do that because I'm not a mean teacher. We have a laugh - and they generally remember.

I don't know if this will help, but I've found that often it's a technical issue. Some students will try to reach up to the black keys with there fingers. I find it very helpful to teach them that when a black key is played, we must move our elbows slightly forward and raise our wrists, otherwise the black keys feel like they're running away from us or always out of reach.

As for the reading part, there are some wonderful introductory pieces for sharps and flats in Lynn Freeman Olson's "Right From the Start." They can be quickly taught and if you keep them on the students' assignment sheets for a few weeks, they'll get it all figured out and never have trouble again!

Try "eurhythmics" instead. Put them on a flight of stairs (or a stepping stool if you live in a ranch and don't have stairs) and show them large flat and sharp sign cards, telling them to step higher or lower according to the sign. Moving the body through space in response to a visual stimuli provides a better breakthrough in understanding and retaining for most individuals.

I use my stairs all the time for reading up and down - sometimes going through the entire song on the step, but for some reason I never thought to this with sharps and flats. The same students that have trouble with up/down - right/left - are often the ones that get sharps and flats mixed up. I'll have to try this.

Sometimes the terminology "up-down" is a little confusing. On a piano, sharps and flats don't go up and down, they go right and left!

Wow! These are all super suggestions and comments! I'm going to try the "sharp tack" as well as the moving up and down the stairs today. That should be fun for them!

I'll be watching my students in the future to see what the problem really is...thanks for all the thoughts on this!