Your Feedback and Successes using Easy Notes

Thank you for the feedback that you have sent to us. The little anecdotes and stories that you relay to us give us great pleasure as it confirms that children really can learn the notes easily, in a way that is fun, entertaining and engaging. Best of all, you as teachers no longer have to battle with methods of teaching notes that are not suited to children, and can instead enjoy a fun time together with your students while they learn the ABC of music, the learning of the notes on the stave and keyboard.

To see Kid’s feedback, click here.

I am really excited about your system of teaching kids to read. From what I see on your website, I know already that this will work very well. The boring and long time spent in lessons with the student’s finger to the page and whispering EGBD…. then often getting RH mixed with LH – GBDFA is at long last going to come to an end.
June, Palmerston, Ontario, Canada
I would like to order your Level 2 book. I used Book 1 with one of my daughters and she loved it….I am “sold” on your method – so much easier than the traditional way! I just regret that I didn’t take time to teach her with it sooner.
Janice, Lakeport, California USA
I received the package today. The music board and the magnets are so cute. I’m so happy with it. My students will love it, too.
Mimi, New Hyde Park, New York
I am so, so glad I am using your fantastic method! Kids are reading so much faster and I even use the character association with older students when they get a little forgetful! They giggle which usually means they will remember better!
Josie, Sydney, Australia
The book has been so successful I'd like to order some more. Please could I have four copies each of the easy notes books one and two.
Charolotte, Cheshire, England
Thank you for creating such a wonderful system! This is a missing link in other piano methods – connecting notes to appropriate keys and doing it in unison with the child’s developmental ability to understand abstract symbols. I am a Dalcroze Eurhythmics teacher (teaching music through movement) and all those animals and Boy and Girl will inspire movement activities that I employ during my piano lessons. Thanks again!
Maria, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
It’s fun. That’s what’s been missing all these years, fun!!
Robyn, Hamilton, New Zealand
The concept is GREAT and I as well as the students are enjoying the learning process. The white board is so colourful and exciting and makes it all such fun.
Beverley, Wellington, New Zealand
I just wanted to let you know I have found Easy Notes very helpful for one of my students in particular. She told me the other day that the characters have really helped her remember which notes are which. Her note reading has certainly improved which is so cool to see.
Jennifer, Whangarei, New Zealand
I have found that my beginner students have picked up reading of the notes so much better being able to associate the notes with pictures.
J.O., Hamilton, New Zealand
Hi. I have had great success using easy notes. 3 pupils are finding it a lot easier to recognise notes and they enjoy using it!
Dianne, New Zealand
I just wanted to let you know how excited my younger students are about reading notes now. They love your system, the white board and all the characters. I even have some children with low ability who are starting to make the connections.
Anna, Invercargill, New Zealand
I have 2 students using Easy Notes now and am amazed by the first one who started at the beginning of this term and is powering her way through Piano Adventures Primer level, all because of Easy Notes. She's learnt the note names so quickly compared with other students I've taught, and is enjoying her learning. The other student is a gifted boy, aged 9 who just can't seem to learn how to read music, despite his giftedness! He was introduced to the book on Tuesday and almost immediately asked if he could just work through it at his own pace, not just do 3 pages!

You've created a miracle, Rebecca!

Rose, New Zealand
I have been using Easy Notes this year with all of my students at school from Year 1 – Year 8 and keeping a check on where everyone is up to. They all absolutely adore the books and stories and use the names of the notes to work them all out on the keyboard. It has definitely helped their keyboard geography.
Christine, New Zealand
I have enjoyed using your Easy Notes books. My 6yr old girls really love the magnets and look forward to their lessons, such a change in teaching style for me and most productive – at last the girls are learning. Yea!
Raewyn, New Zealand
The pupils that I have been using Easy Notes with absolutely love using the books and the magnet board. I have been really pleased with how using them has helped especially the younger ones with their grasp on where the notes are on the keyboard and on the stave. It has been a breakthrough for one of my pupils!
D.T., New Zealand
I have a six year old girl/pupil who always (quite impatiently) keeps asking ‘Can we do the magnet board now?’ ’Have you remembered we haven’t done the magnet board yet?’ And when I say okay let’s do it …exclamations of glee including ‘okay cool’ ‘yippee’ ‘ oooooooohhhhhhhhhh I just LOVE IT!!
Linda, Hamilton, New Zealand
The magnet board and books are going well. The children I teach in a variety of ages are enjoying using the magnets and learning the note names. I have always enjoyed teaching using flashcards and different props so this is another great tool to use. Its heaps of fun, kids love the magnets – I teach individuals and groups and it’s very successful. I will spread the word to other Teachers about the system.
Jude, Timaru, New Zealand
I have always been a fan of flashcards and now that I have Easy Notes it has made this part of my teaching fun and exciting for my pupils. My pupils absolutely love them and so do I. They really do work.
Angela, Hamilton, New Zealand
Easy Notes has been extremely effective in helping students learn the names of the notes. They are instantly able to recognize the notes they have learned so far. Progression develops steadily each music session. The character association has helped students easily recall the names of the notes. Although I have not kept strictly to the ‘story’ it becomes an activity of learning and fun. It has taken the chore and slog out of theory. The kinaesthetic approach to the learning of notes of the staff has become a valuable tool to learning theory of music at this beginning level.

It has been easy for me to use – the magnet board, magnets and characters are kept out for daily use. Not too cumbersome and very user friendly.

Shona, Hamilton, New Zealand
The set I purchased from your Dunedin visit is very popular with my grandchildren. At 4 ½ and 6 years of age, and of course “very musical” (says their proud Granny) the magnetic board and notes was a great follow up from the piano lessons they always get when they come to visit. Your storybook idea worked well and it was used in conjunction with reading from a more “traditional” tutor book. The two didn’t conflict and they loved the idea of finding the boy and the girl and their pets and apple trees on the piano. I also know that a colleague has used her set for group teaching at a Rudolf Steiner school, and tells me her young pupils found it great fun.
Elizabeth, Dunedin, New Zealand
I have only been using the Easy Notes system this term but can already see some improvement in my students’ note recognition. They seem to really enjoy this different way of learning AND an unexpected bonus is that I have found that the lesson is more enjoyable for me – certainly much less frustrating! Thank you Rebecca!
Sarah, Christchurch, New Zealand
I have been really impressed with your books and magnetic board and magnets. I have had all positive comments from parents and children. Even older children wanted to do it to improve their note reading. They have too. The children all think it’s fun, especially the magnetic board and magnets. Some of the children love to get me to test them with the flashcards. They too are excellent especially the second side with the clues.

Also, I have a 21 year old autistic girl who cannot read or read music who I am beginning to use this course with and she likes it. She has up to now played by ear and by copying what I do. We just use the board and magnets.

Parents have told other parents about the books encouraging them to buy them. I will do it with all my new piano students. Even some of my classical guitar students who are about to start theory and music reading I may use this course with as it is a fun way of introducing the notes.

I highly recommend this course and encourage you to go world-wide as it is excellent and so helpful for students to learn their notes.

MP, New Zealand
I have been using the Easy Notes books and the children love them. They are learning the notes more easily as predicted and even the parents are learning and showing great enthusiasm. We love the stories. My greenies are not so keen on Dad spraying the bugs but hey it is real life!! Thank you, Rebecca, for dreaming up such a valuable resource.
Pam, Wellington, New Zealand
I have been using your Easy Notes board and books with my classes of music basics students who are five and six years old. They have learnt the notes both on the stave and the keyboard extremely fast. They love the stories and often ask for more. I also teach a few weeks of recorder and violin to them and being able to read the notes on the stave quickly and reliably made learning more fun for them, and teaching easier for me. I will definitely be continuing to use Easy Notes with all my beginners. Many thanks for a great resource.
Catherine, New Zealand
I would like to say how much I have enjoyed using Easy Notes Books 1&2 with a young student this year. What I found most interesting was the enthusiastic approach by the student to using the books and the magnetic characters used on the board. The stories are fun and something tactile to do relating to theory is creative. I have found the books easy to work with, with plenty of revision, and the flash cards are very useful for parents to use at home for note learning.

The stories contribute to making the theory-time a happy occasion. The anticipation to find out what the next new note is becomes encouraging for the student. I also encourage the use of the characters names when working at the piano both in the music and keyboard. I find it a very successful method of teaching notation.

Well done, it is a very creative and fun way to teach theory.

Jocelyn, New Zealand
I have used Easy Notes with some of my younger students to revise note-reading, and it is an instant success! I also recently gave it to a very musical 15 yr old, who got 91% for a Trinity Gr 5 Piano exam, but somehow still has trouble with bass note recognition, despite my continued efforts. I then mentioned that I have a new system designed for young students and we had a lot of fun introducing the lower bass cleff notes your way! He even suggested calling the note below the lowest C, “Bottom B” – his own contribution. So your system is working!
Anita, New Zealand
I have used the magnetic board and the magnets a great deal at Palmerston North Saturday music. I teach music basics. I have a lot of 4 and 5 year olds. It has been a brilliant resource.
Mary, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Thought you’d be interested to know a fairly new beginner 16 yr old is benefiting most from Easy Notes at the moment!
Paula, Auckland, New Zealand
My daughter has made her way through all the magnets and loves it. Even our 2yr old son parrots her.
Tom, Dunedin, New Zealand
Our daughter and her cousin had a great time making their own games and competitions using the white board these holidays at granny’s. Great way for them to learn.
Ron, Dunedin, New Zealand
My kids love it. We never had Dog D and Cat C when I learned the piano.
Claire, Auckland, New Zealand
I wish I’d learned the piano this way when I was a kid – I might have stuck with it for longer!
Peter, Hamilton, New Zealand

Kids’ Feedback

I like putting the magnets on the board. I like shooting Football F into the goal and giving Cat C some whiskers."
Malachi, 5
They have cool little stories that help me to know the notes in my music. The notes in my theory book help me to play the notes in my piano book."
Georgia, 7
Whenever I see notes in music I just know straight away what they are." 
Anesu, 9
The notes get given names and that makes it easier to learn them. I like doing the theory because it helps me to know the notes instantly." 
Jessica, 8
I like getting a sticker when I do my theory." 
Lyrik, 6
I think it’s cool because it helps me to learn the notes. I like putting the magnets on the board and I like the pictures on them because if they were plain it wouldn’t be fun." 
Sophie, 7
It’s a fun easy way to learn the notes." 
Jasmine, 9
I like music with granny. This holiday time Laura stays at granny’s house with me and we had lots of fun with the board and getting the little round pictures on the right bits. We made a competition with it and I won. We both had fun and now I know more notes for music." 
Edana, 7
You explain music a kid’s way." 
Joel, 8
I like doing the Easy Notes book." 
Cullen, 7
It’s creative and it’s fun. It makes learning fun." 
Naomi, 10
It makes it easy to remember the notes and that really helps when I play songs on the piano." 
John, 11
I like the magnets with the pictures. They’re cute." 
Sarah, 11
The kids love it. We never had Dog D and Cat C when I learned the piano." 
Claire - a Mum

Find out more

How Easy Notes Works - an explanation for the teacher
How Easy Notes Works - an explanation for the self-learner
The trouble with mnemonics!
Why is Easy Notes so effective?
Learning music by association
A better way to learn music - tell me a story
Piano lesson books Easy Notes works with
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