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Horizontal Staff

8/23/2015

4 Comments

 
Horizontal Staff
Reading piano music is a complex activity for many reasons. One of the biggest challenges beginners face is correlating notes that go up and down on the staff to keys that go "up and down" (right and left) on the keyboard. One teaching aid that I and many other teachers have found helpful is the "sideways" or horizontal staff. By turning the staff 90 degrees, students can more directly see how the staff and keys are related. Obviously, the staff can't stay that way, but seeing it turned on its side can help students make the connection even when it resumes its usual vertical form.

In 2013, I decided to make a large horizontal staff with "notes" (colored squares) that actually lined up with the corresponding keys on the keyboard. I color coded the squares to match some wooden letter beads I'd bought. Unfortunately, the bead set is no longer available for purchase (and I lost my pink "G" bead!). It's not hard to get your hands on pink, blue, and purple Post-it notes or highlighter tape though, if you like the color matching idea!

I've linked to two files below: an oversized PDF file that can either be printed on a large printer like a plotter or tiled over six 8.5 x 11" pages (see below), as well as an 8.5 x 11" PDF version that includes a printed keyboard.

Horizontal Staff PDF - Oversized (22 x 13")
Horizontal Staff PDF - Letter Size (8.5 x 11")

You are welcome to use these files in your studio and send them home with students for home use! I only ask that you not redistribute or alter them. Please share how you are using them in the comments!

Printing the Oversized PDF at Home:
You can print the oversized file in Adobe Acrobat Reader using 8.5 x 11" paper using by tiling it over 6 pages and trimming carefully!

Screenshot
Tiled Horizontal Staff
4 Comments
Wade Cottingham link
8/28/2015 02:14:41 pm

Thank you Lauren this is really cool. I don't have an oversize printer, but I will find a way to print the life size version on a regular printer - using two passes, two sheets of paper, or something. Then I'll keep copies on hand to use and draw notes on etc. Great design.

Reply
Lauren Sonder
8/28/2015 03:05:54 pm

Hi Wade, I think you can tile pages in Adobe Acrobat by choosing "Page Scaling > Tile Large Pages" in the Print dialog box. I hope that works! Places like Office Depot and FedEx Office can also print large files like this, but it's a bit pricey.

Reply
Donna Calanchini
8/28/2015 03:10:50 pm

Would love a copy of this.

Reply
Lauren Sonder
8/28/2015 03:18:42 pm

Hi Donna, you can download the files by clicking on the links in the blog post above! Let me know if you have any questions!

Reply



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    Lauren Sonder
    Lauren Sonder is a piano teacher in Norman, OK.
    She believes in providing a well rounded musical education that emphasizes training the ear, learning music in a variety of styles, and being creatively engaged at the piano.

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