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www.kidsandmusik.com

Publishing

Método Suzuki Kindermusik

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All rights reserved, including the right to its full or partial reproduction.For additional information, please refer to:

Kids and Musik Publishing

(787) 721-7746

All Rights Reserved © 2014 by Lynnette CartagenaISBN 978-0-615-51214-3

Credits:

Copyist and editor:John Márquez

Editors:Irene Mitchell

Kathleen JonesAdam Havrilla

Educational adviser:Violeta Sánchez

Promusic & Arts Education, Corp.

English Translator: Enid Cruz-Mirabal

Composer of the day Section:

Cynthia Cartagena

www.kidsandmusik.com

Ediciones

Método Suzuki Kindermusik

English Edition

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To Paola, Paulis, Héctor Javier and Matías,

my inspiration in music education for children.

To my parents, Rosa and Héctor:

thank you for guiding my footsteps into the world of music.

To my sisters, Cynthia and Rosaly,

my best friends.

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Introduction

Every day I am grateful to have the experience of teaching music to children. The

joy of watching students understand and appreciate music provides me with a

great sense of fulfi llment.

My First Music Theory Book, Volume 1 has been designed for children from ages 4

and up. Students will be able to learn the fundamentals of music theory required

for their complete music development. Volume 1 is part of a series of educational

resources featuring fun activities, coloring sections, word-search puzzles, musical

math, Composer of the Day highlights, and full-color illustrations that make music

learning more enjoyable.

Parents, I encourage you to also study, do the work, and complete all assigned

exercises, because parents are the primary teachers in a student’s development.

Children imitate our behavior, and it’s thrilling to experience their enthusiasm as

they share their newly acquired knowledge through the help of My First Music

Theory Book, Volume 1.

In the fi nal section of the book there is a lesson entitled, Let’s sing! In it, you’ll fi nd

basic intonation exercises, which may be used, at the teacher’s discretion, during

earlier lessons.

I surely hope you enjoy, My First Music Theory Book, Volume 1. Please join me in this

exciting musical adventure!

Lynnette Cartagena

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Table of contents

Lesson 1 Music and the staff 1

Lesson 2 Treble clef 6

Lesson 3 Bass clef 9

Lesson 4 Musical notes 12

Lesson 5 Note values 20

Lesson 6 Whole notes 21

Lesson 7 Half notes 24

Composer of the day: Guillaume de Machaut 31

Lesson 8 Bar 33

Lesson 9 Double bars and repeat signs 35

Lesson 10 Quarter notes 37

Composer of the day: William Byrd 42

Lesson 11 Time signature 44

Lesson 12 Eighth notes 47

Composer of the day: Johann Sebastian Bach 56

Lesson 13 Sixteenth notes 61

Composer of the day: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 69

Lesson 14 Rests 75

Lesson 15 Whole rests 76

Lesson 16 Half rests 79

Lesson 17 Quarter rests 81

Composer of the day: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 84

Lesson 18 Eighth rests 86

Lesson 19 Sixteenth rests 92

Lesson 20 Let’s sing: The note C 96

Lesson 21 Let’s sing: The note D 98

Lesson 22 Let’s sing: The note E 101

Answers 104

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1

Music and the staff

Lesson 1

In the morning, we listen to the birds sing; at school, we sing songs to learn the ABCs; and in the

evening, mothers sing their babies to sleep with lovely lullabies. Music is all around us.

The word music comes from the Greek mousike:

“The art of the muses.” Music is the art of combining sounds

and silences to create melodies. We can all make music...

that includes you!

At school, you use the letters of the alphabet to write words and sentences, which allow

you to communicate with your friends. You write them down on a piece of ruled paper.

The same thing happens with music. Music is written on a staff. The italian composer Guido

d’Arezzo created the four-line staff. In the 13th century the fi ve-line staff appeared as

we know it today.

The staff is a set of 5 horizontal lines which looks like this:

Always count the lines of the staff from the bottom up - just like fl owers grow from the ground

up toward the sun.

�

Guido d’ ArezzoCreator of the four-line staff

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The Staff

Five lines and four spaces

Can you draw and color the lines and spaces of the staff? Of course you can!

Remember to start from the bottom up starting with the number 1.

Line fi ve in blue

Line four in red

Line three in green

Line two in yellow

Line one in purple

Space four in brown

Space three in pink

Space two in blue

Space one in orange

�

�

��

�

�

�

�

�

I sprout from the ground up toward the sun

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2

3

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5

1

2

3

4

Lines:

Spaces:

Lines:

Spaces:

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Now, build a staff tracing the dotted lines.

Indicate if the X is on a line or a space. See the example below.

a. b. c.

d. e. f. g.

h. i. j. k.

x

x

xx

xx

x

xx

x

x

x

space

Example:

Once more

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Line number ____

Línea número Espacio número Espacio número Línea número

Línea número Espacio número Espacio número Línea número

a. b. c. d.

e. f. g. h.

i.

Looking at the staves, indicate on which line or space the X has been placed.

Please draw two staves by joining the lines together. You may use your favorite color.

Line number

Line number Line number

Line number

Space number

Space number

Space number

Space number

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Did you know that your hand is like a staff? Your hand has fi ve fi ngers just like the fi ve lines of

the staff and the four spaces between them. Hold your hand down so that your thumb is line

number 1.

Draw your hand here and color it. Number each of your fi ve fi ngers and four spaces between

them. Your thumb is number 1.

Date: __________________________

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Treble clef

Lesson 2

The treble clef gives musical notes their names. The violin, piano and fl ute all require the treble

clef for reading music. Just like your parents gave you a name when you were born, the clef

gives musical notes their names on the staff.

When I was born my parents called me:

Please write your full name

Orange Pink Green Red Brown

This is the treble clef:

!Let’s color the treble clef.

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To draw the treble clef, you must begin on the second line of the staff. Remember to count

the lines of the staff from the bottom up.

Please draw the treble clef:

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6

Let’s do that one more time:

Use blue to draw the treble clef:

Use green to draw the treble clef:

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I love the treble clef! Me too!

Draw the treble clef 5 times on each staff:

��

True or False:

To draw the treble clef one must begin on the second line of the staff.

The treble clef gives musical notes their names.

A staff have 4 lines.

The word ‘music’ comes from the Greek mousike.

A staff has 3 spaces.

The lines of the staff are counted from the bottom up.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

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Bass clef

Lesson 3

The bass clef is a good friend of the treble clef. Children who play cello, piano and trombone

use the bass clef. To draw the bass clef, start on the fourth line of the staff. It resembles half of

a heart. Then, add two dots (one on top of the other) right next to it.

This is the bass clef:

Color the bass clef using your favorite color.

#

Paso 1 Paso 2 Paso 3 Paso 4

And now we draw it.

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

One more time.

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�Let’s draw 5 bass clefs. Do not forget the two dots to the right of each clef.

Draw the bass clef in purple:

Some instruments that use the bass clef in musical notation are,

Trombone Piano Tuba

Draw the bass clef in red:

�One more time.

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I read music using the bass clef: The cello

Color:

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Musical notes

Lesson 4

Just like you use letters of the alphabet to write, musical notes are combined to create music.

There are seven musical notes, each with its own name. They are:

A B C D E F G

Let’s write the names of the musical notes.

A - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____

_____ - B - _____ - _____ - E - _____ - _____

_____ - _____ - C - _____ - _____ - _____ - G

A - _____ - _____ -D - _____ - F - _____

Do you know words that begin with the names of the musical notes? Please write some of

them to match the illustrations.

A __________________

B __________________

C __________________

D __________________

E __________________

F __________________

G __________________

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The musical notes that you just learned are written on the staff. Each line and space has its

own name. When you write the treble clef at the beginning of the staff the lines and spaces

are named this way:

` � � � � � �E G B D F

� � � � �F A C E

Write the name below each note.

� � � � � �

� � � � �

Lines:

� � � � � �

� � � � �

Spaces:

Lines:

Spaces:

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Let’s review the names of the musical notes on the spaces of the staff.

Circle each example with the appropriate color for each note.

F - Green A - Yellow C - Red E - Blue

� � � � � �� � � �

� � � � � � � � � �

Good job!

Let’s review the names of the musical notes on the lines of the staff.

Circle each example with the appropriate color for each note.

E - Green G - Yellow B - Red D - Blue F - Black

� � � �� �

� � � � � � � �� �

� � � �

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� � � � � ��

� � �

� � � � � � � � � �

Let’s try it with the musical notes in no particular order. Note that they are all on the lines.

Write down their names.

The following notes are on the spaces. Write down their names.

Riddle Me This

Fill in the blanks with the name of the note in order to guess the hidden phrases.

� �va

� �nd

efore

� �

The irls

� �hoir

� �id a great job !

rank went to the concert.

My music teacher practices oing to work.

� � � �

� �

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Help the conductor fi nd the musicians of his orchestra.

Draw a line across the maze in order to reach them.

Start

Finish

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Match

� �

� �

� �

� �

� �

� �

� �

� �

C

F

F

D

E

G

A

B

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Read aloud and write down the names of the notes on the lines of the staff.

� � � � � � � � � �

� � � � � � � � � �

� � � � � � � � � �

� � � � � � � � � �� � �

� � �� � � �

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

� �� � �

� � � ��

� � � � � � �� � �

� � � � � � � � � �f.

g.

h.