After a few years of teaching, you might start looking for ideas to use music note flashcards for more than note drills.

While note drills have their place (and I have done many 1-minute challenges in my studio!), there are so many fun things you can do with one-note music note flashcards.

Here are four fun ideas to shake up your music note flashcards in the studio!

1. Teach Lines & Spaces with Music Note Flashcards

Let’s start with your beginning students.

It’s tempting to wait and use music note flashcards for when students know their note names, but you can use them way before then!

Start by introducing your students to lines and spaces.

Here are 2 fun games to teach lines & spaces with music note flashcards

First, be sure to only use notes that are on the lines and spaces (e.g. no Middle C).

• It’s war! Give each student a die. Flip up a card and students race to roll the correct number on the die (e.g. Line 1 = 1; Space 3 = 3). The first student with the correct number collects the card. Student with the most cards at the end wins.
• Each student has a die. The cards are at the center. Each student picks a card and has to roll their die to match the number. As soon as they do, they can pick another card from the center. Student with the most cards at the end wins.

2. Use Music Note Flashcards for Sight Reading

This is going beyond note drills with flashcards.

Bring the music note flashcards to the piano and have students actually read the cards they’re reviewing.

Here are four sight-reading ideas you can use:

• Lay out 5 cards. Teacher says a note name (“treble clef G”) and the student has to find it. If you’re playing in a group, the first student to slap the correct note gets to keep the card. The student with the most cards at the end wins.
• Lay 3 cards on the piano and play 1 of them. The student has to identify the exact note played (this is a great idea for having all 3 Cs on the piano and they have to decide if you played low, middle, or high).
• Lay 5 cards on the keyboard and have the student sightread through them. For fun, put the Neighborhood Notes buildings in a cup and have them draw 1 building when they’ve correctly sight-read 5 notes. After 3 rounds, how many points do they have?
• For a group: show students 1 card. They must race to play the exact pitch on the piano!

3. Ear Training with Music Note Flashcards

While our students need a lot of help with recognizing notes on the staff, it’s also important to train their ear (in my opinion, ear training helps sight reading!).

Here are 3 easy ways you can use music note flashcards for ear training.

• Line up 3 cards on the piano (I’d just do 1 clef). Play the C scale and then play 1 of the cards you have flipped up. The student has to guess which note it is without looking.
• Flip 3 cards up (both clefs). Play all 3 notes while the student calls out their name. Ask the student to turn around. Play just 1 of the notes. What note is it? (to make this easier, do notes that are really spread apart)
• Line up all 8 cards for the C scale. Play the scale then play just 1 note. The student has to guess which note it is. For added fun, have the student collect Neighborhood Notes buildings when they guess a note correctly (A = Academy, etc.)

4. Play Neighborhood Notes!

You may have been wondering what Neighborhood Notes is that I’ve been mentioning.

Well, it’s our newest music notes flashcard game!

Neighborhood Notes takes a twist on the card game “Spoons” and is a speed note reading game.

You can play it with 2-8 players and keep track of points (which are tricky–there are some negative points on the board!)

Watch how to play it in our tutorial video.

• Here’s what you’ll get with the Neighborhood Notes printable download:
  • Neighborhood Notes game in 2 sizes: US letter & A4
  • Neighborhood Notes game board
  • 32 note cards (C3-C5)
  • 7 building game pieces
  • Neighborhood Notes success poster
  • Print release
  • How to Play tutorial video

  You will get the digital file to print and laminate (optional) for your music studio in both letter size (US) and A4 size (international).

Music Game Club members will also get:

• Neighborhood Notes activity sheets in 2 sizes: US Letter & A4
• A3 & Poster-sized game boards
• Note Chart
• Tutorial videos with bonus gameplay ideas

Membership is only open twice a year. Check out our membership page here for more details.

Neighborhood Notes was our April 2024 Game of the Month.

But there’s more!

Digital Music Note Flashcards

If your students always forget to review printed music note flashcards, then it’s time to try digital games!

We have four Neighborhood Notes Boom™ Cards digital games that will help your students with their note names.

• Deck 1: Treble clef notes Middle C to high C (C4-C5)
• Deck 2: Bass clef notes low C to Middle C (C3-C4)
• Deck 3: Treble and bass clef notes C to C (C3-C5)
• Deck 4: Match treble and bass clef notes (A in bass clef matches A in treble clef)

To get a better look inside, watch our Neighborhood Notes Boom™ Cards walkthrough.

What Music Note Flashcard Game Ideas do You Use?

Comment and share YOUR best tips, games, or even just fun memories about using music note flashcards in your studio! We love hearing from other teachers!

More blog posts full of teaching ideas…

• 7 Music Game Ideas with Magpie Melodies
• 10 Rhythm Flashcard Games Students Love
• Learn Piano Keys with Keyboard Kittens