Many activities that can help you learn to read music notes center around naming notes as they appear on-screen. Games often operate along these lines, and games such as Music Notes Flash Cards and Note Names are examples of this type of game. They require basic knowledge of how to read music, but the concepts can be picked up easily. Notes that rest on the bottom line of the treble clef are "E", with the notes increasing alphabetically (up to "G," then upwards again from "A"). One note occupies each line and each space between lines. The bass clef is the same, except the lowest line is the "G", two notes lower than treble clef. These games test your ability to name other notes based on their positions.
Learning how to play notes displayed on screen applies more directly to a musical instrument, but games based on this idea accomplish essentially the same end as note-naming games. Games such as Musical Notes and The Piano Player display a note on a treble or bass staff, and then challenge the player to click on the correct button from a one octave keyboard animation. This game requires basic knowledge of reading music. Some games include tests on "sharps" and "flats," which are slightly lower or slightly higher versions of standard notes that are represented by the black keys of a piano. Look for "#" and "b" symbols beside the notes on a sheet of music to signify a sharp and flat, respectively.
Basic music composition games such as Flash Music Games' composer can be used as a free activity to learn to read music. Simplistic music composer games generally present the player with a piano keyboard, and then allow him to click on the notes he wants to play. The notes that are played appear on a musical staff on-screen. Using these games, it is possible to learn to read music. The more familiarity you build with the notes and their positions on the staff, the more efficiently you will read music.
More complex music composers such as Compose Your Very Own Music can be used to learn about the different types of notes, as well as the different notes' locations on the staff. Identifying whole, half, quarter and eighth notes is a vital skill in reading music, much like knowing words. Experimenting with a more complex composer can help you understand the differences between musical elements.