Teach the music staff using simple phrases. The music staff consists of five horizontal lines and four spaces. For children, stay with the simple staff and disregard notes going above or below the staff. Teach both the treble and bass clefs.
The lines for the treble clef are E-G-B-D-F. The spaces are F-A-C-E. Use the phrase "Every Good Boy Does Fine" to help children remember the note names for treble clef lines. The spaces spell the word "face." The lines for bass clef are G-B-D-F-A and the spaces are A-C-E-G. A phrase for the bass clef lines might be "Grizzly Bears Don't Fly Airplanes," and you can use the phrase "All Cars Eat Gas" for the spaces. Using these phrases can help children remember the notes on the music staff.
Teach the concept of music timing by showing children how to count notes. First explain that a measure of music always contains a set number of beats, then show your child how those numbers are derived from note values. A whole note is worth four beats, a half note is worth two beats, a quarter note is worth one beat, and an eighth note is worth half a beat. Demonstrate the time values of these notes by establishing a "four count" that repeats, like this: "One and, two and, three and, four and." Play a note on a guitar or piano on the count of "one" and hold it for the entire count of "four" to help understand the value of a whole note. Play two half notes next, starting on the one count and holding the first half note for "one and, two and" and the second half note for "three and, four and."
Demonstrate quarter notes by playing on each combination of a number count and the word "and." This means you should play a new quarter note on each number and hold it for the length of the number and the word "and." Two eighth notes fit in the space of one quarter note, so demonstrate eighth note rhythm by playing a note on every number and every instance of the word "and."
Write the different note values on blank music paper, then have your child copy what you've written. Introduce the rest symbols that match the note values and explain that these rests are counted just like notes. Be sure to indicate that notes with stems (quarter notes and eighth notes) should be written on the staff with the stems on the left side of the note head and pointing down when notes are written on the third line of the staff and above. For notes written below the third line, stems go on the right side of the note head and pointing up.