Introduce your child to music notes and where those notes are located on the music staff. Use blank staff paper to reinforce this information. A music staff consists of five lines and four spaces, each representing a note. On the treble clef, the lines on a music staff are E-G-B-D and F; the spaces are F-A-C and E. Teach your child to use a phrase to help him remember this. For the lines, for instance, the phrase Every Good Boy Does Fine is useful. The spaces spell the word FACE.
Draw the elements of a piece of sheet music one element at a time. Explain these elements to your child as you go. Draw the treble clef sign. Explain the treble clef to your child in simple terms, comparing it with the bass clef. The treble clef is for instruments in a higher range. The bass clef is for lower-pitched instruments. Use a piano to demonstrate the difference in pitch to your child.
Draw four blank measures on a sheet of staff paper. Place a whole note in the first measure, two half notes in the second measure, four quarter notes in the third measure, and eight eighth notes in the fourth measure.
Demonstrate rhythm to your child with the four measures you've drawn by tapping (or clapping) the rhythm out. Tap on the first beat of the whole note and hold it to the count of four. Tap on the first beat of the first half note and hold to a count of two, then tap on the third beat (the first beat of the second half note) and hold it for two. For the quarter notes, tap on each of the quarter notes. For the eighth notes, tap twice for each count (and say "one and, two and," etc.). Allowing your child to hear the rhythms is often easier than trying to explain how rhythm is determined.
Give your child the opportunity to practice the skills you've introduced. Give her a blank piece of staff paper and have her write the note values you've introduced. Ask her to write the name of each note she puts on the music staff. Having your child write down the information you tech will help reinforce the instruction.
Select a simple instrument your child can use to practice reading the notes. A recorder is one of the easiest instruments to play, and it's an affordable starting instrument. All you will need is a fingering chart that shows your child the notes on the recorder and where to find those notes on the music staff. You can find a recorder fingering chart online at no cost (see resources).
Teach your child to play simple songs using the beginning note reading skills you've introduced. You can find easy recorder music introducing these beginning music skills online at no charge (see resources). Allowing your child to apply what he's learned can be an effective way to sharpen his skills.