If you’re having trouble working out the letter names going backwards from Middle C, this fun and easy-to-remember mnemonic is for you!
0:19 Introduction and outline of tutorial content
1:34 Mnemonic for musical alphabet working backwards from C – “Chirpy Birds And Green Frogs Eat Doughnuts”
2:08 Mnemonic also links letter name of note and location on stave
2:24 Example of using mnemonic to determine where note is on keyboard and stave
2:52 Mnemonic for musical alphabet working up from C – “Colourful Dancing Elephants Float Gracefully Above Buildings”
3:40 All of the slides in the tutorial available to download
3:56 Reference to my other tutorials on note identification
4:53 Distinction between note ‘naming’ and note ‘reading’
If you’re interested in some other methods for working out the letter names of the notes, both in terms of linking the letter name with the location on the keyboard, or linking the letter name with the location on the stave, then check out my other tutorials:
“Keyboard Geography and Note Names” takes a look at the layout of the keyboard and shows you how to navigate your way around.
“Note Naming – How Does ‘Every Good Boy Deserve Fruit Work?’” introduces some other mnemonics which group the notes on the stave into line notes and space notes.