"Here Come the High Notes" Book Review

I've recently received our studio copy of a brand new picture book that puts teaching the treble clef notes into a story format, it's called Here Come the High Notes and is written by Marin Marka, illustrated by Alexandra Tatu. 

I am looking forward to using this book in lessons, especially with my preschool and primer students, as a way to both introduce and familiarize the treble staff. Learning note reading takes time, and the directional reading and abstract thinking required for music notation can be difficult for younger learners. This is why I use so many resources that gamify this skill. And with the addition of this book to our studio library, we can start putting the treble notes into the context of a story as well!

One thing that I enjoyed in this book is that each note is given a little bit of personality that comes into play as they choose their place on the staff. This helps differentiate them without weighing down the story with too much detail. The book does undertake a lot in introducing all 12 of the line and space notes of the treble staff from middle C through treble G, so it is a book that will want several re-reads over time as a student continues to study in order to help students internalize each note's location as they start to see those notes in their playing. My goal with beginning students will mostly be to make the treble staff less intimidating, and to help us reinforce some landmark notes.

The illustrations are colorful and engaging without being too busy. The focus is definitely on the notes and the staff, but the colorful little note critters add a lot of personality and make the staff very approachable. For example, in this page we get to see all the space notes together as "Cheery E" finds his spot in space 4. 

Marka has also created lots of great extras to go along with the book, including an audiobook, ebook AND a workbook where students can practice reviewing and drawing each of the notes in turn.

If you would like to order a copy of this book for your young piano student, or to use in your studio, they are available in the Fablenotes store. And stay tuned because author Marin Marka, has hinted at a book about bass clef notes that is in the works!