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⭐️ Post updated January 2024 with even more ideas for the cards.
For easy activities with students, you can use your own Musical Alphabet and accidental cards using this free printable. Printing these cards once gives you endless possibilities of activities for your students.
The printable cards include: Musical Alphabet letters, letters with an accidental, accidentals, Roman Numerals, figured bass, and numerical numbers.
Tips for Printing
- I printed several copies of the alphabet and accidentals cards on different colors of paper. I chose to print letters on one color and accidentals on a second color.
- You can laminate the cards to make them long-lasting. Additionally, card stock would work nicely.
(Tools you might use for that: Self-laminating sheets, Small laminator, card stock) - If you do not have colored paper, I included one accidental page with the background a light blue for colored printing instead.
Here are some ways that you can use the free cards:
1. Practice The Musical Alphabet
- Have the student line up the Musical Alphabet ascending at least 2 times in a row. This helps the student see that the letter A repeats after G. (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B…..)
- Have the student line up the Musical Alphabet descending 2 times in a row.
- Place one card down and have the student place a card next to it that is a step up from your letter. You can also do this with steps down, skips up, or skip downs.
2. Practice Scales
- Use the alphabet and accidental cards to practice spelling five and eight-note scales.
- Place the letters of a scale down (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A) and have the student add the accidentals. This can be done for both major and minor scales.
- Place the letters of a five-note major scale down and have the student change it to minor.
3. Practice Chords and Inversions
- Name a chord for the student to spell using the cards.
- Use the Roman numeral cards to practice spelling chords such as tonic, subdominant, or dominant triads. Tell the student you are in the Key of ___ and place a Roman Numeral down (such as IV). Then ask the student to spell the chord.
- Use the letters as a visual for students who are learning to play chord inversions. For example, line up the cards G-B-D for a G chord in root position. Then move the G over the D to show how first inversion is formed. This helps students see how the same 3 letters are used and altered in chord inversions.
- Line up the letters of a chord inversion. Then ask the student to play it. Using the figured bass chords, ask the student to determine if it is shown with figured bass 6/4 or 6/3.
4. Practice The Order of Sharps or Flats.
- Students can use the cards to lay out the letters that make The Order of Sharps or Flats.
- Place the letters of The Order of Sharps or Flats down but have one letter missing. Ask the student to fill in the missing letter.
Lauren teaches piano to students of all ages. She enjoys creating resources for her students and teachers. She is the author of Ready for Theory®. For personalized help, check out the consultations page for teachers.
