Sorry but this is awful!  Is this Helene from doremifasoft? 

The first part of the video the child is learning the notes in order which is fine but it's better to start with learning just a few sounds - usually mi and so, then adding in la. 

But the last part is just plain incorrect.  She's singing the notes starting on re but using the SOUNDS as if she's starting on do!  REALLY BAD, WILL STUFF UP ANY ATTEMPT AT EAR TRAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please, those of you with no musical knowledge, be very careful what resources you use to teach your kids!

thanks but yeah there are some inaccuracies here, like the stems the wrong way as mentioned in previous post.  And the middle C missing a stem altogether.  Also we use capital letters for note names.  Any other links?

I thought I'd seen a link to these on here somewhere once before when my daughter was too young to start.  Can anyone point me in the direction of large music note flashcards (on the stave) for a 2 year old?  Thanks.

Thanks again Chris!  You've given me lots to think about.  My daughter knows her colours and most of her letters so sounds like she'd be ready to give it a go!

Thanks Chris for your in depth replies - it's most appreciated.  I have a few more questions if that's ok.  (I am a piano teacher but am mostly interested in this at the moment for my 2 year old daughter).

To what level does the game go up to?  I understand you gradually switch over to the standard music notation - how long does that process normally take, and what level of playing are the students up to when that happens?  I understand it will depend on a lot of things, including the child's age when starting.

Thanks again.

So you think you're above us all that you don't have to show any professional courtesy, or even human courtesy?

Again to Chris, I commend how you continue to present yourself on this forum and don't resort to counterattacking - you obviously don't need to!

I have a question about both these methods - is there a version that can be used in "traditional" piano lessons?  I'm interested in the methods to learn to read but wondering if you have books you can buy rather than having to get the whole midi system?

Your arrogance is unbelievable.  Your product may be spreading around the world now, but if you continue to portray yourself like this in a public arena, word WILL spread about this too, your sales will drop, and less people will learn about this "wonderful science".  If your product is so great then yes we will be missing out - but what a shame after all the hard work you put into it.  I also read your new "book" with much interest.  In this book you talk about your passion for changing music education, yet here in this forum you tell us you don't care if we use your methods or not.  You are obviously not as dedicated to your cause as you make out.

I haven't been in here for a while so this is the first I've read of these so called "discussions".  I am a music teacher myself and I just want to say I am appalled.  Music is one of those fields where there are so many different approaches to learning.  We need to respect other educators' work.  Your comments here Hellene have only made you look bad.  I have not had a good look at your product but in my experience, people who think only their way is the right way have closed their minds off to new teachings and experiences years ago.

Absolutely!  I don't really agree with the "mindless" flashing - great if the kid is happy with that, but my daughter would always watch the first few times, and then she wanted to play with the cards - it's called interaction!  She can learn so much by talking about the cards and playing games with them - yes, it would be called "testing" but it's a game and she likes it, so where's the harm?  I put out up to 6 words on the floor now and get DD to find each word.  Sometimes she gets her doll to find them - very cute!  And then with a new word, I'll show it to her a few times, and then I add it in with the others and get her to find it lots of times amongst the ones she knows - prob easy because she knows the others already, and in this way she learns the new card.

I just bought big sheets of cardboard and measured them up and cut them up myself.  I wouldn't be able to put card through my printer anyway, so didn't have another option.

I think the problem comes when they are slow reading a sentence, sounding out each word, just reading one word at a time, that they don't then put it all together to make it into something meaningful.  I'm not up to that stage yet with DD, but that's what I'm thinking the issue is.

I realise I made an error in my info above.....

C # is called "cees"

but do # is called "di" (as in "dee")

so fa # is "fi"

Then for the flats, Bb is Bess, but ti flat, is "ta",

Gets a bit complicated.

Someone who's not educated in music is not going to be able to understand how to use doe in the moveable form.

I don't believe you can teach something you don't know yourself, so realise that if you are going to embark on teaching any of this to your child, you must first learn and UNDERSTAND it yourself first.

Also, if you have no music background, yes you can get flashcards with the notes on, and work out where the notes are on the keyboard from a book, but how are you going to go the next step, so actually link the sounds together to make music?  Music is based on rhythm, so I would be learning the rhythm symbols etc, BUT, having taught adults myself, some adults (and children) have a hard time developing a sense of beat - and they need a teacher to tell them if they are clapping the rhythm correctly.  You need to be sure you are doing it right first before you teach it to your child.

Also, you may find you do have quite some success in the beginning, but you will get to a point where you are no longer able to teach her and will have to put her into proper lessons - if you already know you won't be able to afford this, then this is something to consider when deciding what and how much to teach her.  I would be more focused on getting your child to enjoy listening to music, dancing to it, buy some cheap percussion instruments and try to get her to tap a steady beat with the music.  And then singing when she's able.

Just my opinion

Sorry Dr Primo but I have to disagree with some of what you've said.  I'm also a professional musician and music teacher and studied solfege to a high level as part of my music degree.

I believe solfege is FANTASTIC /....... IF you teach it as MOVEABLE DO" - that is, doe does not equal c.  Doe equals the tonic. So if the song is in c major, c is doe, if the song is in G major, g is do. etc.  That way you learn to hear the notes in relation to the scale degrees, and helps you learn to hear intervals.

I don't have perfect pitch, but this training really helped me to be able to play from ear.

If you always call c "doe", it's just semantics - that is no better or worse than calling c "c", or "k" or "frog" for that matter.

Also, you don't call C#, or doe sharp "do sharp" - you need a sound that makes one syllable to fit with the rhythm of the music, so you say "cees" ("cease"), fa sharp becomes "fees" etc.  And for flats it's the "es" sound. So Bb becomes "bess"

I must say I am a little worried by parents with no musical training teaching the kids solfege and using flash cards.  I think using a specially designed program the parent can follow might be ok, but really, lots of singing, dancing, going to music classes for kids from babies through toddler years is going to be more beneficial than flashing notes, if the notes are out of context to real music.

Thanks for all the replies.

Teachermum - I think you've hit the nail on the head with your final comment:  about teachers having more interest or putting in more effort with students whose parents they talk to a lot, who seem really interested in their child's learning.  I am a teacher myself, but not in the school system, I teach private music lessons, 1-on-1, and it's very true, you sort of try harder I guess with the students whose parents are always checking up on what's happening rather than those whose parents you never see and who don't really care if the kid practices or not.

we'll have to wait and see exactly where my child is at when she's ready for school and then I'll talk with the teachers and see what's best for her.  I was just reading up on the school she will most likely be going to and their website said they have 5 teachers for gifted and talented children - not sure how it works, but maybe they visit the kids, or the kids go and see them at some time in the week for extra projects or something.  So that would be good.

I'm in Brisbane, Australia.  The other bad thing is daughter just misses the cut off to start school, so has to wait another year - she'll be the oldest in the class!  I think they are pretty strict about starting early here.