Young Band Resources

Fingering Charts for the Young Band

Most young band fingering charts are formatted chromatically from the lowest note to the highest note. When searching for fingerings, it can take students quite some time to find the note they are looking for, and more often than not, it is the correct note in the wrong octave!

These fingering charts are formatted so that students find notes more efficiently and understand the differences between octaves. Highlights of these fingering charts are:

-Arranged by note in columns

-Formatted to be printed on 11x17 paper so that students can fold and unfold it into their binder

-Most woodwind fingerings are formatted upside down since this is how students look at their keys

-Brass charts include a brass position chart

-Brass fingerings include the valve/slide diagram as well as the position number

-Note ranges are included with notehead names at the bottom of each chart

-Note "range names" are included to help students and teachers communicate octaves

-Alternate and chromatic fingerings are labeled to help students know which are primary fingerings and which are not

-A piano keyboard image is included at the bottom of each page to help students see enharmonic relationships

Instruments include: Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Double Horn, Single Horn, Trombone, Euphonium, and Tuba

Flash Cards and Note Naming Sheets

Which is the better way to help your beginners master their first octave of notes and fingerings, flash cards or note naming sheets? I say BOTH! Use of both of these resources to help your students master their first notes.

Speed Note sheets are an effective way of drilling notes with your students. Set your metronome to MM=72 and have them say the notes out loud in whole notes, half notes, etc., until they are fast at note naming. Level 1 sheets use the first five notes for each instrument and Level 2 is a full Concert Bb Octave. Your purchase includes both the PDF as well as the original Finale (version 27.2) files should you want to modify and create your own sheets.

The instrument flashcards cover the first octave of beginning band and are written for flute, clarinet, trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, and tuba. Your purchase includes both the PDF as well as the original Finale (version 27.2) files should you want to modify and create your own sheets.