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What are they?

Mozart's Flashcards are a set of musical flashcards that can allow a student's skill at the craft of reading and playing music to grow much faster than using the conventional approach to learning music alone.  They are a wonderful adjunct to any program of musical study whatsoever.  After using Mozart's Flashcards, students can read music faster, so they enjoy playing it more!  Keyboard instructor Peter Krauss first developed these unique music flashcards as a learning tool for his own students, but they have become a helpful adjunct for others as well.  The reason is that Mozart's Flashcards work!  Simple and effective, these musical flashcards make the process of learning how to read music more enjoyable for both the teacher and the student.   We'll let Peter tell the rest of the story of how these remarkable music flashcards came to be.

 

Why Mozart's Flashcards?

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27th, 1756.   He was a prodigy from the start and his sister Nannerl tells us that as a little boy he loved to pick out thirds on the keyboard.   He was to become one of the greatest musicians of all time.   He created music for the piano, violin, oboe, cello, string quartet, woodwinds, organ, vocal, etc...but his great love was the piano and the organ.   He attached a set of organ pedals to his piano and would practice improvising fugues to his wife's delight.   He was, after all, also a professional organist.   Mozart's life and times are marked by one thing, however, and that is his mastery of music...his sheer skill at the craft of music...and that's why I humbly name my flash cards after Mozart  -  Mozart's Flashcards.

I have found that Mozart's Flashcards cause a student's skill at the craft of music to augment much faster than the conventional system of learning music.   My students are much more advanced in piano than their counterparts who study with teachers who do not use the Mozart's Flashcards sightreading system.

 

One card forms four notes!

Mozart's Flashcards were developed to help people at all levels of musicianship develop their ability to read music easily and conveniently.   They do this by their unique reflexive nature.   Each card represents 4 notes.   Each card is named and then inverted.   This is done in treble and bass clefs - hence, 4 notes!   There are 11 cards in a set--thats it.   These 11 cards cover 33 notes over four and one half octaves.

 

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Here's how I do it

I start by having a student name the first eleven notes--like regular flashcards-- then I invert the cards and we name the next 11...then we change clefs and repeat the process with the other clef.   Thats IT!   At that point I have exposed this student to 33 notes on about four and one half octaves.   The student reads piano music at a much faster rate than his peers and progresses amazingly fast into the more difficult compositions with ease and confidence.   What's more, when a student can read the music, they enjoy playing it more!   Hover over the card to see the back of the card - telling what the note is in the treble and bass clefs.

   

What's next?

Once students can name the cards, I put them on the music rack and have them physically play them on the piano; first treble, then bass.   Then I invert the cards and repeat.

Then what?

Once students master easily naming the cards, I tell them I am lazy and don't feel like turning the cards upside down---can they please invert the cards mentally? ---(in treble clef, middle 'C' upside down is 'A' two octaves above).   Students usually laugh and then try and do it---and I help them of course.   Students quickly learn they can mentally invert the cards and feel very empowered!  Beyond that point, one can create arrangements of the cards on the music stand and ask the student to name each new note in turn, when prompted or to the beat of a metronome.

The real credit goes to Mr. Ragan!

I was priviliged to attend the Juilliard Prep school when I was 16 years old as a student of Bronson Ragan who just happened to also be the orchestration teacher in the school.   He was a genius.   Lessons were scary and I came home crying, but I learned so much.   The school gossip was that Mr. Ragan could grade the orchestration papers (exams) upside down. That's incredibly difficult especially considering the 4 or five clefs involved.   He was held in deep awe at the school.   Years later at piano lessons, I realized I could do this too.   And that's when I invented Mozart's Flashcards.   Because Mr. Ragan really was a modern day Mozart.


These cards simply work.  And they work wonders!  Due to the reflexive nature of the cards, the students musical minds develop and mature very quickly--in a way like Mr. Ragan's.   The students enjoy playing, parents see that their children are progressing quickly and we teachers can take part in passing on the incredible art of music in a very tangible manner.   Below are some comments made by the parents of some of my students:

 

Peter Krauss BM Oberlin Conservatory MM Juilliard School of Music Piano Lessons

My daughter is Mr. Peter Krauss's student.   My daughter has been making tremendous progress in sight reading since the use of flash card.   I strongly recommend the use of flash card for piano learners.   The learner will master the music piece fast when he/she learner has good sight reading abilities.   Have fun with your piano lesson. Tersa Tseng's mother My son has been taking piano with Peter Krauss over two years now.   I believe that the Note Cards designed and integrated into my son's weekly piano lesson is one of the reasons contributing to his dramatic improvement.  Prior to taking lessons with Peter Krauss, my son had to engage in completing pages and pages of assignments in theory books, which he abhored.   So, for my child, the Note Cards, were not dreadful or intimidating, but rather a repetitive and meaningful way to learn notes. Thanks, Maureen Welch Parent

If you would like to purchase a set of my Mozart's Flashcards, please contact me at the phone number or email address listed below.   I charge $14.95 per set, which includes shipping and handling within the US.   I hope to add a shopping cart to this site soon, but in the interim, I accept Checks or money orders, made payable to: Peter Krauss mailed to PO Box 306 LaGrangeville, NY 12540.   When writing, make sure to include your return address and/or the address where you would like me to mail the cards.   Thank you!