Figurenotes

Exciting plans are in development.

To make way for more accessible resources, we are winding down the Figurenotes Accessible Music Hub (FAM Hub). If you are an account holder, please check your email (and junk folder) for more information. The Hub will be removed entirely on October 28th, 2025.

Our mission is to make music more accessible for all. With this in mind, we will be launching more free-to-access resources in the near future. Sign up to our newsletter to be the first to know when they launch. You receive a free bundle of resources just for signing up, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

We can’t wait to tell you more. Watch this space!

Psst… Did you hear about our training? Find out more about the Developing Your Practice course in the training section of this website.

Fancy some free resources?

We have updated our free bundle of resources for 2025. Anyone who receives our email newsletter can get the new ‘Starter Pack’, so if you haven’t signed up already, you can do so here.

The pack contains:

• Five well-known tunes using the notes from middle C to the G above.

• Backing tracks at different speeds to help with practice and performance.

• Songs and activities to help build musical skills, such as listening, turn-taking, rhythm, and pulse.

• An explanation of how Figurenotes works

• Puppet cards to add even more fun!

The tunes are designed for ‘5 finger piano’, but are not instrument specific. They would work well on digital instruments too, such as Thumbjam and Clarion. These tunes are written in Stage 1 Figurenotes notation. You can read more about progression here.

The songs and activities can be used in group and 1:1 settings, with options to adapt and extend for more creativity.

We’re thrilled to be launching this set of resources, available free to anyone with an email address. It is especially lovely to feature musicians from Drake Music Scotland’s Singing Group in the recordings. To learn more about the charity behind Figurenotes, take a peek at Drake Music Scotland’s website.

How do I get my bundle?

Pop your details into the signup form. You will be redirected to download your Starter Pack.

For those lucky people who are already signed up – your resources are in your inbox now. Go and take a look. Happy Figurenoting!

If you’ve ordered Figurenotes Stickers recently, you might have noticed a slight change in their design. The same shapes and colours as before, but without the shadows.

We think this makes the shapes clearer and easier to see on the instrument – and you seem to agree! Thank you to everyone that has helped us with testing and feedback.

Not sure how the stickers work on your instrument? Check out our handy instrument guides and sticker charts, available on our Resource Base under the Instruments tab.

How can Figurenotes help as schools plan to return next week?

Teachers, pupil support assistants and practitioners do incredible work all year round supporting our young people’s learning. We know that things will look very different when schools return next week, so at Figurenotes HQ we have been putting together some useful resources for delivering music sessions in the classroom.

Created in conjunction with Drake Music Scotland, these resources and supporting videos are aimed at sensory groups of all ages and could perhaps fill the gap whilst visiting specialists may not yet be permitted to access your settings. For those of you that have previously had a visit from a Drake Music Scotland musician, some of these tunes may be familiar to you, like this one below.

Familiarity is great for our young people transitioning back into formal
education settings. Something familiar and achievable can encourage your young
people to feel safe, nurtured and sets them up for success after a long and
sometimes worrying break from routine. You can pop these songs on whilst
singing is not allowed, use the Figurenotes parts to play along or use the
Powerpoint presentations for lesson inspiration.

You can find these resources and more under the Lesson Plans tab on our Resource Base. For new customers, visit the Figurenotes website where you can sign up to our Resource Base for just £23.99 a year (that’s less than £2 per month). For those returning, we will be adding more to the lesson plans tab so keep coming back to check them
out.

Happy Figurenoting!

How can Figurenotes help as we plan to return to our settings?

Today the Scottish Government released guidance on returning to early years settings. Many practitioners in Scotland and all over the world will be wondering how music is going to fit in to the “new normal”.

Here at Figurenotes HQ, we want to help all of our customers continue to provide their vital contributions to the development of young people. We have teamed up with Drake Music Scotland‘s Associate Musician Fi Sharp to provide some useful resources which enable practitioners to carry out music sessions for their young people.

Fi has made these super handy videos which help to plan activities from our First Figurenotes pack. You can find these handy resources and supporting videos under the Lesson Plan tab on our Resource Base. There is something for everyone including emotion stories, movement activities, Figurenotes parts and fun-filled cross curricular activities like this one.

Whether you are new to Figurenotes or a distinguished #FigurenotesChampion, we have something for everyone on our Resource Base. Subscription is £23.99 a year (less than £2 per month) and is full of useful resources, tunes, lesson plans and much much more.

Brand new customer? You can get everything you need to get started with our Early Years Value Bundle!

Visit our online shop and grab your First Figurenotes pack today.

Happy Figurenoting!

Staying home comes with some challenges, but one HUGE positive is we can still make music. You might even have more time on your hands to practise! This is a great time to pick up that new instrument, learn a new piece, or finally nail that beast of a drum fill you have always dreamed of playing.

So dust off your instrument and get your hands on our bundle of FREE resources here. These are ideal for teachers to send to their students too – a great support for those adapting to online teaching.

In addition to these free resources, we will be posting lots of lovely musical challenges on our social media channels for you to join in with, so make sure you follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. We’ll be sharing the best responses to our challenges, so share them with us by tagging us and using the hashtag #FigurenotesAtHome.

Furthermore, we are actively taking requests for tunes and resources to share with you all. For everything we share with you all, we’ll be posting the editable files in the Resource Base for our members, making it easy to adapt them to your pupils’ needs.

Got brilliant ideas you would like to share? Join our Facebook group Figurenotes – Let’s Make Music! and we can help each other stay connected and inspired. Also, keep an eye out for some nifty tutorials on our YouTube channel.

Drop us a line if there is anything you’d like to see, share, or tell us! Email us at figurenotes@drakemusicscotland.org #Staysafe