Read Music Notes

How Notes are named

Notes, or music notations, are named after the first seven letters from our alphabet:
A — B — C — D — E — F — G

After G, the note names start again at A:
A — B — C — D — E — F — G — A — B — C and so on.

Every eight notes, there is another eight notes with the same name. They sound very much alike, although they heard ‘lower’ or ‘higher’ than each other.

How Notes are written

Music are written in such a way that show all the notes from very lowest sounds to very highest sounds. However, not every instrument or song are need all those notes. So, to simplify writing notes, and make them easier to read, music is divided into two parts: one for higher sounds and one for lower sounds.

Clef is the sign assigned to tell us whether a music is for high or low instruments and voices. Three Clef are used, but most of the time, we will use the first two: Treble Clef and Bass Clef. The third Clef is not generally used today, except for Viola and sometimes for the higher notes of Cello, Basson and Tenor Trombone.

The Treble or G Clef

Treble or G Clef

Music with this Treble Clef is for the high pitch instruments and voices, like Soprano and Alto. The inner loop of the sign circles the second line and gives it a name. It is used for Guitar, right hand Piano, Organ and Electronic Keyboard. This is the most common Clef.

The Treble Clef places the note G above middle C on the second line (G Clef). Notice where the inner loop circles the second line.

The Bass or F Clef

Bass or F Clef

Music with this Bass Clef is for lower pitch, like Tenor and Bass. It is used for left hand Piano, Organ and Electronic Keyboard. It is also used for Pedals on Organ. Those Piano, Organ and Electronic Keyboard use both Treble and Bass Clef together because they have such a wide spectrum and numbers of notes. This is the second most common Clef.

Notice where both the head of the Bass Clef and the dots indicate the fourth line.

Staves

Stave

Notes are written on sets of lines called Staves. Each Stave has five lines and four spaces. Lines and spaces are numbered from bottom to top. There is one Stave for higher sounds instruments and voices which use Treble Clef and another Stave for lower sounds instruments and voices which use Bass Clef.

Each line and space on Stave is like a step on musical ladder. One note on the line, next note -which is higher sound- put in the space above it. The higher note sounds, the higher up it is on the Stave.

This two Clefs help us by giving information of the position each note.

Treble Clef gives us position for note G on the second line. The Treble Clef circle its ring around the second line to show note G position.

The other notes, if higher than G, will put in the position above G on Stave. If note lower than G, will put in the position below G on Stave.

Similarly, Bass Clef gives us position for note F on fourth line. The Bass Clef dot mark Stave on fourth line.

The other notes, if higher than F, will put in the position above F on Stave. If note lower than F, will put in the position below F on Stave.

Next Lesson: Bar-Lines, Measure and Leger-Lines