The Note F
The note F is written in the first space of the staff.
This tune features the note F along with the other notes you have learned. A useful way of memorising notes is to sing the names of the notes to yourself as you follow the music.
The Three Four Time Signature
This time signature is called the three four time signature.
It tells you there are three beats in each bar.
Three four time is also known as waltz time.
There are three quarter notes in one bar of ^ time.
The Dotted Half Note
A dot written after a note extends its value by half.
A dot after a half note means that you hold it for three beats. (A dot after a whole note means you hold it for six beats, etc).
One dotted half note makes one bar of music in ^ time.
Here is a typical example of the way dotted half notes are used in ^ time. As there are no rests in this example, breath marks are placed in every fourth bar after a dotted half note. From this point on breath marks will mostly be placed every four bars to encourage you to develop more breath control. However, you can still breathe more often if you need to.
The Note G
The note G is written on the second line of the staff.
Notice that no fingers are required for this note. The following example uses all of the notes you have learned so far. Remember to aim for a strong, even tone with everything you play.
