How to Read Music
These five lines are called the staff or stave.
Music notes are written in the spaces and on the lines of the staff.
Treble Clef
This symbol is called a treble clef.
Treble Staff
A staff with a treble clef written on it is called a treble staff.
Bass Clef
This symbol is called a bass clef.
Bass Staff
A staff with a bass clef written on it is called a bass staff.
High notes are written on the treble staff, and are usually played with your right hand. Low notes are written on the bass staff, and are usually played with your left hand.
The Grand Staff
When the treble and bass staves are joined together by a line and a bracket, they are called a grand staff. Music notes are written in the spaces and on the lines of the staff.
Music is divided into bars (sometimes called measures) by barlines. In this example there are two bars of music.
Note and Rest Values
The following table sets out the most common notes used in music and their respective time values (i.e., length of time held). For each note there is an equivalent rest, which indicates a period of silence.
The Quarter Note
This is a musical note called a quarter note. A quarter note lasts for one beat.
The Four Four Time Signature
The two pairs of numbers after the clefs are called the time signature.
This is called the four four time signature. It tells you there are four beats in each bar. There are four quarter notes in a bar of * time.
