How to Read Music
Music Notes
There are only seven letters used for notes in music. They are: A B C D E F G
These notes are known as the musical alphabet.
The Staff
These five lines are called the staff or stave.
The Treble Clef
This symbol is called a treble clef.
There is a treble clef at the beginning of every line of recorder music.
The Quarter Note
This is a musical note called a quarter note. Sometimes called a crotchet.
Music notes are written in the spaces and on the lines of the staff.
The Note B
This is a B note. The note B is placed on the middle line of the staff.
In your first song, called B Happy, there are eight B notes. Play four B notes, then take a breath (
) and play four more. The letters above the staff in this kind of printing are chord symbols for piano or guitar players to play along with you.
Music is divided into bars, or measures, by bar lines. In this song there are two bars of music.
The Four Four Time Signature
These two numbers are called the time signature.
They are placed after the treble clef.
The * time signature tells you that there are four counts in each bar.
There are four quarter notes in each bar of four four time.
The song Four Busy Bees is in * time. There are four counts in each bar. Remember to take a breath between each bar. Count each note in your head while you are playing. Remember to blow gently and tongue each note.
The Quarter Note Rest
This symbol is called a quarter note rest. Sometimes called a crotchet rest. It means there is one count of silence.
Do not play any note. We place small counting numbers under rests.
