Reading notes in the Treble Clef!

Octave After 7 notes, we repeat the same sequence of note names! Scale Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do Octave After 7 notes, we repeat the same sequence of note names!

Treble Clef: symbol to show which line is G. Staff: five parallel lines Pitches C B A G F E D Octave: Two tones eight pitches (diatonic degrees) apart We stop the musical alphabet at G because A through G is 7 pitches! C

Reading notes on a staff is more like reading a graph. We usually read and number things from the top to the bottom, but on the music staff we count from the bottom up! Reading notes on a staff is more like reading a graph. A B C D

A B C D Y axis = Pitch X axis = Beat/Rhythm

Stems go up or down depending on the pitch. The shape of the note has to stay the same though! A B C D

We usually write in the spaces, using lines as the place where most of our letters and number stop. But on the music staff we use both lines and spaces. C B A G Line Note F E Space Note Each letter of the alphabet is either on a line or a space. We count each line and space as one “step.”

We can also use the spaces just above and below the staff… G D C …and add short lines above or below the staff, called ledger lines. You can think of ledger lines as short line segments that make the “graph” or staff bigger.

G The treble clef is also known as the G clef because it shows us the line for the note G. From there we can “count” up or down the alphabet. G C B A G F E D C

Reading music uses simple math in your head. You can memorize your facts, like the letter name of each line and space on the staff. You can also start with G and figure out how many steps the note is away from G. 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 1 = G, 2 = A, 3 = B Going upward, you can go in alphabetical order! 1 = G, 2 = F, 3 = E, 4 = D Going downward, use backwards alphabetical order!

Memorizing Options Use the phrase “Every Good Boy Does Fine” C B A G F E C Use the phrase “Every Good Boy Does Fine” to remember the line notes. The space notes spell out the word face. You can use the phrase “face in the space” to remember that! Middle C has 1 ledger line