BASICS - Lines & Spaces & Solfege Pitches

1. The notes step or skip up or down on lines and spaces. 2. There are five lines on each staff. Notes can be on lines or spaces. Remember: Just above the staff and just below the staff are spaces, too!

STAFF---->

Notes on LINEs Notes on SPACEs

3. When a note goes higher or lower than the staff, we add LEGER LINES. The notes above and below the staff can be on the leger lines (line), or between the leger lines (space).

_ _ _ _
Notes on and between Leger Lines below the staff. Notes on and between Leger Lines above the staff.

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4. Sometimes composers put more than one part on the same staff and it looks like two notes with one stem. Each note head sits on its own line or space.

Another note here One note here

5. O.k! Now were ready to start writing in Solfege! 6. Notes that move from a line to the very next space or a space to the very next line are stepping. They can step up or down.

Step up Step up Step down Step up Step down 7. Notes that go from a line to any other line or space other than the ones next to it are skipping.

Skip down Skip up

8. If you know where DO is, you can now write in Solfege. Just go up or down as many syllables as the notes move. Its ok to abbreviate the Solfege pitches.

F M D R R T

(Try to write the Solfege abbreviation as close to the note head as possible and still be able to read the Solfege syllable.)

9. If there are two or more parts on the same staff, make sure that you are writing in just your part. In the example below, were just writing in Part 2 (the lower note).

Part 1 Part 2

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L S F M D 10. If you know where DO starts, you know where all the other Solfege pitches are.

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D T S L R M F D

11. DO will start on a different line or space for each song, depending on what KEY the song is in. But the steps are always in the same order.

D T S L R M F D
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