Music Staff, Clefs and Notes

The Keyboard

The sounds on the keyboard go from low to high as the

keys are played from left to right.

Low High

The first seven

A B C D E F G A B C D E F G

The first seven letters of the alphabet are used to name

the white keys: A B C D E F G
 The Staff

Music is written by placing notes on a staff.

The music staff consists of five lines and four spaces.

The first seven5 4

4
3
3 2
2
1
1

Notes are placed on the staff according to their pitch. The

higher the note is on the staff, the higher the sound.
 Clefs

Clefs placed at the beginning of the staff tell us the pitch

of one of the staff lines.

The most commonly used clefs are the treble and bass
clefs.

TREBLE CLEF BASS CLEF

The treble clef is sometimes called the G Clef because it curls
around the G line to show the position of G.

Using this marker we can name other treble staff notes.

G A B C D E F

G A B C D E F
The bass clef is sometimes called the F Clef because its two
dots are placed on either side of the F line to show the
position of F.

Using this marker we can name other bass staff notes.

G A B C D E F

G A B C D E F
The staff can be extended by adding small lines called
ledger lines above and below it.

G A B C D
D C B A G

B C D E F
F E D C B
The treble staff and the bass staff combine to form the
Grand Staff.
Middle C

G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F

Middle C is the midpoint between the two staves.

 Memorizing guide notes is a helpful tool for learning the
notes of the staff.
Low Bass Bass Middle Treble High High
F C F C G C G

F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G
Also, these memory aids can help with learning the
names of the staff lines and spaces.

TREBLE LINES:

Every Good Boy Deserves Fun

TREBLE SPACES: They spell a word!

F A C E
BASS LINES:

Good Boys Deserve Fun Always

BASS SPACES:

All Cows Eat Grass

You can make up your own phrases to remember staff
note names. The sillier they are, the more likely you are
to remember them!
Bar Line

The Staff is divided into measures

by bar lines.

Clef Bar Line Bar Line Bar Line

Double bar line:
Used to separate two sections of music.

Bold double bar line:

Used to indicate the conclusion of a
movement or an entire composition.

Dotted bar line:

Subdivides long measures of complex meter
into shorter segments for ease of reading,
usually according to natural rhythmic
subdivisions.
Note
Parts of a NOTE:
 Whole
Note-Rest
4 Beats

Half
Note-Rest
2 Beats

Quarter
Note-Rest
1 Beat

Eighth
Note-Rest
Beat
 Sixteenth
Note-Rest
Beat

Thirty-Second
Note-Rest
1/8 Beat

Sixty-Fourth
Note-Rest
1/32 Beat
Time Signature
Indicate how the measure will be divided into
beats, the top number is how many beats are in the
measure and the bottom number is what kind of note gets
a beat.

4/4 time - divides measure into 4 beats.

3/4 time - divides measure into 3 beats.

2/4 time - divides measure into 2 beats.

Accidentals
Accidentals modify the pitch of the notes that follow them on the same staff position
within a measure, unless cancelled by an additional accidental.

Flat-Lowers the pitch of a note by one semitone.

Double Flat-Lowers the pitch of a note by

two chromatic semitones.
Natural-Cancels a previous accidental, or
modifies the pitch of a sharp or flat as
defined by the prevailing key signature.

Sharp-Raises the pitch of a note by one

semitone.

Double Sharp- Raises the pitch of a note by

two chromatic semitones.
Key Signature
Key signatures define the prevailing key of
the music that follows, thus avoiding the use of
accidentals for many notes.
Flat key signature:
Lowers by a semitone the pitch of notes on
the corresponding line or space, and all
octaves thereof, thus defining the prevailing
major or minor key.

Sharp key signature:

Raises by a semitone the pitch of notes on
the corresponding line or space, and all
octaves thereof, thus defining the
prevailing major or minor key.
Dynamics
Dynamics are indicators of the relative
intensity or volume of a musical line.
Pianississimo
Extremely soft. Very infrequently does one see softer
dynamics than this, which are specified with additional
ps.

Pianissimo
Very soft. Usually the softest indication in
a piece of music, though softer dynamics
are often specified with additional ps.

Piano
Soft. Usually the most often used indication
Mezzo piano
Literally, half as soft as piano.

Mezzo forte
Similarly, half as loud as forte. If no dynamic
appears, mezzo-forte is assumed to be the
prevailing dynamic level.

Forte
Loud. Used as often as
piano to indicate contrast.
Fortissimo
Very loud. Usually the loudest indication in a piece,
though louder dynamics are often specified with
additional fs.

Fortississimo
Extremely loud. Very infrequently does one see
louder dynamics than this, which are specified with
additional fs.

Sforzando
Literally "forced", denotes an abrupt, fierce accent on
a single sound or chord. When written out in full, it
applies to the sequence of sounds or chords under or
over which it is placed
Crescendo
A gradual increase in volume.
Can be extended under many notes to indicate that
the volume steadily increases during the passage.

Diminuendo
Also decrescendo
A gradual decrease in volume. Can be extended in the
same manner as crescendo.

Forte-piano
A section of music in which the music should initially
be played loudly (forte), then immediately softly
(piano).
The End