How to Read Music
Music Notes
There are only seven letters used for notes in music. They are:
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 flute music.
The Quarter Note
This musical note is called a quarter note.
It lasts for one beat or count.
Music notes are written in the spaces and on the lines of the staff.
Bar Lines
Music is divided into bars, or measures, by barlines. In the following song G Force, there are two bars of music. Each bar contains four quarter notes, so you will play eight notes, all of them G notes.
Keeping Time
Before you play G Force, count 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4 several times to get a feeling for the rhythm. Keep counting in your mind as you play the notes.
The Four Four Time Signature
These two numbers are called the four four time signature.
They are placed after the bass clef.
The * time signature tells you there are four beats in each bar.
There are four quarter notes in a bar of * time.
