There are 3 main elements in learning to read music:
- Staff
- Notes
- Time signature
The staff is the name given to the 5 lines on which the notes are placed.
Notes:
The notes are named after the first 7 letters of the alphabet.
Written music is divided into sections called bars by adding vertical lines called bar-lines.
The symbol at the beginning of the staff is called a treble clef:
There are different note lengths in music:
The time signature is written at the beginning of each piece of music after the clef sign and tells you how many and what kind of beats are in each bar.
The time signature is written as a fraction.
The top number shows how many beats in the bar and the bottom number is the length of note as a fraction of a whole note or semibreve.
The number 4 indicates a crotchet or quarter-note.
Set a beat, pulse or tempo and clap out this rhythm