How to Read Music
Reading music may appear to be as difficult and complex as it is with any other new concept, but if we put forth the effort to study at least the basic fundamentals of reading music, the complicated sheet music will eventually make sense.
The first thing to study about is the musical staff.
The staff is made up of five lines and four spaces; these spaces and lines are where we will be inscribing our notes.
The first symbol written on the staff is the clef.
The two most commonly used clefs are the Treble Clef, also known as G-Clef, and the Bass Clef, also known as the F-Clef.
The G-clef is used for most musical voices and a large portion of the stringed, woodwind and high-brass instruments, while the Bass clef is used for lower-pitch instruments.
The next symbol is the time signature .
The top number in the time signature determines the number of beats in a measure-- a measure being the space between two bars or vertical lines in the staff; meanwhile, the bottom number in a time signature determines what type of note receives one beat.
For example, if the uppermost number is three, then that indicates three beats to the measure.
If the bottom number is four, then the quarter note receives one count.
The third item is the musical notes and rests.
This is one of the most crucial parts in learning how to read music, and you must become familiar with the different types and values of notes.
We have the round whole note; the whole note with a bar attached to it is the half note; a half note with a filled in circle is called a quarter note; a quarter note with a single tail is an eighth note; while a quarter note with double tails is a sixteenth note.
The fourth concept is the musical rests; each rest corresponds to the values of the notes we have discussed above.
We have covered the foundation of music notation, but there is much more to learn about reading music, You must begin to grasp the basic timing of the beats, other musical symbols like the fermata and tie, and the shaping and volume of music.
The latter is divided into three: the volume of notes, symbols that affect the notes and symbols that affect the speed of the notes.
With all this in mind, we can now start to practice reading those sheets of music!
The first thing to study about is the musical staff.
The staff is made up of five lines and four spaces; these spaces and lines are where we will be inscribing our notes.
The first symbol written on the staff is the clef.
The two most commonly used clefs are the Treble Clef, also known as G-Clef, and the Bass Clef, also known as the F-Clef.
The G-clef is used for most musical voices and a large portion of the stringed, woodwind and high-brass instruments, while the Bass clef is used for lower-pitch instruments.
The next symbol is the time signature .
The top number in the time signature determines the number of beats in a measure-- a measure being the space between two bars or vertical lines in the staff; meanwhile, the bottom number in a time signature determines what type of note receives one beat.
For example, if the uppermost number is three, then that indicates three beats to the measure.
If the bottom number is four, then the quarter note receives one count.
The third item is the musical notes and rests.
This is one of the most crucial parts in learning how to read music, and you must become familiar with the different types and values of notes.
We have the round whole note; the whole note with a bar attached to it is the half note; a half note with a filled in circle is called a quarter note; a quarter note with a single tail is an eighth note; while a quarter note with double tails is a sixteenth note.
The fourth concept is the musical rests; each rest corresponds to the values of the notes we have discussed above.
We have covered the foundation of music notation, but there is much more to learn about reading music, You must begin to grasp the basic timing of the beats, other musical symbols like the fermata and tie, and the shaping and volume of music.
The latter is divided into three: the volume of notes, symbols that affect the notes and symbols that affect the speed of the notes.
With all this in mind, we can now start to practice reading those sheets of music!