Music Notation Guide

The Staff

The staff consists of five horizontal lines and four spaces. Each line and space represents a different musical pitch.

Notes are placed on lines or in spaces between them. The higher the note on the staff, the higher the pitch.

A clef tells you which pitches correspond to which lines and spaces.

Used for higher-pitched instruments: violin, flute, trumpet, right hand piano, voice (soprano/alto).

𝄞

Used for lower-pitched instruments: bass, cello, trombone, left hand piano.

𝄢

Different note shapes indicate how long a note lasts.

Note	Name	Beats (4/4)	Fraction
♫	Whole	4 beats	1
♪	Half	2 beats	1/2
♩	Quarter	1 beat	1/4
𝅘𝅥𝅰	Eighth	1/2 beat	1/8
𝅘𝅥𝅱	Sixteenth	1/4 beat	1/16

Rests indicate silence. Each rest corresponds to a note value.

The time signature tells you how many beats are in each measure and which note value gets one beat.

Key signatures appear at the beginning of each staff line, indicating which notes are sharp or flat throughout the piece.

Sharps (♯) raise a note by a half step. Flats (♭) lower a note by a half step.

Each major key has a specific pattern of sharps or flats. The Circle of Fifths is the best tool for memorizing key signatures.

Dynamics indicate how loudly or softly to play.

Symbol	Name	Effect
•	Staccato	Short, detached
-	Tenuto	Full value, slightly detached
›	Accent	Emphasized
⎯⎰	Slur	Legato, connected
︿	Staccatissimo	Very short, detached