Reading Music Why Read Music? ................................................................ 2 Standard Notation Issues .................................................... 2 The Grand Staff ................................................................... 3 Line & Space Memory Hints .............................................. 4 Notes & Accidentals ............................................................. 6 Applying Sharps & Flats ..................................................... 7 The Importance of Timing .................................................. 8 Beats, Measures, & Time Signatures ................................. 9 Time Values ........................................................................ 10 Finger Numbers ................................................................. 11 More Note Symbols ............................................................ 11 Ornament Symbols ............................................................ 12 Repeat Symbols .................................................................. 12 Tempo Terms & Dynamic Symbols ................................. 12 https://www.maxlearning.net / Piano / Reading Music * AllcanplayTM © 1983 * Rev: 2/23/2021 * Page 1 of 12 Why Read Music? Learning to read music is not easy. 4 Standard Music Notation was invented around the year 1030 in Italy by a 4 Benedictine monk named Guido D’Arezzo. Like any foreign language, it takes years to master, and if you don’t use it, you 4 lose it. 4 Yet despite its complexity and design flaws, Standard Music Notation is a nearly universal language that links musicians of almost every nationality. Learning to read it will open the vast world of written music to your playing enjoyment. Even if you’re accomplished at playing by ear or with lead sheets and chords, some day you may want to play the exact musical arrangements created by renowned and popular composers. And if you enjoy playing by picture, a basic ability to read music will allow you to convert your favorite sheet music songs into Allcanplay notation. (See the Converting Songs to Allcanplay lesson) Standard Notation Issues If you've tried to read music, you may identify with some of the following concerns. Right Hand vs. Left Hand Ledger Lines Music notation for the right hand is I find it very hard to read notes easy..."Every Good Boy Does Fine" on those little ledger lines above and “F-A-C-E” help me remember the Treble or below the Bass the names of each line and space. Staff. I have to start up from the But for the life of me, I have trouble top Treble line or down from the remembering the left hand. Why bottom Bass line to find out the couldn't they have given the left- names of these "far out" notes. hand lines and spaces the same letter names as the right? Catchy Sayings Sharps & Flats The saying "Every Good Boy Does I'm okay until they throw in a lot Fine" helped me learn the lines for of Sharps and Flats. White keys the right hand, but now it slows me become black keys, black keys down. Sometimes I catch myself become white keys. It's very reciting the whole phrase just to confusing! Why do we have to figure out that the top line is F! have Sharps and Flats anyway? https://www.maxlearning.net / Piano / Reading Music * AllcanplayTM © 1983 * Rev: 2/23/2021 * Page 2 of 12 The Grand Staff The primary structure of Standard Music Notation is the Grand Staff. It consists of lines and spaces with a Treble Staff marked by a G Clef for right-hand notes and a Bass [base] Staff marked by an F Clef for left-hand notes. Ledger Lines extend the staffs. Because early music didn’t include black-note tones, lines and spaces represent only the white keys on your keyboard. 6 6 B 6 A 6 G No Black Keys Represented! 6 F E 6 Ledger Staff: 5 Lines + 4 Spaces = 9 white keys 6 D 4 5 Lines 5 C Right Hand Piano: E to F covers 14 keys: 9 white + 5 black 5 B 5 A TREBLE STAFF 5 G Line 5 F Space 5 E Line 5 D Space 4 C Line 4 B Space 4 A G Clef Line 4 G Space 4 F Line E 4 4 D C BASS STAFF 4 3 C Left Hand 3 B 3 A 3 G F Clef 3 F 3 E 3 D 2 C 2 B 2 A 2 G [ Bass is pronounced base ] 2 F E 2 2 D 1 C Ledger 1 B 1 A Lines 1 G 1 F 1 E D 1 C 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B Middle https://www.maxlearning.net / Piano / Reading Music * AllcanplayTM © 1983 * Rev: 2/23/2021 * Page 3 of 12 Line & Space Memory Hints Most students learn the names of the lines and spaces through sequential sayings or letters. These help at first but hinder in the long run. The biggest problem is the need or tendency to recite the entire saying each time, similar to having to sing the “a-b-c” alphabet song to know which letter comes next. Traditional Sayings Fine E Does Pros C Boy * Sayings, which can vary (Every Good Boy A Good Deserves Food; All Cars Eat Gas…), are F Every catchy and easy to remember. Cons * Four sayings; different for each hand. Always * Sayings skip either lines or spaces. Grass Fine * Sayings do not include ledger lines. Eat * Tendency or need to recite entire saying to Do Cows get to the desired line or space. Boys All Good Octave Sayings Start at any C and recite up or down to the desired line or space. C B B A A G G F F E E D 5 D C C B B A A G G F F E E D 4 D C C B B A A G G F F E E D 3 D C C B B A A G G F F E E D 2 D C C Going Up Going Down C(see) DEF GAB! BAG FED C(gull)! Pros * Only two sayings; same for each hand. * Sayings include lines & spaces. blah * Sayings include ledger lines. blah blah Cons * Tendency or need to recite entire DEF saying to get to the desired line or space. https://www.maxlearning.net / Piano / Reading Music * AllcanplayTM © 1983 * Rev: 2/23/2021 * Page 4 of 12 Mirror Notes If you already know the Treble lines and spaces, Mirror Notes can help you learn the corresponding Bass lines and spaces. When you look in a mirror you see a reverse image of yourself the same distance into the mirror that you are standing away from it. Likewise, imagine that the notes of the Treble and Bass Staffs "mirror" each other equidistant above or below a mirror in between the staffs. SEE A BAD FOG C:C A:E B:D F:G C reflects C A reflects E B reflects D F reflects G C F E D C B A G 2 ledger F lines E D Mirror C above C and B A below G F are Cs E D C B A G 3 spaces up and FoG settles from 3 spaces down top (line) to C are Cs bottom (line) Story Hints See if you can make up some more! Flies away Exits staff Climbs staff The Treble Clef Bisects staff resembles a G and G wraps around the G line Enters staff Dines at table Coffee table Beneath table Air level The Base Clef Gets air resembles an F and F straddles the F line Divides staff Above ground Ground level staff Hints can help, but the ultimate goal is to be able look at any line or space and immediately know what note it represents. https://www.maxlearning.net / Piano / Reading Music * AllcanplayTM © 1983 * Rev: 2/23/2021 * Page 5 of 12 Notes & Accidentals Note symbols are placed on lines and spaces to tell you which keys to play. F A G E b # D D D Accidental symbols alter which key is played. Accidentals are needed because there are only 9 lines and spaces for every 14 keys on a piano. Flat Natural Sharp Play a flatted note one Cancels sharp or flat. Play a sharped note one key down to the left on Play note in its natural key up to the right on the keyboard. position. the keyboard. # C # b b F D B b # F F C D B B Sharps and Flats typically designate black keys, but they can also point to certain white keys. Cb = B E# = F Fb = E B# = C Each black key has a Sharp name and a Flat name. BrainAids Sharp: CD? ForGet About it! S BrainAids F A flat # # # # # H A tire C D F G A poked L eft b b b b b A goes D E G A B person bA ck down R ight sits up T uP I’m being FLATtened! Flat: DE GAB Ouch! That's SHARP!! https://www.maxlearning.net / Piano / Reading Music * AllcanplayTM © 1983 * Rev: 2/23/2021 * Page 6 of 12 Applying Sharps & Flats Below are three ways to apply accidentals to notes in a song, using flats to illustrate. Notice that the flat symbols are placed before the notes on the staff but after the letter names of the line or space. To A Single Note Accidental flows along staff until canceled by a natural. 3 4 B Bb B b A flat placed in front of the B note changes it to B . The natural sign returns the following note to B. To All Notes in a Measure Accidental flows along staff until blocked by a bar line.