1. Reading Notes on the Musical Staff
Julian Nava Learning Academy,
School of Arts and Culture

2. What do these signs tell you?
Wheelchair Accessible Airport Nearby
How can you tell what they mean?

3. What do these signs tell you?
Stoplight is coming up Two-Way Street
How can you tell what they mean?

4. What do these signs tell you?
Bikes are not allowed here Hospital Nearby
How can you tell what they mean?

5. How Does This Connect to reading the
Notes on the musical staff?
• Notes tell you how long to hold them and
what pitch to play.
• We need to look at the signs (or notes) to tell
us what pitch to play.

6. MUSICAL ALPHABET
You might be thinking to yourself:
Why does the musical alphabet only go up to the letter G? Aren’t there
more than 7 notes in music?
What comes after the G in the musical alphabet?

7. The musical alphabet is able to produce more than 7 notes because the notes
repeat over and over again. For example, on a piano you may be able to find
many notes that are and sound like the note “A”
Each note in music is given a different letter name beginning with the letter A
and ending with the letter G.
The Musical Alphabet has only 7 letters whereas the regular alphabet has 26
letters.
Musical Alphabet continued
Yes there are more than 7 notes in music.

8. So How do we make more notes?
• Sharp – Raises the pitch
• Flat – Lowers the pitch
• Natural – Cancels a flat or sharp
Insert musical staff of a b-flat

9. Music Staff Symbols
MUSICAL STAFF
The musical staff has 5 lines and 4 spaces.
Location of the note on the staff tells you which pitch to play.
What is pitch?
•Pitch is the highness or lowness of a sound.
Notes are placed on above or below the musical staff to identify pitch
•The higher the note on the staff the higher the pitch
•The lower the note on the staff the lower the pitch.

10. Clef Symbols
Treble Clef
The TREBLE CLEF is used for notes in the higher pitch
ranges. The treble (or G) clef has evolved from a
G into the present stylized letter G
The curl of the treble clef circles the line on which
the note G is placed. This G is above MIDDLE C
(the C nearest the middle of the keyboard).
Instruments that use the treble clef are the Flute,
Clarinet, Alto, Tenor Saxophone, Trumpet, Horn, Violin
There are 3 different clef symbols we will talk about today. Clef symbols are
found at the beginning of the music. A clef sign tells you what the names of the
notes are.

11. Notes on the Treble Clef
Notes on the lines Notes on the Spaces
A good way to remember the notes on the lines is to remember this phrase:
Every Good Boy Does Fine.
A good way to remember the notes on the spaces is to remember they spell out
FACE from bottom to top.

12. Bass Clef
The BASS CLEF (pronounced "base") is used for notes in
the lower pitch ranges. The bass (or F) clef has
evolved from a stylized letter F into the present stylized
letter F.
The two dots of the bass clef surround the line on
which the note F is placed. This F is below the middle C
Instruments that use the Bass Clef are the Bass Clarinet,
Baritone Saxophone, Euphonium, Trombone, Tuba,
Cello, String Bass, Tenor Voice and Bass Voice.

13. Notes on the Bass Clef
Notes on the lines Notes on the Spaces
A good way to remember the notes on the lines is to remember this phrase:
Good Boys Do Fine Always.
A good way to remember the notes on the spaces is to remember this phrase:
All Cows Eat Grass.

14. Alto Clef
The ALTO CLEF is used for notes in the middle pitch
ranges, It is also known as the C-clef. The alto clef is the
most frequently used clef in viola music.
The Alto Clef symbol surrounds the third line on which
the note C is placed.
Instruments that use the Alto Clef are the Viola, and the
Alto Voice.

15. Notes on the Alto Clef
Notes on the lines Notes on the Spaces
A good way to remember the notes on the lines is to remember they spell out
FACE G from bottom to top.
A good way to remember the notes on the spaces is to remember this phrase:
Good Birds Do Fly.

16. What happens to the pitch as you go up the musical staff? Answer in a
complete sentence.
As you move up the musical staff the pitch goes higher.
As you move down the musical staff the pitch goes lower.
What happens to the pitch as you go down the musical staff? Answer in a
complete sentence.
Listen to the following Musical Example:

17. How to correctly identify the note every time!
1. Identify the clef sign. (Treble, Alto or Bass Clef)
2. Find a reference note. Identify a note that you already know on the musical
staff.
4. Count lines and spaces up or down the musical alphabet to find the note.
G B F E D F C A E
C D G B G E F A A
F A E F G C B D G
3. Is the note you are trying to find above or below the reference note?

18. Reading Music Vocabulary Words
• Musical Alphabet – A B C D E F G A
• Musical Staff -
• Sharp – raises the pitch of a note.
• Flat – Lowers the pitch of a note.
• Natural – Cancels a flat or a sharp.
• Pitch – The highness or lowness of a sound.
• Treble Clef -
• Every Good Boy Does Fine – Notes on the lines of
the staff
• FACE – Notes on the spaces of the staff.

19. Reflect on what you have learned
• What comes after G in the musical alphabet?
• What clef sign does your instrument normally
use?
• How can you tell what note to play on the
musical staff?

20. Review reading notes
• The shape of the note tells us how long to
hold the note.
• The location of the note on the musical staff
tells us what pitch to play.