Basic Music Theory 1 MUSIC NOTATION 1 Introduction Early History The Great Staff Clefs in use today Notes on the Treble Clef Staff Notes on the Bass Clef Staff The Piano staff Note Duration and Rests Quiz - Quiz Answers Downloading Bay Music Notation 2
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BT 1.1 - Introduction

Imagine you did not know the alphabet and could not read a book, a newspaper, or the words on this web page. You would miss out on a lot of knowledge, understanding and fun.

If you can not read music notation you are really in the same situation with regards to music. You miss out on an incredible amount of what music has to offer and of potential for yourself.

When I was 12 years old I started learning the piano-accordion for a few years. I hated reading music. Every time my teacher gave me a new song I would struggle through it a couple of times, reading it slowly note by note, then I would have it memorised. It is great to have a good memory and a good ear for music, but it can set you back with reading music. It was not until my forties, when I took up serious music study, that I had to face my deficiency and develop music reading skills. I am now by no means a champion reader, but I get by and it has made a world of difference. It enabled me to play in Concert Bands, Stage Bands, Classical Ensembles and small groups - and my enjoyment, understanding and knowledge of music have increased a hundredfold.

So if you can not read music take my advice : start learning right now !

Don't listen to people telling you not to worry about written music and just "do your own thing".
I am an expert on "doing your own thing" from way back. It means going around in circles and getting nowhere. You can fool the average audience without much trouble, but you cannot fool yourself.

In this lesson and the next one I will get you started with the basics, the rest is up to you.

But remember, I am here to help you along, ask me any questions you have !

BT 1.2 - Early History

Western music notation has developed over two and a half thousand years of civilisation.

The ancient Greeks, and later the Romans, used letters of the alphabet to indicate different pitches.

Boethius (A.D. 470-525, an adviser to the court at the end of the Roman Empire), wrote five text books describing the music theory of that ancient era.
The first 15 letters of the alphabet were used for the pitches of two octaves, which was the official working range of sounds in those days.
Boethius' books remained standard texts throughout Europe during the Middle Ages and beyond.

From the 7th Century a system of Neums was introduced for the notation of plainsong. The Neums consisted of grave ( ` ) and acute ( ´ ) accents and horizontal lines, placed over the lyrics to indicate where the melody line was going up or down.

The sign of the trill in our present system is a relic of the old Neum system.

To present accurate note pitches the device of the staff (or stave) was added.
This began as a single horizontal line, then more where added until a four line staff was standardised for the plainsong (= simple melody line without chords or harmony). This staff was probably introduced for the first time by Guido d'Arrezo, a famous music expert around 1000-1050.
The notes were written on (and in between) the lines of this staff which defined their exact pitch.

In the late 13th Century a classifcation of note head shapes also defined the note duration. This important step is ascribed to Franco of Cologne.

Our present notation system developed from this plainsong staff and the old letter name system introduced by the Greeks.

BT 1.3 - The Great Staff

Our present notation system uses the first seven letters of the alphabet.

These refer to the white keys of the keyboard.

The distance between one letter and the same letter up or down the keyboard is called an octave. It encompasses eight letters (A - A, or C - C). The seven letters are repeated to represent successive octaves.

Notes with these seven letter names are placed on and in between the lines of our present Great Staff.

The Great Staff consists of eleven lines covering three octaves.
This represents the approximate range of the traditional four part choral harmony.

Note that the Middle C on the keyboard is on the line exactly in the middle of the Great Staff.

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(Down - Up - Top - Jazclass Links)

BT 1.4 - Clefs in use today

Reading pitches from an 11 line staff can be confusing, and all 11 lines of the Great staff are usually not required for the notation of a given part of music.
Music is therefore written on staffs of five lines only.

But which five lines of the Great staff are selected ?
To identify the five lines a Clef is displayed at the beginning of the staff (Clef = 'key' in French).

In our present notation system three Clefs are in use :

1. The G Clef identifies the G line for the G above Middle C (4th line from the top).
   This is commonly called the Treble Clef.
   It is used for most instruments and for the right hand music for the piano.

   
   

2. The C Clef identifies the C line and Middle C in the exact middle of the Great Staff.
   It is these days only used as :
   • the Alto Clef for the alto singer and the viola, and as
   • or as the Tenor Clef for the tenor vocalist and the cello.
   
   
3. The F Clef identifies the F line for the F below Middle C (4th line from the bottom).
   It is commonly called the Bass Clef.
   It is used for the piano left hand music, the baritone vocalist and for several bass instruments, such as the contra bass, tuba and trombone.

BT 1.5 - Notes on the Treble Clef Staff

For most instruments the only staff of concern is the Treble Clef Staff.
The Clef encircles the G line on that staff, one line from the bottom.

The notes on the lines of the staff are, from the bottom to the top line :

This sequence of notes is memorised by numerous young (and not so young) students with the aid of the line :

The notes in the spaces between the lines of the staff are, from the bottom to the top line :

F - A - C - E

This spells out the word FACE.

Notes that occur outside the pitch range of the staff are placed on ledger lines.
The Middle C on the Keyboard for example is located on the first ledger line below the Treble Clef Staff.

Here are the notes for the two octaves from Middle C on the keyboard upwards.

Audio 1

BT 1.6 - Notes on the Bass Clef Staff

If you don't play the keyboard or a bass instrument you do not need to read notation on the Bass Clef Staff fluently. But it is useful to have a basic understanding of the Staff.

The Bass Clef identifies the F line (below Middle C on the keyboard), by the placement of a small dot above and below this line.

The notes on the lines of the Bass Clef staff are, from the bottom to the top line :

To help you memorise these notes I made up this line :

The notes in the spaces between the lines of the Bass Clef staff are, from the bottom to the top line :

A - C - E - G

You can memorise these note with the line :

All - Cows - Eat - Grass.

Notes outside the pitch range of the staff are placed on ledger lines.
The Middle C on the Keyboard for example is located on the first ledger line above the Bass Clef Staff.

Here are the notes for the two octaves from Middle C downwards.

Audio 2

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(Down - Up - Top - Jazclass Links)

BT 1.7 - The Piano Staff

Music for the keyboard is usually written on a Piano staff, which is a combination of two staffs. The Treble Clef staff for the right hand and the Bass Clef staff for the left hand.
The two staffs are joined together by a brace at the left side and by connecting bar lines (see next Lesson).

BT 1.8 - Note Duration and Rests

In written music, the length of a note is shown by its shape.

When there is no note sounding, a rest is written and the length of the rest is also shown by its shape.

This Table shows the relative lengths of notes, the corresponding rests and their names in English nomenclature :

(Note and Rest names in other Languages)

When notes are above the middle line of a staff the stems are written downwards from the left hand side of the note.

When notes are below the middle line of a staff the stems are written upwards from the right hand side of the note.

If a note is on the middle line the stem may be written either way.

Tails of quavers (and shorter notes) are joined to group them into beats.
(Beats are explained in Notation 2.)

Don't forget, if you have any questions please ask me. Happy studying ! Michael

BT 1.9 - Quiz

A.
1. What method of naming music pitches did the Old Greeks and Romans use ?

2. Name a famous Music Theorist at the end of the Roman Empire.

3. What system of music notation was used in the Middle Ages ?

4. What are Neums ?

5. What is a plainsong ?

B.
1. What is a staff ?

2. What is the Great Staff ?

3. Where is Middle C (on the keyboard) on the Great Staff ?

4. What are ledger lines ?

5. What is a Clef, and which ones are in use today ?

C.
1. Describe the shape of a semibreve, and what is its relative length ?

2. Describe the shape of a minim, and what is its relative length ?

3. Describe the shape of a crotchet, and what is its relative length ?

4. Describe the shape of a quaver, and what is its relative length ?

5. Describe the shape of a semiquaver, and what is its relative length ?

D.
1. Describe the shape of a whole note rest.

2. Describe the shape of a half note rest.

E.
Identify the following notes and rests :

BT 1.10 - Downloading Bay