| The pitch of a note is represented by its placement | | | | The duration (how long a note lasts) of a note or |
| on a musical staff (five horizontal lines) or on ledger | | | | group of notes (chord) is marked by its appearance. |
| lines above or below the staff. For example, the first | | | | A whole note, for example, is an "open" (oval not |
| line of the staff (treble clef) is the note E, the space | | | | filled in) note without a stem and its duration lasts for |
| between the first and second lines is F, and a note | | | | a complete measure. A half note is a whole note with |
| on the second line is the note G. As the notes | | | | a stem, lasting for half a measure. A quarter note is |
| ascend on the staff (on the written music), they are | | | | "closed" (i.e., a filled in oval) with a stem and lasts for |
| played as continually higher pitches, and as lower and | | | | one beat. |
| lower pitches as they descend down the staff. | | | | Stems (attached to notes) extend below or above |
| These notes are played separately to create a | | | | the note depending on where the notes appears on |
| melody, or in combination with each other to produce | | | | the staff. An eighth note (one half a beat) is written |
| chords. | | | | like a quarter note but with a "flag" appearing on the |
| The following note names are used in music notation: | | | | note's stem. A sixteenth note has two flags on its |
| A, B, C, D, E, F, and G (then they resume the same | | | | stem. Sometimes eighth or sixteenth note appear in |
| pattern an octave higher (or lower) beginning again | | | | succession. In that case, they are attached to each |
| with the note A). In addition to these "natural" notes, | | | | other with a bar that crosses the top or bottom of |
| there are also notes named as sharp (A#, C#, D#, | | | | the stem where their flags would normally appear |
| F#, G#) and as flat (Ab, Bb, Db, Eb, Gb). A sharped | | | | Notes are tied together in a number of other ways |
| note is a half step (or one semitone) above the note | | | | including ties, slurs, glissandos and triplets. These have |
| it affects, and a flatted note is a half step (or one | | | | an effect on how the music sounds. For example, |
| semitone) below the note it affects. In other words, | | | | notes with slurs are played smoothly (such as one |
| a G# is played one half step (one piano key) above | | | | stroke of a violin bow or a passage sung without the |
| a G, and a Eb is played one half step below an E. | | | | singer taking a breath between notes). A smooth |
| It is important to know that the notes B#, E#, Fb | | | | glide through a series of notes is called a glissando. |
| and Cb do not exist like other notes -- they are | | | | Ties add the time value of two or more notes, |
| "enharmonic" (looking at the piano, you'll see there | | | | where triplets are three notes played against one |
| are places on the keyboard where two white keys | | | | beat (or two or more beats in come cases). Triplets |
| exist without a black key between them). These | | | | are sometimes marked with the number 3 to indicate |
| notes are not included in scales or chords. | | | | they are to be played equally in tempo. |
