| who hasn't taken a music class might look at the | | | | in. More specifically it tells the player which notes get |
| 'flytracks' on the paper and wonder how anyone | | | | special treatment with either a flat or sharp. Flats lower |
| makes sense of it. People who play only by ear may | | | | a tone by a half step while sharps raise notes by a |
| never learn to read music. Playing by ear comes | | | | half step. |
| natural to them. | | | | The next thing to take note of is the time signature. |
| Some are ONLY able to read music. In fact they | | | | Those typically will look like two numbers; one riding |
| struggle without it. Their first music learning experience | | | | atop the other. An example would be 4/4 which has |
| was one of learning to read written notes. | | | | significance. Here the note on bottom is the number of |
| We learn the system established through traditional | | | | beats in one measure and the upper note indicates 4 |
| music lessons in which we learn to read notes. This | | | | equal notes per measure. |
| system is structured and organized through a rigorous | | | | Every beginner learns these basic when learning to |
| set of rules developed over several hundred years. | | | | read music. Later they move on to even more |
| Notes are placed on predetermined locations on a | | | | information that must be read by the player. For |
| thing called a staff. There are five lines and four | | | | example they learn about volume, style, tempo. These |
| spaces on this staff. Notes are positioned on a line or | | | | later aspects are often what makes mere notes |
| space. | | | | sound musical. If all you do is to just hit the right note at |
| Each note is one degree of an 8 note scale each | | | | the right time it is often not very musical. Computers |
| having an assigned place on the staff. There are two | | | | that play midi sound files are an example of playing |
| staffs; one for treble clef (higher notes) and one for | | | | unmusically. |
| bass clef (lower notes). Placing the two staffs | | | | Learning to read music, therefore, requires much more |
| together makes it the great or grand staff. | | | | than merely reading the notes and playing them at the |
| Key signatures are also part of the notation system. | | | | correct point in the music. It requires expressiveness |
| Key signatures designate the key the music is played | | | | and degrees of subtle care. |