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Reading Notes on Sheet Music
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Leslie Rush
Aug 6, 2009, 4:19:39 AM8/6/09
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If you have ever stopped to look at a piece of sheet music you will
have noticed many different shapes ranged across the page. Many look
like circles that might or might not be totally filled in. Some may
look connected by a couple lines or more. There are other strange
symbols as well. What does this all mean?
Is sheet music written in some strange language that only a musician
can understand? The answer to that is a resounding no! While it can
seem daunting at first sheet music is not extremely difficult to read
once you know and understand the different types of notes and symbols
you are looking at.
The note structure for most sheet music follows the same basic rules.
A whole note is the first note that you should be able to recognize
easily. It looks like an open circle and will occupy one full measure
(the space between two of the vertical bars which are placed at even
integrals across the staff. A whole note is one that is held for the
full measure of a beat.
A whole note that falls under different time signatures will not be
held for the same length of time however. A whole note in 4/4 time
will be held for a full four beats whereas one in 3/4 time will only
be held for three beats. This difference aside the whole note will
always be considered a whole note unless there is another bit of
musical notation added which will be discussed later on.
The next type of note is a half note. This note will look like a small
open circle with a line rising up from the right side. As the name
implies this type of note will only be held for half the time that a
whole note would be held. You will never see a whole note on the same
measure as another note except in very specific time signatures which
are the rare exception indeed.
Your next note will be a quarter note. Each of these notes in a
measure are held for one-quarter of a beat. A quarter note will look
just like a half note except the circle section will be completely
filled. The other types of notes you will find will be drawn similar
to the quarter notes except for one difference.
It is this difference that will determine the length of the beat for
which the note will be held. Eighth notes for example are joined at
the top of their vertical lines by a bar that crosses from one note to
the next. It is this single bar at the top that will let you know that
the notes are held for one eighth of a beat apiece. The same will go
for sixteenth notes which are joined by two bars at the top and thirty
second notes which are joined by three bars at the top of the note.
Once you can recognize these different types of notes you will
learning sheet music before you know it.
have noticed many different shapes ranged across the page. Many look
like circles that might or might not be totally filled in. Some may
look connected by a couple lines or more. There are other strange
symbols as well. What does this all mean?
Is sheet music written in some strange language that only a musician
can understand? The answer to that is a resounding no! While it can
seem daunting at first sheet music is not extremely difficult to read
once you know and understand the different types of notes and symbols
you are looking at.
The note structure for most sheet music follows the same basic rules.
A whole note is the first note that you should be able to recognize
easily. It looks like an open circle and will occupy one full measure
(the space between two of the vertical bars which are placed at even
integrals across the staff. A whole note is one that is held for the
full measure of a beat.
A whole note that falls under different time signatures will not be
held for the same length of time however. A whole note in 4/4 time
will be held for a full four beats whereas one in 3/4 time will only
be held for three beats. This difference aside the whole note will
always be considered a whole note unless there is another bit of
musical notation added which will be discussed later on.
The next type of note is a half note. This note will look like a small
open circle with a line rising up from the right side. As the name
implies this type of note will only be held for half the time that a
whole note would be held. You will never see a whole note on the same
measure as another note except in very specific time signatures which
are the rare exception indeed.
Your next note will be a quarter note. Each of these notes in a
measure are held for one-quarter of a beat. A quarter note will look
just like a half note except the circle section will be completely
filled. The other types of notes you will find will be drawn similar
to the quarter notes except for one difference.
It is this difference that will determine the length of the beat for
which the note will be held. Eighth notes for example are joined at
the top of their vertical lines by a bar that crosses from one note to
the next. It is this single bar at the top that will let you know that
the notes are held for one eighth of a beat apiece. The same will go
for sixteenth notes which are joined by two bars at the top and thirty
second notes which are joined by three bars at the top of the note.
Once you can recognize these different types of notes you will
learning sheet music before you know it.
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