Reading music

Notation is a tool for memory, not a barrier to entry. You will learn it by playing, not by studying it in advance.

If you already read music, skip this page. If you don’t, the minimum you need before Lesson 1 is on this page; the rest you will pick up note by note as the lessons require it.

The staff

Music is written on five horizontal lines — the staff. Notes sit on lines or in the spaces between them. Higher notes are physically higher on the staff.

The treble clef

Recorder music uses the treble clef, also called the G clef.The curl of the clef encircles the second line from the bottom — the line that represents the note G. The curling symbol at the start of every line tells you which notes the lines and spaces represent.

Note names

Music uses the letters A through G, then repeats: C·D·E·F·G·A·B·C·D·E·F·G … For the soprano recorder, your first three notes are B, A, and G. They sit on or just below the middle of the staff.

Rhythm and note durations

• Whole note — four beats.
• Half note — two beats.
• Quarter note — one beat.
• Eighth note — half a beat.

Time signatures

4/4 means four beats per measure, with the quarter note getting one beat. It is the most common signature you will see.

3/4 means three beats per measure — waltz time.

Bar lines and measures

Vertical lines divide the music into measures, sometimes called bars. Each measure contains the number of beats indicated by the time signature.

Don’t worry

You will learn notation gradually through the lessons. Each new concept is introduced when it is needed, with plenty of practice and audio playback. Reading music is a skill that grows with the playing, not before it.

Next: All beginner lessons.