Theory
Notes & The Staff
The Musical Alphabet
Seven natural note names repeat in an endless cycle. C4 (Middle C) is the universal anchor — the C in the middle of the piano.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
→ repeat
The Staff
Music is written on a staff of 5 lines and 4 spaces. Each line and space represents a pitch. A clef symbol at the start tells you which pitches the lines and spaces refer to.
𝄞 Treble Clef
Upper range — right hand on piano, violin, flute, guitar
𝄢 Bass Clef
Lower range — left hand on piano, bass guitar, cello
Treble Clef Notes
| Note | Mnemonic | Position | Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| E4 | Every | Line 1 | |
| G4 | Good | Line 2 | |
| B4 | Boy | Line 3 | |
| D5 | Does | Line 4 | |
| F5 | Fine | Line 5 | |
| Spaces — "FACE" | |||
| F4 | F | Space 1 | |
| A4 | A | Space 2 | |
| C5 | C | Space 3 | |
| E5 | E | Space 4 | |
Bass Clef Notes
| Note | Mnemonic | Position | Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| G2 | Good | Line 1 | |
| B2 | Boys | Line 2 | |
| D3 | Do | Line 3 | |
| F3 | Fine | Line 4 | |
| A3 | Always | Line 5 | |
| Spaces — "All Cows Eat Grass" | |||
| A2 | All | Space 1 | |
| C3 | Cows | Space 2 | |
| E3 | Eat | Space 3 | |
| G3 | Grass | Space 4 | |
Accidentals
#
Sharp
Raises pitch by 1 semitone
♭
Flat
Lowers pitch by 1 semitone
♮
Natural
Cancels a previous accidental
Audio Demo
Octave plays C4 then C5 — same note, one octave higher.
Practice
Pitch Spotter
Name notes C–B by ear