Crash Course in Reading Music
The Basics
Music is written with notes on a musical staff of five lines and four spaces. Each line or each space represents a specific pitch. The lower the note is located on the staff, or below the staff, the lower the pitch. Likewise, the higher the note is located on the staff, the higher the pitch. It's very logical.
Music is written with notes on a musical staff of five lines and four spaces. Each line or each space represents a specific pitch. The lower the note is located on the staff, or below the staff, the lower the pitch. Likewise, the higher the note is located on the staff, the higher the pitch. It's very logical.
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Music for the guitar is written on a staff using the treble clef. It is also called the “G” clef because the clef circles the line for the note “G.”
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The treble clef turns the staff into the treble staff with specific letter names for the pitches. Only the letters A B C D E F G are used and repeated. Notice that the stem direction for the notes is:
up on the right for low notes & down on the left for high notes
up on the right for low notes & down on the left for high notes
One way to remember the notes is to make up a phrase using those letters. All of the notes on the lines could be turned into this phrase: "Every Good Bird Does Fly." The notes on the spaces form the word "FACE."
A note is used to show how long sound lasts. A rest is used to show how long silence lasts.
The time signature located near the beginning of a piece of music tells you how many beats are in each measure and the type of note that gets one beat.
- The top number is the number of beats in each measure, or bar.
- The bottom number represents the note that equals one beat. 4 means that the quarter note equals one beat, 8 means the eighth note equals one beat, and 2 means the half note equals one beat.
- The top number is the number of beats in each measure, or bar.
- The bottom number represents the note that equals one beat. 4 means that the quarter note equals one beat, 8 means the eighth note equals one beat, and 2 means the half note equals one beat.
Notes, rests, and beats on the staff are divided into sections that are called measures, or bars, and are separated by bar lines.
The end of a song is signified by double bar lines.
The end of a song is signified by double bar lines.
Beats, Rhythms, and Combinations
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Music has strong beats and weak beats. When playing rhythm on the guitar, you need to be aware of the beats. Strong beats happen at the beginning of each measure and sometimes within the measure, as well. The accent mark appears in the following music to show the strong beats in different time signatures.
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Accent Mark
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Here are some favorite rhythm techniques:
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Strong Beats
thumb pick one string thumb strum downward fingers strum downward thumb pluck thumb pluck thumb-finger pluck |
Weak Beats
fingers pick-strum other strings fingers strum upward fingers strum upward fingers strum downward one-finger pluck 1 string at a time pinch 2 strings / finger pluck or fingers pluck |
Even though you may be most comfortable with one rhythm technique, try using others. You might like to combine picking, strumming, and plucking for different styles of music and to get the effects that you want. The possibilities are endless.
Back to Guitars
Go to Keys, Scales, Chords, and Circle of Fifths
Go to Fingerings and Chord Tablatures
Go to Keys, Scales, Chords, and Circle of Fifths
Go to Fingerings and Chord Tablatures
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