Music Notation

Notation

Music is written on a series of horizontal lines.

To express sounds, signs called Notes are used.

Notes

Music is composed of seven notes, which are named after the first seven letters of the alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F, G; by repeating the first note, C, a scale of eight notes is formed, called a Gamut (scale)

Staff

Notes are written on five parallel lines, and in the spaces between the lines. These five lines and four spaces are called the Staff.

As the Staff is not of sufficient extension to express all the sounds in Music, additional or Leger lines are introduced, above and below the Staff, when required.

Clef

The Clef is a sign placed at the beginning of the Staff to determine the name of the notes.

There are three sorts of Clefs used in music. The Treble, or G Clef, which is placed on the second line only, is made use of in compositions for the Guitar.

References

• Carcassi - Method for the Guitar