Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music

Basic Music Theory

Third Line Notes Are Conformists

The stem will be up for a note on the third line if it’s with other

notes whose stems are up.

The stem will be down for a third line note if it’s with other notes

whose stems are down.

Here’s an easy way to remember what the stems look like:

Moving On

This was a very important Chapter because if you don’t recognize and

know the lengths of notes, reading music will be impossible. Stay with

this Chapter until you’ve understood it, and read it over again if you think

it’ll help.

So you’ve got pitch, you’ve got note lengths. Now you’re ready for time

signatures, or meters. Study the review until you know all the questions,

then read on!

Chapter 11 Review

A note high on the staff looks like this.

A note low on the staff looks like this.

1. What is the beat, in music?


2. Name the notes you learned from shortest to
   longest.
   
   
   1. A steady pulse;
      what makes your
      toe tap
   
   
   2. quarter, half,
      whole