The Music Alphabet: Start Speaking the Language by Learning the A-B-C´s

When you play or sing music with other people, you have to be able to talk about what you are going to play or sing. To do that you have to know how to speak the language. Learning the music alphabet will help you to do that.

NOTICE: YOU DON´T TO READ MUSIC FOR THIS!

The language of music is just like another language. That is why we use the music alphabet. It is a simple sistem of letters that help us write down the sounds we actually want to play or sing.

Notes: the Building Blocks of Music

All music is made up of notes. A note is just any pitch made by a musical instrument. Every note in music has a letter name. The music alphabet is made up of only seven letters: A-G. This is because when we play the notes in order, the note that we would call «H», sounds like another «A», so we just start the set over.

Example: A B C D E F G A

Or: C D E F G A B C

Musical Alphabet

The musical alphabet includes only 7 letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G.  On the staff, each line or space represents a different letter.

The treble clef is also known as the G clef because it indicates that the second line from the bottom will be G. Notice how the clef makes a circle centered on the second line.

The remainded of the notes on the staff are named by going up and down the musical alphabet on alternating lines and spaces.

A popular technique for memorizing the notes in each clef is to use mnemonic devices for the lines and spaces. For the treble cleff lines, the following phrase has been used for many years:

The spaces in treble clef actually spell the word FACE:

Notice: Think of the happy face and you will remember the notes…… F A C E

 

I extend a cordial greeting to all you,

Miss Patricia.