Beginning Music Theory

Theory Basics

Part one: The Staff

The Staff is: where music is written.


It is made up of five lines and four spaces numbered bottom to top.

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What is the Staff?

​Line 5

​Line 4

​Line 3

​Line 2

​Line 1

​Space 1

​Space 2

​Space 3

​Space 4

Labelling

Number the Lines and Spaces on the Staff.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Line 3

Space 4

Line 5

Line 1

Space 3

Space 2

Space 1

Line 2

Line 4

There are a few things that tell you how to read the music at the beginning of a piece. The very first thing is the Clef, which tells you where the notes go on the staff.

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The Clefs

There are many kinds of Clefs, but the ones we will focus on are the Treble and Bass Clefs. The Treble Clef is also called the G Clef, and the Bass clef is also called the F Clef.

​

The Clefs (continued)

​Treble:

Bass:

​After the Clef, the next thing you will see is the KEY Signature, which tells you what key you're in using sharps OR flats.

​

Key Signature

​Flats:

Sharps:

Match

Match the symbol to the term.

Flat

Sharp

Treble (G) Clef

Bass (F) Clef

• Flat

• Sharp

• Treble (G) Clef

• Bass (F) Clef

The time signature comes right after the Key Signature, and tells you how many beats are in a measure. The TOP number is how many beats per measure.

Time Signature

So, what is a measure?

A measure is how music is split up.

Match

How many beats are in one measure of each of the following Time Signatures?

4

3

6

7

2

• 4

• 3

• 6

• 7

• 2

Part two: The Notes

A Half Note is 2 beats long.
This takes up half of a measure of 4/4, so two will fit in the measure.

Half Note

A Whole Note is 4 beats long. This takes all 4 available beats in a measure of 4/4, so only one can be put in a measure.

Whole Note

Note Durations

An Eighth Note is 1/2 a beat long.
To fill up an entire measure of 4/4, you need 8 of these.

Eighth Note

A Quarter Note is 1 beat long.
So to fill the 4 available beats, you need 4 of these.

Quarter Note

Note Durations (continuted)

Sixteenth Note

A Sixteenth Note is 1/4 of a beat long.
To fill up an entire measure in 4/4, you have to use 16 of these!

Half Note

Whole Note

Note Durations

Eighth Note

Quarter Note

Note Durations (continuted)

Sixteenth Note

Labelling

Match the note name to its symbol

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Eighth Note

Sixteenth
Note

Half Note

Quarter Note

Whole Note

Match

Match the note to it's duration.

• Whole Note

• Half Note

• Quarter Note

• Eighth Note

• Sixteenth Note

four beats

2 beats

1 beat

1/2 beats

1/4 beats

• four beats

• 2 beats

• 1 beat

• 1/2 beats

• 1/4 beats