Reading Music

Without explaining the nuances of music notation or answering the question - "Why does the musical alphabet start with C?" - I will try to build a foundation for you to explore. Download the following file.

Notation: notereading.pdf

At the top of the page is a C major scale, covering one octave and extending to a high E. The first symbol shown on the staff is called a 'treble clef' or 'G-clef'. The first 'C' shown is referred to as 'middle-C'. This note is easily identified, because of the little ledger line extending through it and its location underneath the staff. If the notes were not on a staff with a treble clef, they would have entirely different names.

Notes in a treble clef are usually written for high register instruments and voice. Music written for full-range instruments normally use the treble clef to isolate the higher registers - like the right-hand side of a piano. Likewise, a general assumption is that music written for piano, in the treble clef, is played with the right hand. And of course we can apply this assumption to The Stick.

So, what we have here are RH notes that apply to the melody side of The Stick. In a major scale, note names ascend as the pitch ascends. As you know, the musical alphabet starts with 'A' and ends with 'G', before starting over. We start on C for this scale.

Underneath the staff are diagrams for common Stick tunings. I have isolated a four-fret segment containing the notes from the staff above. Pointing to each finger marking are the notation symbols. See if you can correlate the written notes to their names in the above staff.

Next, try playing the notes, in the order shown, on the four isolated staffs surrounding the diagram - while reciting the note names aloud. Then try playing them backwards. Practice this until you know which note you're playing as it relates to the written note. When you've got it, try out the two exercises.

Of course, there is much more to reading music than what I've shared and a lot more notes to learn. If you're so inclined, let me know if you would like me to expand on this topic in the future.

Later,
Chris
www.ChrisCrain.com