Reading Sheet Music- Part One

Learning to read music is like learning to read for the first time. Translating the dots and dashes into letters, and then translating them into notes is a habit that every aspiring musician needs to learn. I'll be explaining how to read sheet music for piano, but the basic theory applies to any instrument.

As I explained in Piano 101, the notes on a scale are organized in octaves (groups of twelve), starting with C. A whole octave starting with middle C (without the sharps or flats), would look like this:

The starting note is called middle C. It's usually right in the center of a piano. The twirly design in the left corner is called a treble cleft. That indicates that the hand will be playing on or above middle C. The bass cleft (the lopsided frowny face) means it's below middle C, where the left hand usually plays. 

There are many different mnemonics to help remember which notes go where. For the treble cleft, FACE are the notes that are in between the lines, and Every Good Boy Does Fine (EGBDF) is for the notes that are on the lines. On the bass cleft, All Cows Eat Grass (ACEG) is for between the lines and Good Boys Deserve Fudge Always (GBDFA) is on the lines. 

In Part Two, I'll explain more about how the dynamics work, and the specific signs that explain how to play a certain piece.