Symbols

The staff consists of five lines and four spaces. Each of those lines and each of those spaces represents a different letter, which in turn represents a note. Those lines and spaces represent notes named A-G, and the note sequence moves alphabetically up the staff.

For lines, we remember EGBDF by the word cue “Every Good Boy Does Fine.” Similarly, for the spaces, FACE is just like the word “face.”

Time signatures: The top number tells you how many beats are in a measure. To understand what the lower number indicates, replace the top number with a one, then the fraction you're left with will tell you which note gets the beat. In this case, there will be 4 quarter notes per measure.

Notes: There are many different notes, but the 3 most common ones you'll see are whole notes (4 beats), half notes (2 beats), and quarter notes (1 beat). You can keep dividing them down to get even shorter beats. There are eighth notes (1/2 beat), sixteenth notes (1/4 beat), and even thirty-second notes (1/8 beat).

Rests: Rests are very similar to notes, but they indicate where you won't play. Divided into different numbers of beats. The most common are whole note rests (4 beats), half note rests (2 beats), and quarter note rests (1 beat). These can also be divided down further.

Dots: If you see a dot next to a note, all you have to do is take half the value of the note and add it to that note. For example, a half note with a dot next to it when be counted as 3 beats.

Ties: These tell you to add the notes together and play them as if they were one note.

Slurs: Slurred notes are to be played legato. This means you'll use hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Repeat Signs: When you see this sign, it's telling you to go back to the first two dots that you saw, and play from there.