The Steps


Intro:
Before you begin
Step 1:
Learn the names of notes and clefs
Step 2:
Find where the notes fall on staves
Step 3:
Find where the notes fall on a keyboard
Step 4:
Understand note length
Step 5:
Understand time signatures
Step 6:
Understand key signatures
Step 7:
Know the common words and symbols



Helpful Tips


You can get a good idea of a song's rhythm by clapping along with where the notes fall. Pay attention to note length and only clap on the first beat of a note.

 

 

Arts and Crafts


2torial #0917:
Learn2 Read Music

Step 5Understand time signatures

Music usually has two numbers at the beginning, one on top of the other. This is called a time signature. The time signature indicates how many beats there are in a measure (the space between bar lines), as well as what the general pace (rhythm) of a song will be.

Bar lines are vertical lines that intersect the entire stave at regular intervals. The end of a piece of music is indicated by a double bar line.

The top number of a time signature indicates how many beats are in a measure. The bottom number indicates the type of note that makes up each beat.

The most common time signature in popular music is 4/4 (four beats in each measure, and each beat is made up of a quarter note). Sometimes 4/4 time is indicated with a large "C" centered vertically on the stave at its beginning (which stands for "common time").

Go 2Step 6

 



 

 

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