The direction the stem points doesn't affect the note (it's just an aesthetic).

Key scales begin with the first note of their "name." For example, the D major scale (see Step 6) will start with D. Some people like to sing or play an octave/scale in a key before they begin playing a song, to get the feel of how the song will sound.

Music for the guitar is written an octave higher (and with the treble clef) than it actually sounds.

2torial #0917: Learn2 Read Music Know the common words and symbols Tempo and volume also play an important role in music. A song's tempo (how fast or slow it should be played) is often written at the beginning in English or Italian. Here are the common terms in both languages: English Italian Very slow Lento; Largo Slow Adagio Walking pace Andante Medium Moderato Fast Allegro Lively Vivace Very fast Presto; Molto Allegro   Common symbols indicating volume (how loud or soft a song should be played) are as follows: Symbol Italian English ppp Pianississimo As soft as possible pp Pianissimo Very soft P Piano Soft mp Mezzo-piano Moderately soft m Mezzo Medium mf Mezzo-forte Moderately loud f Forte Loud ff Fortissimo Very loud fff Fortississimo As loud as possible pf Piu forte Louder fp Fortepiano Quickly move from loud to soft Crescendo Gradually louder (this symbol will appear over several notes at once) Diminuendo Gradually softer (this symbol will appear over several notes at once)   Additional symbols are used to give music more personality and variety: Symbol Meaning A dot below or above the note indicates it should be played or sung staccato -- shortly with a silent space between it and the next note A dot after a note or rest means you should add half its original length (so a half note followed by a dot would count as three beats, a whole rest followed by a dot would count for six beats, and so on)   Play or sing strongly Notes should blend together smoothly Hold the note Repeat note once Repeat the previous bar Repeat previous two bars Repeat section before going on   Once you've perfected these basic steps, you'll be well on your way toward trying something more complex. In the meantime, be patient with yourself. (In other words, put that Rachmaninoff down and stick with something simple for a while.) With enough practice, you'll have taken a significant step toward eventually being able to play, sing or even write any song you want. -end- Learn More! or All steps at once (printable version)