The First Steps in Music Theory

Topic #1: The Staff

     Today we’re starting at the very beginning… and looking at the most fundamental thing in music theory: the lines it is written on.

     Music is placed on five lines, called the Staff.  The staff is the foundation upon which notes are drawn.



     The modern staff comprises five lines and four spaces.



     Clefs assign individual notes to certain lines or spaces.  Two clefs are normally used: The Treble and Bass clefs.



     First, we will discuss the Treble Clef (also called the G Clef).  The staff line which the clef wraps around (shown in red) is known as G. Any note placed on this line becomes G.




When writing music, notes are placed either on the lines:



Or in the spaces:



Music notes are not round, they are actually shaped like an oval on its side.



     Accuracy is extremely important in music theory, as a badly placed note can be mis-read by another musician as on a different line or space.

     When drawing a note on a line, their center goes right through the middle of the line, and no more than half the way through the space above and the space below:



Space notes need to touch the lines above and below, but not go over them:






     Your first assignment is to practice drawing treble and bass clefs, and line and space notes.  Practice daily.   Establishing a daily rhythm allows our nervous system to integrate new information in a natural and stress free way, in both your writing and your playing. If you are new to practicing. Don't be over demanding on yourself. As little as 15 minutes of practice a day can keep the mind alert and enable the body muscles to gain muscle memory. Muscle memory is a very important aspect of your musical development. Muscle memory is going to relate directly to your playing techniques.

Hence, it will effect your sound.