My goal this week, I focused on something that once felt like a foreign language to me: reading music notes. At first glance, the staff, lines, spaces, and note names were overwhelming–but once I started breaking it down step by step, it all began to make sense.
Tools I used
For this week, I explored watching lessons on a YouTube channel and used an app to practice placing notes on a staff. After working with the digital video explanation I used an app to practice identifying notes on the music staff and matching them to the correct piano keys. This helped me start recognizing where each note belongs both visually and on the keyboard. The tools I used were:
What I Learned
In this above video, the Youtuber Pianote taught me many valuable lessons on how to read notes and what each individually means. Through this video I learned:
The Staff:
- Music is written on 5 lines called a grand staff. At the beginning of a grand staff you will either see a treble clef, which is a swirly note, this is sometimes known as a G clef as well. Or you may see a note called a bass clef, sometimes known as a F clef. This is called the bass clef because it’s played lower on the piano.
- On a grand staff, music has a five-line staff. It also has 4 spaces between the lines. Notes can either sit on a line or in a space, and their position tells you what note to play.
The Treble Clef (Right Hand):
- The treble clef is often associated with the right hand.
- An easy way to identify this is a treble clef is because the line that runs through the centre treble clefs curl is the note G, aligned with line 2. When we want to identify the following notes. In my last week’s learning I learned the note are A, B, C, D, E, F, G. This means, after the G note on the second line, the next note is in the space which is A. This continues through the piano alphabet through the following notes through the line and spaces.
- Notes don’t only go up the grand scale, but they can go down the scale too! However, you need to create Ledger Lines.
Source: Pinterest. Musical Notes 101. https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/3307399696884899/
The Bass Clef Notes (Left Hand):
- The bass clef is often associated with the left hand
- The bass clef is instead using the lines starting at G-B-D-F-A and the spaces are A-C-E-G
Source: Piano Keyboard Guide. https://www.piano-keyboard-guide.com/bass-clef.html
Ledger Lines:
- Notes above or below the staff use small lines (kind of like floating platforms) to keep the music readable.
Middle C:
- This is the bridge between the treble and bass clefs–it’s now my home base!
TIPS!:
- A great tip she gave to remember the treble clef notes is practicing remembering the saying Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge, which is how to remember the lines for E-G-B-D-F. As well for the spaces to remember the saying for the notes, F-A-C-E.
- A great tip she gave to remember the bass clef notes is practicing remembering the saying, Good Boys Deserve Fudge Always, which is G-B-D-F-A. As well for the spaces to remember the saying for the notes, All Cows Eat Grass, for the notes A-C-E-G.
On the App Notevision I practiced identifying what the notes on the grand scale are and the sounds they make. What I love about this app is it provides real time feedback of how I am doing in my process. For example, In the video I provided I messed up a couple of times. The app stopped me and let me try again before I could continue on. Having this feedback actually helped me recognize every time I messed up, what these key notes were. As I did this practice over and over again, I eventually got the hang of where the notes are. What I also love about this app is theres different ways to practice learning these notes. The app provides lessons on the treble clef with small range of note hints and keyboard notes, this is what I show in the video. It can even show the same note range with no visual aids. This is shown in the second video. What is also super cool about this app is it shows how fast you go when practicing. You could practice over and over again until you beat your score. There is many other cool features on this app such as learning keyboard lesson basics, bass lessons, and grand staff lessons. You can also practice songs, free play, and create your own custom music! I would recommend this for all first time learners when getting to know your notes on a grand staff!
(videos are screen recorded from my iPhone)
My Reflection
This week really boosted my confidence in understanding the language of music. At first, looking at all the lines and symbols on the staff felt confusing, but breaking it down into simple parts—like learning about the grand staff, treble clef, and note patterns—made it feel much more manageable.
Using educational technology tools, such as a YouTube video from Pianote’s page, was super helpful. The instructor explained everything clearly and simply, which made it easy for me to understand.
The most helpful tool this week, however, was the NoteVision app. I liked how it gave me immediate feedback and became more challenging as I improved. The only downside is that it focuses more on memorization than deeper understanding. If you’re someone like me who learns better through explanations or visual patterns, this app might feel a bit limited unless it’s used alongside other learning tools or videos.
Overall, I still have a lot of practice, but I’m proud of how much I’ve learned and I’m excited to keep building on these skills next week!
