How to Read Sheet Music Quickly

Whether you learn piano, guitar or any other instrument, reading sheet music is an essential skill you should develop. It opens up avenues for writing music and learning songs faster. This article covers the basic rudiments of music.

Music is written on a set of 5 lines called the staff. At the beginning of the staff is the treble clef. The treble clef is used to indicate instruments that are higher in pitch (eg. flutes, guitars, trumpets). The staff is divided by bar lines into bars (also called measures). Each bar contains an equal amount of beats.

The Double Bar Line and the Time Signature

The double bar line is at the end of the music and indicates that this is where the piece finishes. The time signature is found after the treble clef. The 4/4 time signature indicates that there are 4 beats in each bar. Each beat takes up the same amount of time. By counting (“one, two, three four, one, two, three, four” etc,), we keep track of the bars and beats in the music.

The Notes on the Staff in the Treble Clef

The first seven letters of the alphabet are used to name notes. After “G”, the sequence starts again on “A”:

A B C D E F G A B C D E F G

Notes are written on the lines and spaces of the staff. On the treble clef, the notes going through the lines on the staff (from the bottom up) are E, G, B, D and F. To make it easy to remember these notes, we use the sentence “Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit”.

The staff notes on the spaces spell out the word “FACE”.

Two more notes may be written above and below the staff.

Leger lines are used to represent notes that are higher or lower.

The bass clef and the Repeat Sign

As a musician, you should also learn to read sheet music on the bass clef. We use the bass clef to indicate (or write for) instruments that are lower in pitch (eg. bass guitars, cellos, double basses). Repeat signs (on any music clef) indicate that the section between these signs is to be played twice.

The Notes on the Staff in the Bass Clef

On the bass clef, the notes going through the lines on the staff (from the bottom up) are G, B, D, F and A. To make it easy to remember these notes, we use the sentence “Good Boy Deserves Fruit Always”.

The notes going through the spaces on the bass clef (from the bottom up) are A, C, E, and G. To make it easy to remember these notes, we use the sentence “All Cows Eat Grass”.

Two more notes may be written above and below the staff on the bass clef.

Leger lines are used to represent notes that are higher or lower.

Note Values

All notes in a piece of music have a different length (duration) in relation to the beat. Below are the most common note values you will encounter in a piece of music.

Please note: The whole note is often referred to as a semibreve. The half note is also called a minim and the quarter note, a crotchet. In addition, the eighth note can also be called a quaver and the sixteenth note a semiquaver. 

Silence in music is indicated with rest signs. Each rest has a different length (duration). The rest duration is equal to the value of the equivalent note symbol. For example, a whole rest (like the equivalent whole note) has a value of 4 beats of silence. Below are the most common rests you will encounter.

Please note: The whole rest is often referred to as a semibreve rest. The half rest is also called a minim rest and the quarter rest a crotchet rest. In addition, the eighth rest can also be called a quaver rest and the sixteenth rest, a semiquaver rest. 

Dotted Notes

When you place a dot after a note, its value increases by half. That is, the value of the note plus half again. For example, a dotted half note is equal to a half note (2 beats) plus 1 beat. In other words, a dotted half note has a value of 3 beats.

A dotted note written on a space has its dot on the same space. A dotted note that is written on a line has its dot on the space above.

The 3/4 Time Signature and the Tie

The 3/4 time signature indicates that there are 3 beats in each bar. Learn more about key signatures here. A tie is a curved line that connects two notes of the same pitch. Ties are used when you want to hold a note beyond bar lines. You play the first note and hold it for the combined value of the two notes.