THE MUSICAL STAFF
HOW DOES THE STAFF TELL US WHAT NOTES TO
PLAY?
THE MUSICAL ALPHABET
• BEFORE LOOKING AT THE STAFF WE NEED TO
UNDERSTAND THAT MUSIC IS MADE UP OF PITCHES.
EACH PITCH IS NAMED BASED OFF OF THE FIRST
SEVEN LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET.
• THESE LETTERS WOULD BE A, B, C, D, E, F, AND G
• THESE LETTERS CONTINUOUSLY REPEAT GETTING
HIGHER AND HIGHER.
• THE LETTER NAME OF A NOTE TELLS US WHAT THE
NOTE SOUNDS LIKE, THE TYPE OF NOTE (QUARTER,
HALF, ETC.) TELLS US HOW LONG THE NOTE WILL
SOUND FOR.
• THE STAFF IS A SYSTEM OF 5 LINES AND 4 SPACES
• EACH LINE OR SPACE REPRESENTS A LETTER OF
THE MUSICAL ALPHABET
• A SYMBOL AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STAFF
CALLED A CLEF WILL TELL US WHAT LETTER EACH
LINE AND SPACE REPRESENTS
• THIS IS THE TREBLE CLEF
• ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC GUITAR MUSIC IS WRITTEN
USING THE TREBLE CLEF
• THE TREBLE CLEF TELLS US THAT THE LETTER NAMES OF
THE LINES FROM BOTTOM TO TOP ARE: E, G, B, D,
AND F.
• WE CAN REMEMBER THIS BY REMEMBERING: EVERY
GOOD BOY DOES FINE
• THE TREBLE CLEF ALSO TELLS US THAT THE LETTER
NAMES OF THE SPACES ARE F, A, C AND E.
• WE CAN REMEMBER THESE BY REMEMBERING
THAT THEY SPELL THE WORD FACE
D
E
G
F
B
F
A
C
E
E F
C
B
A
G
D E
F
What do you notice about the letters as they
go up the staff?
• WHAT LETTER NAME WOULD THIS NOTE BE?
• THIS IS THE NOTE E. IT LIVES ON THE TOP SPACE
OF THE TREBLE CLEF STAFF
• THIS IS THE NOTE THAT YOUR 1ST STRING
SOUNDS WHEN IT IS PLAYED OPEN (WITHOUT
PUSHING DOWN ON THE STRING)
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!
• WHAT LETTER NAME WOULD THIS NOTE BE?
• THIS IS THE NOTE F. IT LIVES ON THE TOP LINE OF
THE TREBLE CLEF STAFF
• THIS IS THE NOTE THAT YOUR 1ST STRING
SOUNDS WHEN IT IS PLAYED ON THE 1ST FRET
• WE USE THE POINTER FINGER (1ST FINGER) ON
OUR LEFT HAND TO PUSH DOWN ON THE STRING
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!
• WHAT LETTER NAME WOULD THIS NOTE BE?
• THIS IS THE NOTE G. IT LIVES JUST ABOVE THE
TOP LINE OF THE TREBLE CLEF STAFF
• THIS IS THE NOTE THAT YOUR 1ST STRING
SOUNDS WHEN IT IS PLAYED ON THE 3RD FRET
• WE USE THE RING FINGER (3RD FINGER) ON OUR
LEFT HAND TO PUSH DOWN ON THE STRING
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!
• LETS PLAY THIS ON THE GUITAR!