Pitch Basics: Understanding Musical Notes
An essential guide to understanding how pitch is written and read in music.
Welcome to your first step in mastering music theory! Pitch is one of the fundamental building blocks of music. It refers to how high or low a sound is. Understanding pitch notation will unlock your ability to read, write, and perform music.
Music uses a simple alphabet of seven letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Once you reach G, the alphabet starts over again with A, but at a higher pitch. This repetition creates different octaves.
Example:
...F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C...
(Each set of A-G is a new octave)
Practice Time!
Test your knowledge with a quick quiz. (Interactive quiz coming soon!)
Question: On the Treble Clef, what note is on the second line from the bottom?
(Hint: Remember the G Clef!)
Show Answer
The note is G!
Lesson Summary
- Pitch refers to the highness or lowness of a sound.
- The musical alphabet consists of notes A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
- The staff (5 lines, 4 spaces) is where notes are written.
- Clefs (like Treble and Bass) assign specific pitches to the staff lines and spaces.
- Ledger lines extend the range of the staff.
- Accidentals (sharps, flats, naturals) alter pitches.