Guitar Lesson For Kids - An Easy Way to Understand Reading Music
Learning to read music is not for everyone.
But it's not a mystery either - if you realize a couple of things.
Music is a language, just like English is a language.
But it's actually easier to understand.
Music is a logical, consistent, mathematically perfect language that is played or sung emotionally.
When I say "mathematically perfect", I do not mean higher math - just simple arithmetic.
If you can count to 3 or to 4, and know that 1 + 1 = 2, 2 + 2 = 4, and that 1/2 + 1/2 = 1, you're half way there.
Music is also basically the alphabet from A - G repeated over and over again.
There is no "H", or "Q" note - though if you play a note wrong, you may THINK it;s a "Q" note.
Musical notes are put on a contraption called a staff.
A staff has 5 lines and 4 spaces.
There are also notes that can be played above or below the staff.
This staff is divided into (mostly) equal "math" parts called measures.
Sometimes they're called bars.
All of the notes in these measures, or bars, have count values.
A note can have a count value of 4, 2, 1, 1/2, as well as other count values.
These count values inside any measure will always add up to the same number - UNLESS you are told otherwise - and you won't see that kind of thing for quite a while into your reading career.
The note names on, below, or above the staff are easy to learn.
The lines on the staff are, from bottom to top, E G B D F.
The spaces are F A C E (face).
Now...
Remember what I said about music being the alphabet from A -G repeated over and over again? The first line on the staff is E.
The first space is F, The second line is G, while the second space is A.
Do you see the alphabet here? Starting from the first line on the staff, and going line, space, line, space all the way up, you have E F G A B C D E F - the alphabet.
Any note above or below the staff is not problem either.
The space below the staff? What note in the musical alphabet (A-G) is just below E? The answer is D.
If I were to draw a small line under the staff, and put a note on it, that would be C (the note just below D).
Above the staff? Same thing.
The space right above the staff is a G - one note higher than the F.
If I were to draw a small line above that and put a note on it, that note would be an A - the next musical note after G (there is no H note).
No matter how many lines I draw above or below the staff, you can figure out the letter name of that note by simply starting at the first line if the staff - the E note.
Then simply go up or down the musical alphabet until you hit the spot where that note is.
Of course, you still have to learn the note locations on your guitar, but as you learn you will see that that has a logic to it also.
So, it's all about the alphabet and simple arithmetic.
It really is as simple as that.
Yeah sure, you have to practice at it, but that's alright.
You're making music.
But it's not a mystery either - if you realize a couple of things.
Music is a language, just like English is a language.
But it's actually easier to understand.
Music is a logical, consistent, mathematically perfect language that is played or sung emotionally.
When I say "mathematically perfect", I do not mean higher math - just simple arithmetic.
If you can count to 3 or to 4, and know that 1 + 1 = 2, 2 + 2 = 4, and that 1/2 + 1/2 = 1, you're half way there.
Music is also basically the alphabet from A - G repeated over and over again.
There is no "H", or "Q" note - though if you play a note wrong, you may THINK it;s a "Q" note.
Musical notes are put on a contraption called a staff.
A staff has 5 lines and 4 spaces.
There are also notes that can be played above or below the staff.
This staff is divided into (mostly) equal "math" parts called measures.
Sometimes they're called bars.
All of the notes in these measures, or bars, have count values.
A note can have a count value of 4, 2, 1, 1/2, as well as other count values.
These count values inside any measure will always add up to the same number - UNLESS you are told otherwise - and you won't see that kind of thing for quite a while into your reading career.
The note names on, below, or above the staff are easy to learn.
The lines on the staff are, from bottom to top, E G B D F.
The spaces are F A C E (face).
Now...
Remember what I said about music being the alphabet from A -G repeated over and over again? The first line on the staff is E.
The first space is F, The second line is G, while the second space is A.
Do you see the alphabet here? Starting from the first line on the staff, and going line, space, line, space all the way up, you have E F G A B C D E F - the alphabet.
Any note above or below the staff is not problem either.
The space below the staff? What note in the musical alphabet (A-G) is just below E? The answer is D.
If I were to draw a small line under the staff, and put a note on it, that would be C (the note just below D).
Above the staff? Same thing.
The space right above the staff is a G - one note higher than the F.
If I were to draw a small line above that and put a note on it, that note would be an A - the next musical note after G (there is no H note).
No matter how many lines I draw above or below the staff, you can figure out the letter name of that note by simply starting at the first line if the staff - the E note.
Then simply go up or down the musical alphabet until you hit the spot where that note is.
Of course, you still have to learn the note locations on your guitar, but as you learn you will see that that has a logic to it also.
So, it's all about the alphabet and simple arithmetic.
It really is as simple as that.
Yeah sure, you have to practice at it, but that's alright.
You're making music.
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