Letters

To differentiate between different pitches, we give each pitch a letter name, ranging from A to G.

Why only A to G? Because every eight continuous pitches (excluding half-pitches derived from the original 8), the cycle repeats. This repeating cycle of 8 is called an octave (oct- meaning eight), and the octave is crucial to the musical concepts of keys, scales, etc.

The picture above shows 2 octaves of the C scale.

Lines/Spaces

Since each line/space in music notation represents one unique pitch, each line/space has its own letter name.

A helpful way to memorize the letters of the lines and spaces is to use mneumonic devices.

Mnemonic Devices

The following mnemonic devices should be read from bottom to top.

Treble Clef

The spaces of the Treble Clef spell "FACE."
The lines spell "Eat Great - Buy Delicious Fruit."

Bass Clef

The spaces of the Bass Clef spell "ACE Guy."
The lines spell "Great Books Don't Forget Anything."


Review

  1. Every pitch in an octave (8 continuous pitches, excluding half-pitches) has its own letter, ranging from A-G.
  2. Each line and space in musication has its own unique pitch and thus, its own letter name.
  3. One way to memorize the letter names of a staff is to use mnemonic devices.

« Note Positions