Learn Sheet MusicHow to read sheet music
Reading a note means knowing which clef it is in and which line or space it sits on. With three reference notes (G, F and middle C) you can find all the others.
The names of the notes
The white keys on the piano keep repeating seven names: C, D, E, F, G, A and B. In Spanish, Italian and French they are called Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La and Si. To find C on the piano, look for the groups of two black keys: C is the white key just to their left.
The staff
The staff is five lines with four spaces in between. Each note sits on a line or in a space. The higher it is, the higher it sounds, and the further right it is on the piano. From a line to the next space is one white key.
Lines are counted from the bottom up: the first line is the bottom one and the fifth is the top one.
The treble clef
The treble clef, also called the G clef, is the one for the right hand. It curls around the second line from the bottom and tells you: that line is the G just above middle C.
From G you count one white key at a time: the space above is A, the next line is B. Going down, the space is F and the first line is E.
A classic way to remember them: the spaces spell FACE, and the lines are E G B D F, "Every Good Boy Does Fine".
The bass clef
The bass clef, also called the F clef, is the one for the left hand. Its two dots surround the fourth line from the bottom and tell you: that line is the F just below middle C.
Same as with G, from F you count one white key at a time. The space above is G and the top line is A. Going down, the space is E.
Notice that the bass clef is shifted compared to the treble clef: the same position on the staff is a different note. That is why it pays to learn each clef with its own reference notes instead of "translating" from one to the other.
Middle C and the grand staff
Middle C is the C in the middle of the piano and the point where the two clefs meet. Since it doesn't fit in either staff, it is written on a short extra line: below the treble staff or above the bass staff.
Piano music uses both, joined into the grand staff: treble on top, bass below, and middle C in between. What you play to the right of middle C is written on top; what is to the left, below.
Ledger lines
When a note doesn't fit on the five lines, short extra lines called ledger lines are added. You read them like the rest: from line to space, one white key. That way the treble clef goes down to A and the bass clef goes up to E. Near middle C, the same key can be written in either one.
Sharps and flats
The black keys are the sharps and flats. A sharp (♯) raises a note a half step: the next key to the right. A flat (♭) lowers it a half step: the key to the left. That is why C sharp and D flat are the same key. A natural (♮) cancels an accidental.
The accidental is written before the note and lasts for the rest of the bar. If it is in the key signature, at the start of the staff, it applies to the whole piece: we explain it in key signatures and the circle of fifths.
How to practice
- Learn three reference notes: the treble clef G, the bass clef F and middle C.
- At first, count from those references. With practice you will stop counting and recognize the note at a glance.
- Go step by step: one clef, no accidentals; then the other; then both together.
- Measure your speed, not just your accuracy: reading well means reading fast.
That is exactly what Learn Sheet Music does: a note shows up, you answer, and you score more points the faster you are.
Try reading notes in treble and bass clef now, with a free game.
Play