Beginner Level: Notes on the Staff

 

The Staff

The staff is the lines you see on sheet music. There are 5 lines and 4 spaces for each clef. The treble clef and bass clef both have their own staff next to them. The staff helps you determine where a note is on the piano! The higher a note is on the staff, the farther to the right the key you need is. Each line and space on the staff is a different key on the piano. If a note moves from a line to a space or vice versa, it is a step on the keys (think two white keys back-to-back). 

This is only focusing on white keys for now. The black keys I will save for another lesson! If a note moves from a line to a different line directly above or below it, this is a skip. Think one white key, then skipping exactly one white key. The same applies for two space notes. This is so, because you are skipping a line or a space. 

The best way to think about it is this: Each line or space on the staff represents a different white a key on the piano.

Components of the Staff

There are a few things to know about the staff in addition to just what it is. The brace (shown in the above picture) is what connects everything. It's really only there to make things look neat and tidy. It's not always there, but you will see the brace a lot of times. The repeat sign shown to the right of treble clef staff is there when the song repeats itself. If you ever see a repeat sign at the end of a line of music, you play that exact line over again from the beginning. The middle C shown above is a note that both clefs share. When you see those "cat whiskers" at the center of both clefs, it will always be middle C no matter what clef you're in. Don't forget to watch what hand needs to play that middle C though! What hand plays that note does change from song to song for various reasons. 

I always tell my student that the middle C is identified by its "cat whiskers" because cat starts with C and that middle note always kind of looked like a cat to me, especially when it's a whole note! Middle C is exactly what the name implies... the C closest to the middle of the piano! 

Treble Clef Notes and How to Memorize Them

When reading notes on the staff, we typically go from the bottom up because that's from left to right on the piano (Like reading a book!).

 For the treble clef spaces, it spells FACE from the bottom up. If you see a note in that first space, it's an F that is closest to the treble clef. If you see a note that is in the second space, it's an A (skip one key to the right from your F and you're there) and so on. 

For the treble clef line notes, it doesn't really spell anything, but we do have a saying that makes it easier to remember: Every Good Boy Does Fine (on a line) or E G B D F also from the bottom up. 

At this point you can start to notice and see how each line and space is just one white key at a time in the order of the musical alphabet.

The Musical Alphabet: The alphabet in music goes from A to G and starts over back to A after the G.

A B C D E F G A B etc.

Bass Clef Notes and How to Memorize Them

For the bass clef spaces, the saying goes: All Cows Eat Grass or A C E G. For the bass clef lines, the saying goes: Good Boys Deserve Fudge Always or G B D F A. I learned the bass clef line notes in a slightly different way. The saying I was taught was Good Boys Do Fine Always. I have had several people tell me that they find it easier to learn the bass clef lines by using the phrase with "fudge" in it because the treble clef and bass clef line sayings are so similar. So, use whichever you find easier. It works both ways! 

One More Thing...

If you noticed that in the treble clef there are two F and E notes and in the bass clef there are two A notes and were confused... here's your explanation!

As I said at the beginning of this lesson, each line and space is a different white key on the piano. The higher you get on the staff the higher (or more to the right) the key is on the piano. Same goes for the lower notes. The lower a note is on the staff the lower (or more to the left) a key is on the piano. 

So, that first F, the F in FACE, on treble clef staff is closest to the middle C. The other F that is above that first F is the next F key above it. It's higher! The same idea applies to the two bass clef A's. 

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and found it helpful. Remember to practice!

Beginner Level: Note Values and Their Names

 

What are Note Values?

Note values tell you how long you should hold a note on a piano, or really any instrument. It tells you how long to sustain the note and how many beats it gets. A beat is another way of saying the amount of time to hold a note. Note values are also directly connected to rhythm. Rhythm is what keeps a song structured and making sense without letting the music get all jumbled and chaotic. Without rhythm, a song simply does not make sense! 

The Note Values and Their Names

Below is an explanation of each basic note, its value, and its name that I drew myself!

Eighth Notes

Eighth notes I included as a bonus because most of my students do not learn this until late level one or level 2. So, it's not quite beginner, but very close. To count an eighth note, you need to count with what I call "ands". Every other note (quarter, half note, dotted half, and whole) you can count without the ands. For example: one, two, three, four. As you would expect. For eighth notes, you would count a little differently because they do not get a full beat.

Let's say there are four eighth notes for a total of two beats. This is how you would count that: one and two and

When I write in the beats on sheet music for my students, I always write the ands as plus signs, so it would look more like this: 1 + 2 + . It's just easier that way! 

I hope you enjoyed this beginner lesson on note values and their names. Remember to practice!

Back to the Basics: Treble Clef and Bass Clef

 Treble Clef

When reading piano music, there are two clefs: treble clef and bass clef. What are clefs? I'm glad you asked! Clefs in music tell you where the notes are on the piano itself. There are a lot of keys on the piano, 88 to be exact. The treble and bass clef help you navigate what keys you need to play in a song. 

The treble clef generally tells you to play any notes that are from middle C and up (to the right). Now, there are some exceptions given there are ledger lines, but that is getting out of beginner territory so we shall keep it simple! Treble clef is middle C and up! The right hand plays the treble clef more often than not. Again, there are some exceptions, but this is the general rule. 

Bass Clef

The bass clef is basically the opposite of the treble clef. The bass clef tells you to play any notes that are from middle C and down or lower (to the left). The left hand normally plays the bass clef notes. Most people struggle with reading bass clef notes at the beginning of learning the piano. I've seen many students of mine get frustrated or struggle a lot especially with this particular clef. I think it's because most people learn about the treble clef in school or when they're kids, but the bass clef isn't usually covered as much. In addition to that, a lot of instruments -- I would say the majority -- only use the treble clef in the sheet music. 

So, bass clef isn't as popular as the treble clef but is still vital to learn when reading piano music. In summary: 

• Treble Clef - Middle C key and up. Right hand plays.
• Bass Clef - Middle C key and down. Left hand plays.
• Clefs - Tells you what keys specifically need to be played when reading music.

I hope you enjoyed this beginner lesson and remember to go practice!

Welcome: A Little About Me

 

A Little About Me: Introduction

My name is Jamie Hendricks! I am a piano teacher for all ages and have been playing the piano since I was about 8 years old -- 14 years of playing the piano now if you want to do the math! I graduated from high school at Arkansas Virtual Academy and immediately started working part-time as a piano teacher at Stephanie's Musique. 

I have taken piano lessons from the age of 8 to a year after I graduated high school at the age of 19. During those years I would perform twice a year in front of an audience and had lessons in music theory, technique, and performance. I have been in one National Piano-Playing Audition and passed into the Piano Guild with a certificate. I have also attended a Music Academy for a short time with brief lessons in college level music at John Brown University. 

I have been trained for a few months in the summer on how to teach private piano lessons and jumped into teaching in the fall semester of 2021. I have been teaching ever since. 

Why Piano?

I chose to take piano lessons when I was a kid and have always loved it. It is very challenging, but also very rewarding! I love to express myself through music and create a story through my playing. 

About This Blog

This blog is something that I wanted to do for fun in addition to my teaching job. It will include mini music lessons, posts about different composers and their life and more. I have always wanted to delve into different composers, and this will give me the push to do so! 

I hope whoever comes across this blog enjoys the posts. Remember to go practice!