Pitch:

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Pitch is a term used to express the height or depth of a sound.

Sounds can have a high or low pitch.

A siren would be high pitched. A motorcar would have a low pitch.

Symbols called notes are used to express pitch.

The stave (below) provides musicians with a visual system for interpreting notes.

The stave is made up of five horizontal lines and four spaces.

Notes can appear on the stave lines or between the stave lines.

A note provides two important pieces of information.

First, it indicates a pitch. Secondly, it gives information

as to the length of time a note must last.

The higher or lower a note appears on the stave,

the higher or lower it sounds.

The first seven letters of the alphabet are used

to identify notes: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.

Not all notes can fit on a single stave. Each stave has a symbol called a clef,

which determines the letter names of the lines and spaces. Below, is the symbol for the treble clef.

When playing a piano, the treble clef is played with the right hand. Use the acronyms below to help you remember the names of the notes on the treble clef.

Below, is the symbol for the bass clef.

When playing a piano, the bass clef is played with the left hand.

Use the acronyms below to help you remember the names of the notes on the bass clef.

On a piano keyboard, Middle C is the note located exactly between the bass and treble clef.

Sometimes to avoid changing clef, ledger lines are used.

These are extra lines parallel to the stave that can contain one note.

Middle C is located on a ledger line.