Composing & Clef Notes

The Stave & Clefs

• Stave: The $5$ lines and $4$ spaces music is written on.

• Treble Clef (for high pitches):

  • Lines (bottom to top): E - G - B - D - F (Every Green Bus Drives Fast)

  • Spaces (bottom to top): F - A - C - E (Spells FACE)

• Bass Clef (for low pitches):

  • Lines (bottom to top): G - B - D - F - A (Green Buses Drive Fast Always)

  • Spaces (bottom to top): A - C - E - G (All Cows Eat Grass)

• Ledger Lines: Small extra lines drawn above or below the stave for higher or lower notes.

Note Lengths

• Semibreve: Whole note = $4$ beats.

• Minim: Half note = $2$ beats.

• Crotchet: Quarter note = $1$ beat.

• Quaver: Eighth note = $\frac{1}{2}$ beat.

• Semiquaver: Sixteenth note = $\frac{1}{4}$ beat.

• Dotted Note: A dot adds half the note's original value (e.g., dotted minim = $2 + 1 = 3$ beats).

Time Signatures

• $\frac{2}{4}$: Two crotchet beats per bar (march feel).

• $\frac{3}{4}$: Three crotchet beats per bar (waltz feel).

• $\frac{4}{4}$: Four crotchet beats per bar (most common).

• $\frac{6}{8}$: Two dotted-crotchet beats per bar (swaying feel).