Music literacyPitch

Composers use a range of signs and symbols to convey how they want their music to be played. Learning to recognise these instructions is an important skill to develop.

Part of MusicUnderstanding music

Pitch

Pitch is how high or low a note is and what it is called – for example: C, F sharp, B flat. You need to know the notes of the treble clef:

Names of lines of music. EFGABCDEF.

For the notes on the lines, some people say:

  • Every
  • Good
  • Boy
  • Deserves
  • Football

Or alternatively:

  • Every
  • Green
  • Bus
  • Drives
  • Fast

The notes that sit on the spaces between the lines spell out FACE.

If you need to write notes above or below the stave, they are called ledger lines and look like this:

Ledger lines showing low B, low, C, low D, high G, high A and high B.