27/10/2025
5 Music Theory From Scratch Essentials (Plus an Extra Rule for Notes with Stems AND Tails!)
1. The ‘stave’ or ‘staff’ is where we write notes. It looks like a ladder (it's origins are from the word itself!), & we write notes both on the lines and in spaces.
2. If notes are too high ot low to fit, we use ‘ledger lines.’
3. Notes on lines must have the line cut through the notehead’s centre.
4. Notes in spaces must fit exactly, no overflow.
5. If a note is BELOW the centre line, its stem points up & attaches to the right. If it's ABOVE, the stem points down and attaches to the left.
6. Quaver stems follow the same rule, but quaver tails always point to the right. If the stem points up, the tail points down, to the right. If the stem points down, the tail points up, to the right.
7. A note on the centre line? It's stem follows the majority.
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