Signs On The Staves There are four common signs used on the staves. They are the treble , or G clef, the bass clef , or F clef, the alto clef (the C CLEF on the middle line), and the tenor (the C CLEF on the second from top line). Each of these clefs were originally letters, indicating which note on the staff was that note.
Staff, Staves The five lines and four spaces on which music is written. Music on staves joined by a verticle line (See brace ) is to be played or sung at the same time.
Arco Bow. 'Arco' written above or below the stave indicates that stringed instruments such as the violin, are to use bows instead of plucking the strings (Plucking is called pizzicato).
A tempo When music returns to it's normal speed the words 'A tempo' are written above the stave. 'tempo' in music means 'speed' rather than 'time'.
Bass or F Clef See 'Signs on the staves.'
Brace Music on Staves joined by a Brace is to be played or sung at the same time by one instrument or by a group of instruments or voices
Tenor Clef See 'Signs on the staves.'
Time Signature A time signature is a device which shows how to count the time patterns in any bar. It is represented by either two numbers, a 'c', or 'c' with a vertical line through it. This is usually shown at the beginning of staves. These symbols give the number of beats to a bar.
Concerning the two numbers, the lower number represents the unit of time: it is written according to its value in terms of a semibreve. The number of top of a time-signature shows how many units there are to the bar.
The time signature is written on the stave just before the first note of the tune. A time signature with four quarter notes to the bar is written 4/4 (common time, also represented by a 'C'). The time signature for songs with two quarter notes to the bar is written 2/4, etc.
Time Values Crotchet : Americans use 'quarter note '. Minum : Americans use 'half note '.
Crotchets and minums have their stems going upwards on the right of the note when the pitch is below the middle line of the stave, and downwards on the left for notes that are above the middle line. Semibreve : Americans use 'whole note'.
The semibreve lasts as long as two minums or four crotchets. Quaver : Americans use eighth note
a note that is half as long as a quarter note. There are eight eighth notes to a whole note. A single eighth note is written with the tail to the right of the stem, whether the stem goes up or down. Two eighth notes together have their tails joined.
