Landmark notes to help you read music
The last time I talked about the musical staff, I showed you how we can use the pattern of line-space-line-space to start from middle C and count our way up to find the lowest note on the treble clef and the highest note on the bass clef.
Today I’d like to show you two more notes on each staff and explain why these new notes are so valuable to beginner piano players.
Two new notes on each staff
Here is a picture of the new notes we’re discussing today. Starting from our line note E in the treble clef, I went up to the next space note, which is an F. Then I moved up to the next line note, which is a G.
In the bass clef, I started with our line note A, and I wanted to go down to a space note, which would mean travelling backwards in the alphabet. Since there’s no letter before A in the alphabet, we instead go back to the end of the musical alphabet, which is G. Then from our space note G, I could go down to the next line note, which is F.
Why these notes are really valuable!
So why are these notes so important to learn?
Because we just learned our first landmark notes!
Landmark notes are the notes that are the easiest to find on the staff, which can be really helpful when you’re learning to read sheet music.
We learned our first landmark note when we learned middle C. Middle C is a great landmark note because it’s directly in the middle of the treble clef and bass clef. Most people start their piano lessons finding middle C.
Today’s new notes are also landmark notes!
The G that we just learned in the treble clef corresponds to the same line that the treble clef curls around. That means that whenever you read sheet music, you can know that the treble clef is a “landmark” that will help you remember G!
The F we learned in the bass clef corresponds with the two dots in the bass clef. That means that whenever you read sheet music, you can know that the bass clef is a “landmark” that will help you remember F!
If you can remember these landmark notes, you’ll have a way easier time counting up and down the staff to find other notes in your sheet music.
I hope this helps!