Music Symbols Explained: A Guide for Beginners

Music Symbols Poster

In this blog series Music Symbols Explained, we will introduce some of the basic music symbols that every beginner should know. We will cover the following topics:

• Clefs: How to read the pitch of the notes on the staff
• Repeat bar: How to repeat a section of music
• Accidentals: How to alter the pitch of the notes
• Rests: How to indicate silence in music
• Hold: How to extend the duration of a note or rest
• Segno and Coda: How to navigate through a complex musical structure

Clefs – Music Symbols Explained

A clef is a musical symbol that indicates which notes are represented by the lines and spaces on a musical staff. The staff is a set of five horizontal lines that show the relative pitch of the notes. Each line and space corresponds to a specific note name (A, B, C, D, E, F, G), which repeats in ascending or descending order.

There are three main types of clefs: treble clef, bass clef, and C clef.

Music Symbols Explained

Treble clef

The treble clef is also known as the G clef because it curves around the second line from the bottom, which represents the note G. The treble clef is used for high-pitched instruments and voices, such as violin, flute, guitar, soprano, and alto.

Bass clef

The bass clef is also known as the F clef because it has two dots on either side of the second line from the top, which represents the note F. The bass clef is used for low-pitched instruments and voices, such as cello, tuba, piano (left hand), bass, and baritone.

C clef

The C clef is also known as the movable clef because it can be placed on any line of the staff to indicate where the note C is. The most common positions of the C clef are:

• Alto clef: The C clef is placed on the middle line, which represents the note C. The alto clef is used for medium-pitched instruments and voices, such as viola, trombone, and alto.
• Tenor clef: The C clef is placed on the second line from the top, which represents the note C. The tenor clef is used for high-pitched instruments that sometimes play in lower registers, such as cello, bassoon, and tenor.
• Soprano clef: The C clef is placed on the first line from the bottom, which represents the note C. The soprano clef is rarely used today, but it was once common for high-pitched instruments and voices, such as soprano recorder and soprano.

Repeat bar

A repeat bar is a musical symbol that indicates that a section of music should be played again. A repeat bar consists of two vertical lines with two dots on either side. The dots show where the repeat starts and ends. For example:

This means that you should play from the beginning until you reach the repeat bar at the end, then go back to the beginning and play again until you reach the repeat bar again.

Sometimes, there are different endings for each repetition. These are marked by numbers above or below the staff. For example:

This means that you should play from the beginning until you reach the repeat bar at the end of measure 4, then go back to measure 1 and play again until you reach measure 3. Then skip measure 4 and play measure 5 instead (the first ending), then go back to measure 1 and play again until you reach measure 4. Then skip measure 5 and play measure 6 instead (the second ending), then continue to measure 7.

Accidentals

Accidentals are musical symbols that modify the pitch of a note by raising or lowering it by a half step (or semitone). A half step is the smallest distance between two notes in Western music. For example, C and C sharp are a half step apart.

There are three main types of accidentals: sharp, flat, and natural.

Music Symbols Explained

Sharp

A sharp sign (#) raises the pitch of a note by a half step. For example:

This means that you should play C sharp instead of C.

Flat

A flat sign (b) lowers the pitch of a note by a half step. For example:

This means that you should play B flat instead of B.

Double flat

A double flat sign (bb) lowers the pitch of a note by two half steps (or a whole step). For example:

This means that you should play A flat instead of B.

Natural

A natural sign (♮) cancels the effect of a previous accidental and restores the original pitch of a note. For example:

This means that you should play B natural instead of B flat.

Rests

Rests are musical symbols that indicate silence or a pause in music. Rests have different shapes and durations, just like notes. The most common rests are:

Music Symbols Explained

• Whole rest: A whole rest looks like a black rectangle hanging from the second line from the top. It lasts for four beats in 4/4 time.
• Half rest: A half rest looks like a black rectangle sitting on the third line from the bottom. It lasts for two beats in 4/4 time.
• Quarter rest: A quarter rest looks like a squiggly line. It lasts for one beat in 4/4 time.
• Eighth rest: An eighth rest looks like a slanted line with a dot. It lasts for half a beat in 4/4 time.
• Sixteenth rest: A sixteenth rest looks like a slanted line with two dots. It lasts for a quarter of a beat in 4/4 time.

Hold

A hold is a musical symbol that indicates that a note or rest should be prolonged beyond its normal duration. There are two types of holds: fermata and pause.

Music Symbols Explained

Fermata

A fermata looks like an arc with a dot. It is placed above or below a note or rest to show that it should be held longer than usual. The exact length of the hold is up to the performer or conductor’s discretion. For example:

This means that you should hold the note C for longer than four beats.

Pause

A pause looks like a comma or an eyelash. It is placed above the staff to show that there should be a brief silence or break in the music. The exact length of the pause is up to the performer or conductor’s discretion. For example:

This means that you should stop playing after measure 4 and resume playing after a short pause.

Segno and Coda

Segno and coda are musical symbols that help organize and navigate through a complex musical structure. They are often used in conjunction with repeat bars, endings, and other symbols to create variations and shortcuts in the music.

Music Symbols Explained

Segno

A segno looks like an S with a slash and two dots. It marks a spot in the music where you should return to later. For example:

This means that you should play from the beginning until you reach measure 8, then go back to measure 1 and play again until you reach measure 6, then jump to measure 9 and continue playing.

Coda

A coda looks like an O with a cross. It marks the end of a piece or a section of music. Sometimes, there is more than one coda in a piece, which are distinguished by numbers or letters. For example:

This means that you should play from the beginning until you reach measure 8, then go back to measure 1 and play again until you reach measure 6, then jump to measure 9 and play until you reach the coda sign, then jump to measure 15 (the coda) and play until the end.

However, this is only an introduction to the vast world of music notation. There are many more symbols and rules that you can explore as you advance your musical skills and knowledge.

How to Read Music Notation

These posters are designed to help you learn or improve your music theory and notation skills. These posters cover topics such as clefs, notes, rests, accidentals, dynamics, articulations, tempo, time signatures, key signatures, scales, chords, and more. They also include some tips and tricks on how to memorize and practice music 🎹

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