Note Naming

Helpful Hints for Learning Note Names

• Know which clef you're reading/practicing! Different instruments read different clefs and the notes do not live in the same places on the staff.

• Try to memorizes the phrases above to help you remember the letters. You can also come up with your own phrases!

• The musical alphabet goes in the same order as the regular alphabet, but only goes from A-G and then it starts over (ABDCEFGABCDEFGABC...)

  • It's hard to tell from the charts when the notes are separated into lines and spaces. But if you added the space notes to the line notes or vice versa, you'll see they go in alphabetical order. 

• You might notice that some notes you'll find on both the lines AND spaces chart (ex. E and F on treble clef;  G and A on bass clef). That is because the alphabet starts over and repeats. It might be a little confusing that notes have the same name, but don't live in the same place, make the same sound, or are played the same way. It's just one of the many things you'll learn to master!

• Make some flashcards and practice with a friend. Go through your music note by note, name the notes you can, and circle the ones you don't know so you can go back and figure them out. Practice on musictheory.net or play some rounds of Music Racer. Find different (and fun!) ways to challenge yourself and get better. 

HELP! THERE'S A NOTE IN MY MUSIC THAT'S NOT ON ANY OF THESE CHARTS! HOW DO I FIGURE IT OUT?!

If the note is higher than the notes on the charts (above the staff lines), think about what letter comes next in the alphabet. If the note is lower than the notes on the chart (below the staff lines), think about what letter comes before in the alphabet. 

The musical alphabet is just A-G over and over again. Sometimes the notes fall in strange places, so it's tricky to see the pattern. 

P.S. it doesn't matter if the stems of the notes go up or down. It doesn't change the name of the note.

And, most importantly, remember that reading music and learning note names is a skill that comes with time and practice! If you don't understand right away, it's okay. Learning is a process and everyone's brains work differently.