Basic Terms and Symbols in Music

1. Music for any instrument is notated on the staff. Do not confuse the staff with the
strings of the guitar.

2. The treble clef:
This sign appears at the beginning of every line of guitar music. The purpose of the treble
clef will be ex plained at a later point.

3. To organize music we use measures.

4. A double bar signifies that this is the end of the piece or exercise.

5. The quarter note:
Quarter notes are half as long as half notes, so they will receive 1 beat each.

6. The eighth note:

Eighth notes can be notated in two ways. A single eighth note will usually be notated like this:

Two or more eighth notes can be notated like this:

Eighth notes are half as long as quarter notes. So two eighth notes have to be played in the same
time it takes for one quarter note to be played. To count eighth notes we have to use
SUBDIVISION. We subdivide the quarter beat into two eighth note beats by using the symbol &
(and).