Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand basic music notation and identify notes on the staff.

Materials and Prep

Materials: Blank staff paper, pencil, eraser

Prep: Familiarize yourself with the musical alphabet (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) and their placement on the staff.

Activities

1. Draw a treble clef on the staff and write the musical alphabet on the lines and spaces.

2. Practice drawing whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes on the staff.

3. Create a simple melody using the notes you've learned and write it down on the staff.

Talking Points

• Notes are represented by shapes on the staff. A whole note is like an empty circle, a half note is like a circle with a stem, and a quarter note is like a filled-in circle with a stem.
• Each line and space on the staff represents a different note. Remember the musical alphabet (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) and their placement on the staff.
• When notes are placed higher on the staff, they sound higher in pitch. When notes are placed lower on the staff, they sound lower in pitch.