One-Week 3rd Grade Music Lesson Plan: Mastering Staff, Clefs, Ledger Lines & Note Reading

Instructions

Complete the activities below to show what you've learned about reading music this week! Do your best and have fun.

Part 1: The Music Staff and Clefs

The music staff is the set of 5 lines and 4 spaces where we write notes.

1. In the box below, draw a music staff. Make sure it has exactly 5 lines and 4 spaces.

The clef at the beginning of the staff tells us if the notes are high or low.

2. In the first box, practice drawing a Treble Clef (also called the G Clef). It is used for high notes.
3. In the second box, practice drawing a Bass Clef (also called the F Clef). It is used for low notes.

Part 2: Notes in the Treble Clef

Let's name the notes on the Treble Clef staff! Remember our rhymes:

• The notes on the lines are E, G, B, D, F (Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge).
• The notes in the spaces spell the word F, A, C, E.

Write the correct letter name for each note below.

& -----------------O---------------  1. ____
& ---------------O-----------------  2. ____
& -------------O-------------------  3. ____
& -----------O---------------------  4. ____
& ---------O-----------------------  5. ____

& ---------------------------------
& -------------   -----------------  6. ____
& ----------- O --------------------
& ---------   ---------------------  7. ____
& ------- O ------------------------
& -----   -------------------------  8. ____
& --- O ----------------------------
& ---------------------------------  9. ____
& - O ------------------------------

Part 3: Notes in the Bass Clef

Now let's name the notes on the Bass Clef staff. We can use these rhymes:

• The notes on the lines are G, B, D, F, A (Good Boys Do Fine Always).
• The notes in the spaces are A, C, E, G (All Cows Eat Grass).

Write the correct letter name for each note below.

?: -----------------O---------------  1. ____
?: ---------------O-----------------  2. ____
?: -------------O-------------------  3. ____
?: -----------O---------------------  4. ____
?: ---------O-----------------------  5. ____

?: ---------------------------------
?: -------------   -----------------  6. ____
?: ----------- O --------------------
?: ---------   ---------------------  7. ____
?: ------- O ------------------------
?: -----   -------------------------  8. ____
?: --- O ----------------------------
?: ---------------------------------  9. ____
?: - O ------------------------------

Part 4: Ledger Lines

Ledger lines are extra little lines we add when a note is too high or too low to fit on the staff. The most famous ledger line note is Middle C!

What is the name of the note shown on the ledger line in each example?

1.
& ---------------------------------
& ---------------------------------
& ---------------------------------
& ---------------------------------
& ---------O-----------------------
& ------ - - - - ------------------

   Answer: ___________


2.
?: ---------O-----------------------
?: ------ - - - - ------------------
?: ---------------------------------
?: ---------------------------------
?: ---------------------------------
?: ---------------------------------

   Answer: ___________

Part 5: Sight-Reading Fun!

Let's put it all together. Read the notes on each staff and write the letter name for each one in the blank below it. This is sight-reading!

Treble Clef:

& ------------------------------------------
& ------------------------------------------
& ------------------------------------------
& -----------O-------------------------------
& ---------O-------O------------------------
& -------O----------------------------------
& -----O-----------------------------------

      ___       ___       ___       ___       ___

Bass Clef:

?: -----------------O-----------------------
?: ---------------O-------------------------
?: -------------O---------------------------
?: -----------O-----------------------------
?: ---------O-------------------------------

      ___       ___       ___       ___       ___

Answer Key

Part 1: The Music Staff and Clefs

1. Student's drawing should show 5 straight, parallel lines with 4 spaces between them.
2. Student's drawings should resemble a Treble Clef and a Bass Clef. Accuracy will vary.

Part 2: Notes in the Treble Clef

1. F (top line)
2. D
3. B
4. G
5. E (bottom line)
6. E (top space)
7. C
8. A
9. F (bottom space)

Part 3: Notes in the Bass Clef

1. A (top line)
2. F
3. D
4. B
5. G (bottom line)
6. G (top space)
7. E
8. C
9. A (bottom space)

Part 4: Ledger Lines

1. Middle C (The note is on a ledger line below the Treble Clef staff)
2. Middle C (The note is on a ledger line above the Bass Clef staff)

Part 5: Sight-Reading Fun!

Treble Clef: F, A, C, E, G (note: first note F is in the first space, G is on the second line)

      F         A         C         E         G

Bass Clef: G, A, B, C, D

      G         A         B         C         D