16 focused lessons
How to read music
Learn to read sheet music with lessons on treble and bass clefs, note values, rests, accidentals, and key signatures. Start with the musical alphabet.
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Lesson 01The Musical Alphabet: Learn A Through G
Learn the seven musical note names, A through G, and how they repeat across octaves. Practice naming notes before reading the staff.
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Lesson 02Treble Clef Notes: Lines, Spaces, and Landmarks
Read treble clef notes with a labeled staff diagram. Learn EGBDF line notes, FACE space notes, and the positions of G4 and middle C.
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Lesson 03Bass Clef Notes: Read the Lower Staff
Learn bass clef line and space notes with a labeled diagram. Use F3 and middle C as landmarks, then practice reading a short note pattern.
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Lesson 04The Grand Staff: Connect Treble and Bass Clefs
Learn how the grand staff connects treble and bass clefs. Find middle C, read notes across both staves, and check octave relationships.
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Lesson 05Ledger Lines: Read Notes Above and Below the Staff
Read ledger line notes above and below the staff. Find middle C and high A in treble clef, then practice counting nearby lines and spaces.
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Lesson 06Sharps, Flats, and Naturals: Read Accidentals
Learn what sharp, flat, and natural signs mean in music. Read accidentals, check their scope, and distinguish them from a key signature.
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Lesson 07Enharmonic Notes: Why C-sharp and D-flat Can Match
Understand enharmonic notes such as C-sharp and D-flat. See why one keyboard key can have two names and how scales determine the spelling.
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Lesson 08Whole Steps and Half Steps: Count Musical Distance
Learn the difference between whole steps and half steps on piano and guitar. Count semitones and check the natural half steps E–F and B–C.
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Lesson 09Note Values: Whole, Half, Quarter, and Eighth Notes
Compare whole, half, quarter, and eighth note values. Learn how note durations relate, then count a measure using a stated beat and tempo.
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Lesson 10Rests in Music: Read and Count Silence
Learn music rest symbols and their durations. Compare whole, half, quarter, and eighth rests, then read silence as part of a musical measure.
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Lesson 11Dotted Notes: Add Half the Original Value
Learn how dotted notes work, including dotted quarters, halves, and double dots. Count a dotted-quarter and eighth-note pattern in 4/4.
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Lesson 12Ties vs. Slurs: Duration and Phrasing
Learn the difference between a tie and a slur in music. Compare sustained duration with connected phrasing and practice reading each curve.
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Lesson 13Key Signatures: Read the Sharps or Flats at the Start
Learn to read key signatures, remember the order of sharps and flats, and distinguish a major key from its relative minor using musical context.
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Lesson 14How to Read Sheet Music: A First-Pass Routine
Learn how to read sheet music by checking clef, key, meter, and tempo. Practice pitches and rhythm separately before combining a short passage.
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Lesson 15Repeat Signs and Endings: Follow the Route Through a Score
Learn how repeat signs and first and second endings work. Trace the route through a score before playing so you know where to return and continue.
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Lesson 16Octave Numbers: Tell C4, C5, and Pitch Classes Apart
Understand octave numbers in scientific pitch notation. Locate middle C at C4, follow the B-to-C boundary, and separate register from note names.
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