List of musical symbols facts for kids

The staff (or stave) has five lines. It shows the pitch of notes. Each line or space stands for a note with a letter name: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. As you go up the staff, the notes go up in pitch and follow the alphabet. A clef is usually added to show which specific note goes on which line.

These are extra lines that appear above or below the staff. They are used when notes are too high or too low to fit on the main five lines. You can use one or many ledger lines.

Bar lines divide music into measures (or "bars"). The time signature tells you how many beats are in each measure. Sometimes, bar lines go through several staffs to group instruments together, like in a grand staff for piano.

These lines show a change in the music. This could be a new section, a new key, or a new time signature.

This thick double bar line means the end of a piece of music or a major part of it.

Dotted bar lines help break up long or complex measures into smaller, easier-to-read parts.

A brace connects two or more lines of music that are played at the same time, usually by one player. This is common for instruments like the piano, harp, or organ that use a grand staff.

A bracket also connects two or more lines of music played at the same time. It usually links staffs for different instruments, like a flute and a clarinet. The brace is for one instrument with multiple parts, while the bracket is for different instruments.

The G clef's spiral shows where the G note above middle C is located. When it's on the second line of the staff, it's called the treble clef. This is the most common clef in modern music.

The middle of a C clef points to the line that represents middle C. If it's on the third line, it's the alto clef, often used for the viola. If it's on the fourth line, it's the tenor clef. This clef is used for instruments like the bassoon or cello when their notes get very high, to avoid too many ledger lines.

An F clef places the F note below middle C on the line between its two dots. When this F is on the fourth line, it's called the bass clef. This clef is almost as common as the treble clef.

These clefs change the pitch of notes by one or two octaves. An "8" below the clef means the notes sound an octave lower. An "8" above means they sound an octave higher. A "15" means two octaves. The treble clef with an "8" below is common for guitar or tenor voices.

This clef is for instruments that don't have a specific pitch, like most percussion instruments. The lines and spaces don't show pitch, but rather different instruments in a drum set. It can also be on a single line for one percussion instrument.

This is not a true clef either. It's used for some string instruments, like the guitar. The lines represent the strings of the instrument. Numbers on the lines show which fret to press.

This symbol tells a musician to take a breath (for singers or wind instruments) or make a small pause. It doesn't change the speed of the music. For bowed instruments, it means to lift the bow.

A caesura means a short, silent pause where the rhythm stops for a moment.

The flat symbol lowers a note's pitch by one semitone (the smallest step in Western music).

The sharp symbol raises a note's pitch by one semitone.

A natural symbol cancels a sharp or flat. It makes the note return to its original pitch.

A double flat lowers a note's pitch by two semitones (a whole step).

A double sharp raises a note's pitch by two semitones (a whole step).

This example shows 3
4 time, pronounced "three-four time". It means each measure has three quarter notes.

In compound time, beats are grouped in a special way. This example shows 6
8 time. It means there are six eighth notes per measure, but they are usually felt as two groups of three eighth notes.

This symbol is a shortcut for 4
4 time. It means four beats per measure, with a quarter note getting one beat.

This symbol is a shortcut for 2
2 time. It means two beats per measure, with a half note getting one beat.

This tells you the exact speed (tempo) of the music. For example, "120 quarter notes per minute" means you should play 120 quarter notes in one minute.

A tie connects two notes of the same pitch. You play them as one longer note, adding their durations together.

A slur connects two or more notes of different pitches. It means to play the notes smoothly, without stopping the sound between them. For singers, it means singing notes on one syllable. A tie only connects two notes of the same pitch, but a slur can connect many notes of any pitch.

This means to slide smoothly from one note to the next, playing all the notes in between. Some instruments, like a trombone, can do this continuously. Others, like a piano, play the notes very quickly to sound like a slide.

A tuplet is a group of notes that fit into a space where a different number of notes would normally go. A common example is a triplet, where three notes are played in the time of two.

A chord is when several notes are played at the same time. A two-note chord is a dyad. A three-note chord built with thirds is a triad.

This is a chord where the notes are played one after another very quickly, usually going up. Each note is held as the next one is played. It's also called a broken chord.

Extremely soft.

Very soft.

Soft.

Moderately soft.

Moderately loud. If no other dynamic is written, this is usually the assumed volume.

Loud.

Very loud.

Extremely loud.

This means to play a single note or chord with a sudden, strong accent.

Play the note loudly at first, then immediately become soft.

A gradual increase in volume. It can be extended to show a long increase in loudness.

Also decrescendo. A gradual decrease in volume.

Means "nothing". Used to show starting from silence (crescendo from niente) or fading to silence (diminuendo to niente).

Play the note shorter than its written value, leaving a short silence after it.

Play the note even shorter than staccato. For string instruments, it can mean the bow bounces lightly.

Hold the note for its full value, or slightly longer. It can also mean to give the note a bit more emphasis.

Hold a note, chord, or rest longer than its written value. The performer or conductor decides how long to hold it.

Play the note louder or with a stronger attack than the notes around it.

Play the note even louder or more forcefully than a regular accent.

A very fast repetition of a single note. If it's between two notes, you play them in rapid alternation. The number of slashes shows how fast to repeat. For percussion, tremolos can mean rolls or drags.

A rapid back-and-forth playing between the written note and the note just above it. A wavy line after it means a longer trill.

Quickly play the main note, then the note above it, then return to the main note.

Quickly play the main note, then the note below it, then return to the main note.

When above a note, it means to play the note above, then the main note, then the note below, then back to the main note. If it's to the right of the note, you play the main note first. An inverted turn reverses the order of the notes above and below.

A small grace note that takes up part of the main note's time. The main note starts on the pitch of the grace note.

A very short grace note that is played quickly, almost at the same time as the main note. The main note gets almost all of its written duration. In percussion, this can mean a "flam".

8^va above the staff means play the passage one octave higher.

8^vb below the staff means play the passage one octave lower.

15^ma above the staff means play the passage two octaves higher.

15^mb below the staff means play the passage two octaves lower.

These marks enclose a section of music that should be played more than once. If there's no left repeat sign, you repeat from the very beginning of the piece.

These mean to repeat the previous group of beats or measures. The first example usually means repeat the last measure, and the second means repeat the last two measures.

If a repeated section has different endings, these brackets show which ending to play each time. The "1st ending" is played the first time, and the "2nd ending" is played the second time.

Means "from the top". It tells you to go back and repeat the music from the very beginning. It's often followed by al fine (repeat to the word fine and stop) or al coda (repeat to the coda sign, then jump to the coda).

Means "from the sign". It tells you to repeat the music starting from the nearest segno symbol. Like da capo, it's followed by al fine or al coda.

This is the sign used with dal segno.

This symbol marks a forward jump in the music to the ending section, also called the coda. You only jump here after seeing a D.S. al coda or D.C. al coda instruction.

This word means "end". It marks the very end of a piece or movement, especially after a repeat instruction like D.C. al fine.

On string instruments, this means to pluck the string with the left hand (the hand that usually presses the strings down).

On string instruments, this means to pluck the string so hard that it snaps against the instrument's body. It's also called a Bartók pizzicato.

On string instruments, this means to play a natural harmonic, which creates a clear, ringing sound.

On a bowed string instrument, this means to draw the bow upward. On a guitar, it means an upstroke with the pick.

On a bowed string instrument, this means to draw the bow downward. On a guitar, it means a downstroke with the pick.

This symbol tells the musician to use a mute on their instrument.

This symbol tells the musician to remove the mute. It's usually seen after a muted section.

Tells the player to press the sustain pedal down.

Tells the player to lift the sustain pedal up.

This shows exactly how to use the sustain pedal. The long line means to keep the pedal down. The inverted "V" (Λ) means to quickly lift and press the pedal again.

Tells the player to press the soft pedal down.

Tells the player to lift the soft pedal up.

• 1 = thumb
• 2 = index finger
• 3 = middle finger
• 4 = ring finger
• 5 = little finger

• 0 = open string (no finger used)
• 1 = index finger
• 2 = middle finger
• 3 = ring finger
• 4 = little finger

• 1 = Far left mallet
• 2 = Inner-left mallet
• 3 = Inner-right mallet
• 4 = Far right mallet

• 1 = Far-left mallet
• 2 = Middle-left mallet
• 3 = Inner-left mallet
• 4 = Inner-right mallet
• 5 = Middle-right mallet
• 6 = Far-right mallet