Musical note facts for kids
In music, a note is a single sound. Think of it like a syllable in a word. For example, in the song "Twinkle, twinkle little star," each word part you sing is a note.
The word "note" can mean a few things. It can be the sound itself, like how high or low it is. This is called its pitch. For example, the song "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" uses six different pitches: C, D, E, F, G, and A.
"Note" can also mean the symbol written on paper. This symbol tells musicians what sound to play. Most music uses notes. Music without notes might be more like sound effects.
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Understanding Musical Note Names
In many Western countries, like the United Kingdom and the USA, musical pitches are named using letters. These letters go from A to G. They are: A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
This pattern repeats. After G, the next note is A again. This new A sounds higher than the first A. It is one octave higher.
Sharps and Flats: Changing Notes
There are 12 different notes used in Western music. The 7 letter names (A-G) can be changed using special symbols. These symbols are called modifiers.
- A sharp (♯) makes a note sound a little higher. It raises the pitch by a half-step.
- A flat (♭) makes a note sound a little lower. It lowers the pitch by a half-step.
You might see sharps or flats at the start of a song. This is called a key signature. It tells you which notes will be sharp or flat throughout the music. The key signature is written at the beginning of each line of music.
Double Sharps and Double Flats
Sometimes, you might see a double sharp (×) or a double flat (♭♭).
- A double sharp (×) raises a note by a whole step.
- A double flat (♭♭) lowers a note by a whole step.
These are not as common as single sharps or flats. For example, E♭♭ sounds the same as D. This is called an enharmonic equivalent. Another example is C sharp (C♯) and D flat (D♭), which sound the same.
Other Ways to Name Notes
In some countries, like Italy, France, and Spain, notes have different names. Instead of C, D, E, F, G, A, B, they use: Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si. This system is called solfege. You might know these names from the song in The Sound of Music.
Drum kits are different from other instruments. They do not play notes with specific pitches like a piano. Instead, drum music shows which drum or cymbal to hit. It also shows how many times to hit it and how fast. Music for drums often uses numbers like 4/4 to show the beat. This means you count "1, 2, 3, 4" in each section of the music.
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