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How to Read Ledger Line Notes Fast

Learning to read the written score for a musical instrument is one of the most important skills you can gain as a musician. Musical notes are written on a staff consisting of five lines. Most musical instruments have ranges that extend above and below the standard staff. If you're playing a piece consisting of higher or lower notes, you need to know how to read the ledger lines written for notes outside the staff.

Instructions

    • 1

      Look at the clef of the piece. The clef determines the notes that exist on the staff; treble clef, a sign resembling an ampersand, has E as the lowest line note and F as the highest. Bass clef, a sign resembling a curve with two dots to the right, has G as its lowest line note and A as its highest.

    • 2

      Count the number of ledger lines above or below the staff.

    • 3

      For each line, count two notes. For example, counting below the treble staff, the first ledger line is C and the second is A. Above the staff, the first line is A and the second is C.

    • 4

      Count a note for spaces past ledger notes.

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