What is a stem in music?

A stem in music notation is the vertical line that connects a notehead to the staff. It indicates the duration of the note. The length of the stem is used to differentiate between different rhythmic values. For example, a whole note has a long stem, a half note has a shorter stem, and a quarter note has a still shorter stem.

Stems can also be used to indicate the direction of a melody. When a stem points up, the melody is ascending. When a stem points down, the melody is descending.

In some cases, stems may be omitted altogether. This is often done when notes are very short, such as grace notes or 32nd notes.

Stems are an important part of music notation, and they play a vital role in helping musicians to understand and interpret music.