The Staff
The staff is a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces. The lines and spaces represent different pitches. The bottom line is the lowest pitch, and the top line is the highest pitch.
Clefs
Clefs are symbols that tell you what pitch the lines and spaces of the staff represent. The most common clefs are the treble clef and the bass clef.
* The treble clef is placed on the left side of the staff. It tells you that the bottom line represents the note middle C.
* The bass clef is placed on the right side of the staff. It tells you that the bottom line represents the note F below middle C.
Note Values
Note values tell you how long a note should be held. The most common note values are the whole note, half note, quarter note, eighth note, and sixteenth note.
* A whole note is held for four beats.
* A half note is held for two beats.
* A quarter note is held for one beat.
* An eighth note is held for half a beat.
* A sixteenth note is held for a quarter of a beat.
Reading Notes
To read a note, you need to identify the line or space it is on, and then determine its note value. For example, if a note is on the second line of the staff and it has a stem pointing up, it is the note A. If the stem is pointing down, it is the note B.
You can also use the ledger lines above and below the staff to represent notes that are higher or lower than the staff lines. Ledger lines are short horizontal lines that extend above or below the staff.
Practice
The best way to learn how to read notes for the piano is to practice. There are many resources available online and in music stores that can help you learn. With practice, you will be able to read music and play the piano with ease.