Reading Musical Notation · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Reading Musical Notation

Arts & Music · Music · ages 7-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Two plain notes use the same treble clef. One is higher on the stave than the other. What does that tell you?

    • The higher note must have a louder sound
    • The higher note has a higher pitch
    • The higher note must have a longer sound

  2. What do we call the five lines that music notes are written on?

    • The stave
    • The keyboard
    • The rest

  3. A minim lasts twice as long as a crotchet.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. A crotchet gets 1 beat. If you play 3 crotchets in a row, how many beats is that in total?

    Answer: ______________

  5. A rest is a small solid rectangle sitting on top of the middle stave line. Here, a crotchet is one beat. How long should you stay quiet?

    • 1 quiet beat
    • 4 quiet beats
    • 2 quiet beats

  6. A crotchet, a minim and another crotchet play in order. The minim is still sounding. Where should your finger be as you follow the music?

    • At the minim that is still sounding
    • At the crotchet that sounded before it
    • At the crotchet that will sound after it

  7. In treble clef, Zara starts at G on the second line. She moves up to the next space, then up to the next line. These are plain notes. What is the last note?

    • A
    • C
    • B

  8. Tom hears long, short, short, long. His graphic-score key says his pictures mean short, long, short, long. Has he matched the rhythm?

    • Yes. Both patterns contain four sounds, so their rhythms must match.
    • No. Their long and short sounds are in a different order.
    • Yes. The graphic-score pictures can be read in any order he chooses.
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_YrnMXGEnk--s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Reading Musical Notation W1-mt_YrnMXGEnk--s1

  1. The higher note has a higher pitch · Position up and down on the stave shows pitch: how high or low a note sounds.
  2. The stave · The stave has five lines and four spaces. Notes are written on it to show pitch.
  3. True · Using the lesson's count, a crotchet lasts one beat and a minim lasts two. Two beats is twice one beat.
  4. 3 · Three crotchets, one beat each, add up to 3 beats total.
  5. 2 quiet beats · The rectangle sitting on the middle line is a minim rest. It lasts two beats when a crotchet is one beat.
  6. At the minim that is still sounding · Keep your finger at the minim while it sounds. Move to the next note when the minim ends.
  7. B · Moving up from G reaches A in the next space, then B on the next line.
  8. No. Their long and short sounds are in a different order. · The first two sound lengths are exchanged. Matching the number of sounds does not make the rhythms match.
Worksheet · LightMySky