Reading Music : Introduction
Music notation allows us to specify two of the most important characteristics of music: the note to be played and its duration. The following pages will show you the essential aspects of reading music, starting with two basic concepts: beats (pulsations) and measures.
Beats and Measures
Time Signature
Note Value
Dotted Notes and the Tie
Rests
Values Shorter Than a Beat
Eighth and Sixteenth Notes
Eighth-Note and Sixteenth-Note Rests
Triplets
Beat Unit
Simple and Compound Meters
Reading Musical Notes
An Example
Accidentals
Key Signatures
Keyboard Notes
Translated by Dan Román, revised by Sue Talley.
