10/15/2015

BeginnerBasics:HowtoReadViolinSheetMusic

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BeginnerBasics:HowtoReadViolinSheetMusic
May1,2014/2Comments/bySuzyS.

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10/15/2015

BeginnerBasics:HowtoReadViolinSheetMusic

Themostvaluableskillyoucandevelopasamusicianislearningtoreadmusic.Whileitspossibletolearnto
playbyear,readingmusicopensuptheworldtoyouasanartist!
Therearemanydifferentwaystowritemusic.Guitaristsoftenreadoffofchartsoutliningthechord
progressionsforthesong.Drummershavearhythmchartshowingthemwhattoplay.Asaviolinist,however,
youllmostlikelybereadingoffofviolinsheetmusic.
Standardsheetmusicisfilledwithdirectionsfortheperformer,including:
1.Pitch
2.Rhythmnotes,rests,dots,accentsetc.
3.Timesignature
4.Keysignaturesharps,flats,andnaturalnotes
5.Dynamics
6.Tempo
7.Stylemarkings
8.Aclef
9.Navigationmarkingslikerepeats,1stand2ndendings,etc.
Sheetmusicwillalsooftenincludeitemsspecifictotheparticularinstrument.Forexample,violinsheetmusic
mayincludenumberstosignifypositionontheneck,bowdirectionmarkings,andspecificmarkingsfor
vibratoandpizzicato,techniquesspecifictotheviolin.
First,letslookatthebasicelementsyoullseeonsheetmusicandthenaddresssomeofthespecificmarkings
youllfindonviolinsheetmusic.

TheBasics:TheStaff,Clef,KeySignature,andTimeSignature
Musiciswrittenonatypeofgridthatconsistsoffivelinesandfourspaces,calledastaff.Eachoftheselines
andspacessignifiesaspecificnoteorpitch.Musicisalwaysreadfromlefttoright,andonthelefthandside
isasymbolcalledaclef.

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BeginnerBasics:HowtoReadViolinSheetMusic

Theclefwillclueyouinonthenamesofthenotesonthatstaff,asitsdifferentforbassandtrebleclef.The
illustrationaboveshowsagrandstaffthatisusedinpianomusic.ThetopstaffshowsaG,ortrebleclef.Its
calledtheGclefbecauseitsomewhatresemblestheletterGandthebottomcirclesurroundsthesecondline,
whichisthenoteGintrebleclef.
Thebottomstaffshowsabass,orFclef.ItisknownasanFclefnotonlybecauseitresemblestheletterF,but
alsobecausethetwodotssurroundthesecondlinefromthetop,whichisthenoteFinthebassclef.
Asaviolinist,youwillonlybedealingwithtrebleclef,sowewilllookspecificallyatthenotesinthatclef.

KeySignature
Thekeysignatureismarkeddirectlynexttotheclef.Thekeysignatureconsistsofmarkingscalledsharpsand
flats,showingwhichnotesarealteredinthatparticularpieceofmusic.Akeysignatureisauniversalmarking,
meaningthatifitshowsaBb,thenalloftheBnotesinthatpieceofmusicshouldbeplayedasaBflat.This
isaformofmusicalshorthandthatisusedtomakereadingmusiceasier.

TimeSignature
Thetimesignatureisasymbolthatdefinesthenumberofbeatspermeasure,andwhattypeofnotegetsabeat.
Herearesomeexamples:

Thetopnumberinthetimesignaturesignifieshowmanybeatsareineachmeasure.Thebottomnumber
showswhattypeofnotereceivesabeat.Forexample,in4/4timetherearefourbeatspermeasureanda1/4
(quarter)notegetsonebeat.4/4isalsoknownascommontimeandmayberepresentedbytheletterC.
Nowthatweveexploredthebasicsofthestaff,letslookatmusicalnotation.

Pitch,LedgerLines,andDuration
Violinsheetmusicusesthetrebleclef,soletslookatthebasicnotenamesinthetrebleclef.Themusical
alphabetconsistsofonlysevennotes:A,B,C,D,E,F,andG.Alongwithsharpsandflats,thesesevennote
namesmakeuptheentiremusicalalphabet.

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10/15/2015

BeginnerBasics:HowtoReadViolinSheetMusic

Thereisaneasywaytorememberthenotenamesonthestaffusingonewordandasimplesentence.Fromthe
bottomlinetothetopline,thelinednotesare:E,G,B,D,andF.RememberthesentenceEveryGoodBoy
DeservesFudge,andyoullneverforgetthenotenamesonthelines!ThespacesspelloutthewordFACE
F,A,C,andE.

LedgerLines
Becausemusichasmorethanninenotes,ledgerlinesareusedtoextendtherangeofthestaff.Theycanappear
bothaboveandbelowthelinesofthestaff.

Thenotenamescontinueusingthemusicalalphabet.ThetoplineofthestaffisF,andthenotesittingonthe
toplineisG.AddaledgerlineabovethestaffforthenoteA,andthenoteontopofthatledgerlineisB.The
notepicturedaboveisCandsoon.

NoteDurations
Musicalsymbolsareusedtodenotetheduration,orhowmanybeatstoholdeachnote.Thefollowingchart
showsthemostcommonnotedurationsin4/4time.

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BeginnerBasics:HowtoReadViolinSheetMusic

Onceyoumasterthesebasics,youllbeabletoreadandplayeverythingfromMozarttoMetallica!Thereare
othersymbolsthatyouwilllearnasyoustudyreadingmusic,includingvolumemarkings,articulation
markings,andtempomarkings.Butunderstandingthesebasicconceptsarethefirststepstoachievingmastery
inreadingmusic.

SpecificMarkingsonViolinSheetMusic
Becauseofthenatureoftheinstrument,violinistswillseesomeadditionalmarkingsonviolinsheetmusicthat
arespecifictotheinstrument.Often,violinsheetmusicwillincludepositionmarkings.Thesesignifywhen
youmoveyourhandupanddowntheneckoftheviolintoplaydifferentnotes.Theyareusuallyshownasa
Romannumeralbeneaththenoteforexample,firstpositionisI,secondpositionisII,andsoon.
Violinisanexpressiveinstrumentandoftencomposerswillincorporatethisintheirmusic.Youmayseethe
symbolVibrunderthenotesofasection.Thisisshorthandforvibrato,whichisatechniqueofmovingyour
fingertogetapulsingsoundwhenplayinganote.
Becauseviolinisplayedusingabow,therearespecificsymbolsusedinviolinsheetmusictosignifyifanote
orseriesofnotesshouldbeplayedbybowingtheinstrumentinanupwarddirection,orwithadownward
motion.Upbowsaremarkedusingthissymbol:>.Adownbowisshownasapartialrectangleopenatthe
bottom.
Thebestwaytolearnhowtoreadmusic,ofcourse,istostudywithaqualifiedviolinteacher.Whilethebasic
conceptsshowninthisarticlecanbelearnedindependently,ateacherwillhelpyourefineandmasterthefine
pointsofreadingmusic.Learningtoreadmusicwellwillmakeyourstudymuchmorerewardingand
enjoyable.Whileitcanbechallenging,knowinghowtoreadingmusicopenstheentireworldtoyouasa
performer.Takethetimetostudyandworkwithagoodteacherandenjoyyourexcitingmusicaljourney!

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