Reading pitch on the staff
The five-line staff is a map of pitch — once you know how to read it, any written melody becomes something you can actually play or sing.
Part of your national curriculum
- Musical notation and theory: Read and use staff notation, including pitch and rhythm notation, with increasing fluency
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Read and use staff notation, including pitch and rhythm notation, with increasing fluency
Key learning points
- • The treble clef staff
- • Ledger lines
- • Sharps, flats and naturals
This lesson at a glance
- 25 minutes
- 17 parts to scroll through
- 3 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 17
Visual introductionPicture this
Reading pitch on the staff
The five-line staff is a map of pitch — once you know how to read it, any written melody becomes something you can actually play or sing.
In a nutshell
Read and use staff notation, including pitch and rhythm notation, with increasing fluency
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 17
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · The treble clef staff
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 17
Learn
The treble clef staff
The treble clef, used for higher-pitched instruments and voices, has five lines and four spaces. The lines from bottom to top spell 'Every Good Boy Deserves Football' (E, G, B, D, F), and the spaces spell 'FACE' (F, A, C, E) — simple mnemonics that make reading much faster.
Reset break
Part 4 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 17
Learn
Ledger lines
When a note is too high or low to fit on the staff, short extra lines called ledger lines extend it, most famously middle C, which sits on one ledger line just below the treble staff. Middle C is a useful reference point because it also sits at the top of the bass clef staff, linking the two.
Quick check
Part 6 of 17
Quick check
Part 7 of 17
Reset break
Part 8 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 17
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Sharps, flats and naturals
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 17
Learn
Sharps, flats and naturals
A sharp (♯) raises a note by a semitone, a flat (♭) lowers it by a semitone, and a natural (♮) cancels a previous sharp or flat. These symbols, placed either in the key signature or directly before a note, are essential for reading music accurately in any key.
Quick check
Part 11 of 17
Reset break
Part 12 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 13 of 17
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Challenge round
Part 14 of 17
Game · Fill the gaps
Finish the sentences
Choose the word that belongs in each gap.
The ____ clef, used for higher-pitched instruments and voices, has five lines and four spaces.
Challenge round
Part 15 of 17
Game · Recall cards
What do the lines of the treble clef staff spell, bottom to top?
Card 1 of 3
Mastery quiz
Part 16 of 17
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Reading pitch on the staff
3 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. What do the lines of the treble clef staff spell, bottom to top?
2. What does a ledger line do?
3. What does a sharp (♯) do to a note?
Lesson round-up
Part 17 of 17
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
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Luna: 0 out of 3 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaPart 1 of 17 · Watch & discover
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Read and use staff notation, including pitch and rhythm notation, with increasing fluency