Why are music notes drawn as circles? Who came up with the idea of writing music on lines? Why are there different ways of reading music like C, D, E and do, re, mi?
Why are music notes drawn as circles? Who came up with the idea of writing music on lines? Why are there different ways of reading music like C, D, E and do, re, mi? These were some of the interesting questions that Year 3 students asked in Music! Learning how to read music and notate pitch on a five-lined staff is a skill that students have been practising this term.
You may know that music is written on lines and spaces called a staff, but did you know that the first music staff had only four lines instead of five? The concept of writing notes on lines was developed by an Italian musician around 1000AD. Before this time, music was not written on lines. Instead, little squiggles or neumes were used to show pitch – a bit like this.
It would have been difficult for singers to figure out exactly what notes they were supposed to sing! Notating pitch on lines was a helpful development as it allowed composers to precisely communicate what notes musicians should play or sing.
Students in Year 3 learned that it is important to record and communicate music with care – ensuring that musical “messages” are read and written accurately as intended. Here are some key concepts they have been learning: Notes are written on lines and in spaces. When notes move up the staff, they sound higher. When notes move down the staff, they sound lower. We read music from left to right. When notes move down the staff, they sound lower. We read music from left to right. Each line and space note can be matched to a sound on a tuned instrument.
Now, here are a few tunes that students created and performed on glockenspiels. Can you read, play or sing their musical compositions?
