← Notation reference
Notation category
Reading the staff
Start with the three signs that tell every reader where notes live, which pitches are altered, and how beats are grouped.
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From Minuet in G Major by J.S. Bach (attrib.; BWV Anh. 114, likely Christian Petzold), source measure 1. treble G clef and bass F clef signs
Clefs
A clef assigns pitch names to the staff's lines and spaces.
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From Arabesque No. 1 in E Major by Claude Debussy, source measure 1. a group of sharps or flats after the clef
Key signatures
A key signature sets the sharps or flats that normally apply throughout the music.
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From Minuet in G Major by J.S. Bach (attrib.; BWV Anh. 114, likely Christian Petzold), source measure 1. stacked numbers such as 3/4 or 6/8, sometimes C for common time
Time signatures
A time signature shows how beats are grouped and which note value represents the written unit.
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