Music Staff and Treble Clef
Primary 4 · Creative Arts
Music Staff and Treble Clef
Lesson 5 of 5
25 min
Let's begin
When Niyonzima sings the national anthem, some words are short and quick, and some are held for a long time. How does the music tell singers how long to hold each note? The shape of the note tells them!
A note can have a head, a stem and a flag. Whether the head is filled in or empty, and whether there is a stem or a flag, tells you how long the note lasts.
| Name | What it looks like | How long | Say |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semibreve (whole note) | empty head, no stem | 4 beats | ta-a-a-a |
| Minim (half note) | empty head with a stem | 2 beats | ta-a |
| Crotchet (quarter note) | filled head with a stem | 1 beat | ta |
| Quaver (eighth note) | filled head, stem and a flag | half a beat | ti |
Two quavers are often joined by a beam instead of flags. Together they fill one beat: ti-ti.
Each row below lasts exactly the same time, 4 beats:
So 1 semibreve = 2 minims = 4 crotchets = 8 quavers.
If the note head is below the middle line, the stem goes up on the right side. If the head is on or above the middle line, the stem goes down on the left side. This keeps the music neat and inside the staff.
A bar of 4 beats can be filled in many ways: minim + crotchet + crotchet (2 + 1 + 1 = 4), or crotchet + crotchet + ti-ti + crotchet (1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4).
Tip
More ink, less time. The empty semibreve lasts longest. Add a stem and it gets shorter (minim). Fill it in and it gets shorter again (crotchet). Add a flag and it is the shortest (quaver).
Try each one first, then tap Show answer to check.
How many beats does a minim last?
Answer: 2 beats.
How many quavers last as long as one crotchet?
Answer: 2 quavers.
A bar has a minim and a crotchet. How many beats is that?
Answer: 3 beats (2 + 1).
What does a semibreve look like?
Answer: An empty (hollow) note head with no stem.
A note head sits on line 4. Does its stem go up or down?
Answer: Down, because line 4 is above the middle line.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
The note drawings, the value tree and the practice questions were written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Match each note to how long it lasts.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
