Seikilos Epitaph

The oldest known song (complete with musical notation and lyrics) is from 200 BC called “Seikilos Epitaph”. It was found on a tombstone. What’s so remarkable are the lyrics. From ancient Greek they translate roughly to: “While you live, be happy have no grief at all. Life exists only for a short while, and time …

The oldest known song, ever! Read More »

how to read music crash course

The Staff Notes are written on a set of five horizontal lines known as ‘the staff’ (or ‘the stave’): Musical notes will be written out through the 5 lines: As well as in the 4 spaces between the lines: Obviously, notes that sound higher are placed higher on the staff and notes that sound lower …

How to Read Music – Part 4 of 4: Naming Notes Read More »

In this lesson we’ll explore the alphabet of music with the help of the keyboard. Let’s begin by looking at the diagram here. Do you notice a pattern for how the keys are laid out? The pattern consists of 12 different keys and it repeats itself up and down. Here is one instance of it. …

How to Read Music – Part 3: the Musical Alphabet Read More »

how to read music - day 2: the musical pulse/the beat

In this lesson we’re going to see how rhythm is put together in real music. There are four basic components to rhythm: Pulse, Tempo, Meter and Subdivisions – we’ll go over them one by one. 1. Pulse This is the constant, underlying beat that people tap their feet to when listening to a song. Here’s …

How to Read Music – Part 2: How Rhythm Really Works Read More »

how to read music: Note Values Tree

Music is made up of two fundamental aspects: sounds and silences. In the first two lessons of this course, we learn how to accurately measure these sounds and silences. This is essential because the exact duration of musical notes determines the character of the music. (For an example, sing a melody you know and change …

How to Read Music – Part 1: Music Notation Read More »

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