This is the first of my posts on Theory Tips. I hope to put up one each week or so. Like and comment if you find them helpful. If you have any questions or suggestions on theory topics, please put them in the comments too. I’ll try to answer them in coming installments 🙂
Today’s post is about writing music, specifically, “Where does everything in a music score go?”
Here are 5 questions and answers, accompanied by illustrations:
1. First things first –
Q: Which do you write first, clef? Time-signature? Key-signature?
A: Remember this order: CKT = Clef ~ Key-signature ~ Time- signature. It follows the alphabetical order! 🙂
* The clef and key-signature are written on every line of music, but the time-signature is only in the beginning of the music (and wherever there’s a change in time)
2. Stem directions –
Q: Where do the stems go, on the notes?
A: Remember “pond” – When the note-head is above the middle line of the stave/staff, the stem goes down (on the left of the head, like “p”) and when the note-head is below the middle line, the stem goes up (on the right of the head, like “d”).
Notes on the middle line can have stems going up or down.
Joyce Music 