The diagram shows a single ledger line above and below the staff but multiple ledger lines can be used.īar lines separate measures ('bars') of music according to the indicated time signature. These additional lines (and the spaces they form) indicate pitches above or below the staff. A clef is almost always added, which assigns one specific pitch to one specific line the other lines and spaces are determined alphabetically as described. The A-G pattern repeats continually-the note above 'G' is always another 'A'.

Moving vertically upwards, the letter names proceed alphabetically with the alternating lines and spaces, and represent ascending pitches. Each line or space indicates the pitch belonging to a note with a letter name: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. The five-line staff (often 'stave' in British usage) is used to indicate pitch. There are symbols to communicate information about many musical elements, including pitch, duration, dynamics, or articulation of musical notes tempo, metre, form (e.g., whether sections are repeated), and details about specific playing techniques (e.g., which fingers, keys, or pedals are to be used, whether a string instrument should be bowed or plucked, or whether the bow of a string instrument should move up or down). Musical symbols are marks and symbols in musical notation that indicate various aspects of how a piece of music is to be performed. For the use of musical symbols on Wikipedia, see Help:Musical symbols.

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