Sing the Spots - Video training in Sight-Singing for the non-musician

Home
Courses
Memberships
My Account
Links
Help

Skill: finding the home note an octave away

Many times the key signature will identify a note as the Home note, but the notes of the song are either way higher or way lower in the staff. In this case, it's more helpful to identify a home note that's an octave away from where the key signature indicates, and use that as the home note that you remember throughout the song. To find a note an octave away from another, you count seven notes away, or 3 1/2 lines or spaces. If the original note is on a line, then count 3 lines and use the next space. Likewise, if the original note is on a space, count 3 spaces and then then next line. As a kind of shortcut, you can remember that the top line of a staff and the bottom space are an octave apart. Likewise, the top space and the bottom line are an octave apart. Sometimes you need to use ledger lines to find a note an octave away from a note on the staff. You need to develop the ability to quickly find a note an octave away from a given note. As an example, in a key signature with 3 flats in the treble clef, the home note is the top space of the staff. But you'll probably want the home note on the bottom line to be the one you refer to.

Comment or Like us on Facebook

An H. F. Buerer website