Hello, and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman.
Today we're going to be learning about something very important.
So important, in fact, I wore my tie.
It's called the "Grand Staff", and it's what we use to draw music.
Now let me tell you a true story.
This story comes from hundreds of years ago.
There were men called Monks who lived together.
They were religious people. They read the bible.
They got together about every three hours to sing and to pray.
They sang hundreds of different songs.
So many songs, in fact, that the Monks started to realize
it was getting hard to remember them all.
So they invented a way to draw notes so they could remember
and share with others the hundreds of songs that they knew.
The system they invented is still in use today, and it's what we use to draw notes.
Let me show you what it looks like.
This is a staff.
It's what the Monks invented as a tool for drawing notes.
They decided that when notes were drawn low on these lines,
it would be a low note.
And the higher the position of the note on this five line staff,
the higher the note you would sing or play.
Let me draw a song and see if you can guess what it is.
[Drawing notes]
Remember that notes can be drawn on a line, like this note,
or a space, like this note.
[Drawing notes]
These three notes form a pattern stepping down.
Can you guess what song this is?
This is just the start of a song that you know.
[Singing]
If you guessed "Hot Cross Buns", then you're right.
Here's another song. See if you can guess what I'm drawing this time.
[Drawing notes]
This isn't the whole song, just the beginning.
[Singing]
If you guessed "Frog in the Middle", you are right.
Remember that notes can be on lines or spaces.
Let's practice being a line note using your own head.
Can you make your head look like a line note?
The line goes right through the middle of the head when it's a line note.
Now let's practice being a space note.
There's usually a line under it, and over it like this.
Can you be a space note?
Sometimes space notes just have a line under it, or just a line over it.
But a space note will never have line through it.
Only line notes look like this.
Now it's time for me to introduce to you the grand staff.
Remember, a staff has five lines for drawing notes.
A grand staff is what we use for playing the piano.
Remember that in piano you have two hands,
so there's going to be a staff for your right hand, and a staff for your left hand.
When you put those two staves together, it makes the grand staff.
Here's what it looks like.
This is a picture of the grand staff.
Let's count the lines on this top staff.
Count them with me please. One, two, three, four, five.
Five lines on the top staff.
Let's count the lines on this bottom staff.
Count with me. One, two, three, four, five lines on the bottom staff.
Do you notice that there are some new symbols on here?
Can you trace with me this squiggly line starting right here.
Here we go, trace this on your screen.
Up and around and down.
This symbol over here is called the treble clef.
It sounds like trouble, but it's treble.
Can you say that with me? Treble clef.
This treble clef is a symbol to remind you something.
See how there is a hidden G shape?
Can you see the letter G hidden inside this?
Sometimes the treble clef is called the G clef
and it's because it really is a very old fashioned way,
a very old fashioned and fancy way of drawing the letter G.
And in music we put that right here on the staff to remind you that
the line going through this G swirl is the note G.
So anytime you see a note on that line, we call that note G.
So I'd like you to take your finger on your screen
and trace it along the G line and say G.
Great.
Now let's take a look at this other clef.
This clef is for the low notes.
It's shaped a little bit like a frowny face.
If I turn it sideways you can see it's a little bit sad.
We call this the bass clef, and it's nickname is the F clef.
We call it an F clef because it is showing us where the F line is.
The two eyes of Mr. frowny face are looking straight at the F line.
Anytime a note is on this line, we call that note F.
Can you take your finger and trace it along the F line now?
Say F.
Great job.
Now there's one more note I'd like you to learn today.
And it is positioned on a short line that we call a ledger line.
It's not attached to the main staff, it's just a shorter line that we use when the notes
don't fit on the staff.
This note on this ledger line, which is below treble clef, or above bass clef,
we call middle C.
Can you point to one of these two notes and say middle C?
Now let's review. Point with me and let's name each of these notes.
Treble G. Middle C. Bass F.
Treble clef.
Bass clef.
Now let's do a game to review.
I'm going to put some notes on the grand staff,
and I'd like you to try to name which note I'm pointing to.
Try and name the note that I'm pointing to.
What's this note?
If you said middle C, you are correct.
What's the name of this note here?
If you said treble G, you are correct.
We call it a treble G because it's in line with the treble clef swirl.
Remember this treble clef always shows you where the G line is.
What note is this?
If you said bass F, you are correct.
The two eyes of the bass clef will always show you where the F line is.
If this note moves even a little bit lower to the space below,
it's not an F anymore.
It's a step below F.
Or if we move up a little bit higher, it's a step above F.
It has to be a line note, right on the line, to be an F.
Let's do another game. This time a little bit trickier.
Now I've put lots of different notes on the staff.
Some of them are the notes that we just learned, some of them are not.
Please help me try and find them.
First let's find middle C.
On your screen, point to a middle C.
If you're pointing to this note, you are correct.
This one's a middle C.
Now let's try and find a treble G.
Can you find any notes on the treble G line?
Remember the treble G line goes right through the middle of this swirl.
If you are pointing to this note, you are correct.
Last of all, let's try and find bass F.
Is this note a bass F? No, it's on the wrong line.
Look, the line that goes through the two dots of bass clef is this line.
So if you're pointing to this note, you are correct.
This is a bass F.
Remember that if you'd like to practice this a little bit more
and try drawing these notes for yourself, you can download our materials from the website.
Thanks for coming, and see you next time.