Musical Notes High and Low

Grade 1 · Music · Study Guide

Learn how musical notes have different pitches and how we tell high notes from low notes.

In music, every note has a pitch. Pitch tells us how high or low a sound is. A bird tweeting is a high pitch. A big drum booming is a low pitch.

Musicians use note names to talk about pitch. The most common note names are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. After G, the notes start over again at A but at a higher pitch.

The note C is one of the most important notes. The special middle note that is easy to find on a piano is called Middle C.

On a piano, notes go from low on the left side to high on the right side. When you move your fingers to the right, the notes get higher. When you move to the left, the notes get lower.

When notes move up or down by just one or two small steps, we call it moving by step. When notes jump far from low to high (or high to low), we call it a leap.

We can write music on a staff, which is five lines stacked on top of each other. Notes written higher on the staff have a higher pitch. Notes written lower on the staff have a lower pitch.

Learning about high and low notes helps you understand and play any kind of music!

Key terms

pitch: How high or low a musical note sounds
note: A single musical sound with a specific pitch
staff: The five lines used to write music
step: Moving to the very next note up or down
leap: Jumping from one note to another note that is far away in pitch
Middle C: A special note in the middle of the piano that is easy to find

Flashcards

pitch: How high or low a musical note sounds
high pitch: A sound that is sharp and thin, like a bird tweeting
low pitch: A sound that is deep and heavy, like a big drum
note: A single musical sound with a specific pitch
staff: Five lines stacked together used to write music notes
step: Moving to the very next note up or down in pitch
leap: Jumping to a note that is far away in pitch
Middle C: A famous note in the middle of a piano keyboard

Questions

What does the word 'pitch' mean in music?
1. How fast the music goes
2. How high or low a note sounds
3. How loud or soft the music is
4. How long a note lasts
Show answer
Answer: How high or low a note sounds
Pitch describes how high or low a note sounds. A whistle is high pitch; a tuba is low pitch.
On a piano, notes get higher as you move to the right.
Show answer
Answer: True
On a piano keyboard, notes get higher in pitch as you move your hand to the right.
The seven note names used in music are A, B, C, D, E, F, and ______.
Show answer
Answer: g
The seven note names are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. After G, they start again at A but higher.
What do we call it when a melody jumps from a very low note to a very high note?
1. A step
2. A beat
3. A leap
4. A rest
Show answer
Answer: A leap
A leap is when a melody jumps a large distance from one note to another that is far away in pitch.
A bird tweeting makes a low pitch sound.
Show answer
Answer: False
A bird tweeting is a high pitch sound because it is sharp and thin. Low pitch sounds are deep, like a drum.

Get a personalized course on Musical Notes High and Low built around your child.