Musical symbols and their meanings: a chart for parents

Sheet music uses dozens of common symbols. They tell a player which note to play, how long to hold it, how loud to play, and where to go next. This page lists them in groups, with the name of each one, what it looks like, and what it means. Keep it open during practice to look up a sign your child asks about.

The staff and the clefs

Name	Looks like	Means
Staff	Five lines across the page	Notes sit on the lines and in the spaces. Higher on the staff is higher in pitch.
Treble clef	A tall, curly sign that circles the second line	The notes are high ones. It is used for the right hand on a piano, and for the violin and the flute.
Bass clef	A curve with two dots	The notes are low ones. It is used for the left hand on a piano, and for the cello and the tuba.
Bar line	A thin line down through the staff	It divides the music into bars, which are also called measures.
Double bar line	A thin line and a thick line together	The end of the piece
Ledger line	A short extra line above or below the staff	It holds a note that is too high or too low for the five lines.

Read treble clef and bass clef note names explained.

Notes and rests

Name	Looks like	Lasts
Whole note	An open oval with no stem	4 beats
Half note	An open oval with a stem	2 beats
Quarter note	A filled oval with a stem	1 beat
Eighth note	A filled oval with a stem and one flag	Half a beat
Sixteenth note	A filled oval with a stem and two flags	A quarter of a beat
Dot after a note	A small dot to the right of the note	Adds half of the note’s length
Rest	A sign that takes the place of a note	Silence, for the same number of beats

Eighth notes and sixteenth notes are often joined by a thick line called a beam.

In Britain, these notes have other names: semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver, and semiquaver. Read note values explained.

Sharps, flats, and naturals

Name	Looks like	Means
Sharp	♯	Play the note one key higher
Flat	♭	Play the note one key lower
Natural	♮	Cancel the sharp or the flat
Key signature	Sharps or flats at the start of each line	Those notes are sharp or flat all through the piece

Read sharps, flats, and naturals explained for kids and key signatures explained.

The numbers at the start

The two numbers stacked at the start of a piece are the time signature. The top number tells how many beats are in each bar. The bottom number tells which kind of note gets one beat. A large C stands for four beats in a bar. Read time signatures explained.

Loud and soft

Sign	Word	Means
pp	pianissimo	Softer than soft
p	piano	Soft
mp	mezzo piano	Medium soft
mf	mezzo forte	Medium loud
f	forte	Loud
ff	fortissimo	Louder than loud
A long, narrow wedge that opens to the right	crescendo	Get louder bit by bit
A long, narrow wedge that closes to the right	diminuendo	Get softer bit by bit

Read dynamics in music explained for kids.

How to play a note

Name	Looks like	Means
Staccato	A dot above or below the note	Play it short and detached
Accent	A small sideways V above the note	Play it with extra force
Tenuto	A short flat line above the note	Hold it for its full length
Slur	A curved line over two or more different notes	Play them joined together, with no gaps
Tie	A curved line joining two notes of the same pitch	Play the note once, and hold it for the length of both
Fermata	A dot under a small arch	Hold the note longer than its value. People call it a “bird’s eye.”

Where to go next

Name	Looks like	Means
Repeat sign	A double bar line with two dots	Go back and play the section again
First and second endings	Brackets marked 1 and 2	Play ending 1 the first time, and skip to ending 2 the second time
D.C.	The letters D.C.	Go back to the beginning
D.S.	The letters D.S.	Go back to the sign that looks like a slanted S with a line and two dots
Fine	The word Fine	The end. Say “FEE-nay.”
Coda	A circle with a cross through it	Jump to the closing section

Speed

Speed is shown with a word at the top of the page, most often in Italian. Allegro means fast, and Adagio means slow. Sometimes there is a number too, which gives the beats in a minute. Read tempo words in music.

Two more words come up often. Ritardando, or rit., means “slow down bit by bit.” A tempo means “go back to the first speed.”

Other signs

Name	Looks like	Means
8va	The figures 8va with a dotted line	Play the notes one octave higher than written
Pedal mark	The letters Ped., or a line under the staff	Press the right pedal of the piano
Trill	The letters tr	Flutter fast between the note and the one above it
Breath mark	A comma above the staff	Take a breath, or lift the bow
Triplet	A small 3 over three notes	Fit three notes into the time of two

For trills and other decorations, read trills, grace notes, and turns.

How to use this chart with a child

• When your child asks about a sign, find it here together.
• Ask your child to find three signs in this week’s piece and tell you what each one means.
• Pick one new sign a week. Draw it and stick it on the fridge.

Print and play

Print the note values chart and the tempo and dynamics word cards. For the first steps in reading, read how to read music for parents. For any word not on this page, see music words for parents: a plain glossary.

For the signs that send a player back, read repeat signs, da capo, and coda explained. For short and smooth notes, read staccato and legato explained. For notes above and below the staff, read ledger lines explained. For more on theory, see music theory for parents.