There are many different types of musical notation that have been used across cultures and history to visually represent music. Standard notation uses a five-line staff with clefs, time signatures, and note symbols, but there are also many other forms of notation. These include chord charts, lead sheets, guitar tablature, solfege, graphic notation, and drum notation. Chord charts describe the basic harmonic and rhythmic information for a song. Lead sheets specify the melody, lyrics, and harmony of a popular song using standard notation, text, and chord symbols. Guitar tablature uses letters and symbols in place of standard notation to indicate finger positions on guitar strings and frets. [END SUMMARY]

1. Music Theory &
Keyboard
Types of Music
Notation
Christopher Baker
Musicstudentinfo.com

2. What do we mean by
Music Notation?

3. What do we mean by the term
Music Notation?
Music Notation DEFINITION
Any system used to visually
represent aurally perceived music
played with instruments or sung by
the human voice through the use of
written, printed, or otherwise-
produced symbols, including notation
for durations of absence of sound
such as rests.

4. Question
Can Anyone think of any TYPES of
Musical Notation?

5. There are Hundreds of different types of
Music Notation
Types and methods of notation
have varied between cultures
and throughout history.
1
Information about ancient
music notation is fragmentary.
2
Different styles of music and
different cultures use different
music notation methods.
3

6. Origin and development of the sheet
music!

7. Types of Contemporary
Western Music Notation

8. Contemporary Western
Notation Types
+ Chord Chart.
+ Lead Sheets.
+ Guitar tablature aka TAB.
+ Solfeggio.
+ Graphic notation.
+ Drum Notation.
+ Standard notation on musical staves.

9. Types of Notation
+ Select ONE Type of Notation
+ Take 10 mins to research this
type of notation
+ Make notes of your findings
+ What advantages &
disadvantages are there?
+ Feedback your findings

10. Chord Chart
+ Describes the basic harmonic and rhythmic information for
a song
+ It is the most common form of notation.
+ Used by session musicians playing jazz or popular music.
+ Intended for a rhythm section (keys, guitar, drums and
bass).
+ Musicians are expected to improvise the individual notes
used for the chords (the "voicing") and the appropriate
ornamentation, counter melody or bassline.

11. Lead Sheets.
A lead sheet specifies the essential
elements of a popular song:
+ The melody, lyrics and harmony.
+ The melody is written in modern
Western music notation.
+ The lyric is written as text below the
staff.
+ The harmony is specified with chord
symbols above the staff.

12. Guitar Tablature Guitar TAB
(tablature)
+ A system of notation using letters,
symbols.
+ Used instead of standard notation.
+ To indicate how a musical piece is to
be played.
+ Guitar tablature consists of a
diagram of the strings with finger
positions indicated by numerals
corresponding to the appropriate
frets.

13. Traditional Vs Guitar TAB Example

14. Solfège.

15. Solfège:
Classic
Example &
Hand Signals

16. Graphic Notation.
+ The representation of music
through the use of visual
symbols.
+ Became popular in the
1950s,
+ Can be used in combination
with or instead of traditional
music notation.

17. Graphic Notation

18. Drum Notation.
+ Percussion & Drum Kit notation is a type of musical
notation indicating notes to be played by percussion
instruments.
+ As with other forms of musical notation, sounds are
represented by symbols which are usually written onto
a musical staff (or stave).
+ Two categories: pitched and non-pitched.
+ The notation of non-pitched percussion instruments is
less standardized and often includes a key or legend.
+ Cymbals are usually notated with 'x' note heads, drums
with normal elliptical note heads and auxiliary
percussion with alternative note heads.
+ Non-pitched percussion notation on a conventional staff
once commonly employed the bass clef, but the neutral
clef (or "percussion clef"), consisting of two parallel
vertical lines, is usually preferred now.

19. Drum Kit
Sheet Music

20. Music Notation & Standard Notation
+ Any system used to visually
represent aurally perceived
music.
+ Played with instruments or sung
by the human voice
+ Through written, printed, or
otherwise-produced symbols.
+ Includes notation for durations of
absence of sound such as rests.
+ Standard Notation is the familiar
5-line staff with clefs, time and
key signatures, and note
symbols.
+ There are other forms of notation,
mostly from earlier times.

21. Standard
Notation

22. The End
Please investigate other forms of
notation:
Midi Notation
DJ Notation
Scratch Notation…