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The Musical Alphabet
This lesson follows Episode 2 of the Learn Music Theory podcast by DavyyyyG. Scroll down to see every concept explained visually.
The Grand Staff
The grand staff is like a canvas for writing music. Two clefs for two ranges: one for higher sounds, one for lower. Every line and space equals a note.
Seven Letters
The musical alphabet uses just seven letters. There is no H. No I. No Z.
After G, we loop back to A and repeat. Again and again.
Naming Notes
These letters are used to name the lines and spaces on the music staff. Each line or space holds a pitch, and that pitch has a letter name.
Pitch and Vibration
Pitch means how high or low a sound feels. It depends on vibration speed.
Slower vibrations = lower pitch
Why It Matters
- Letters tell us what note we’re hearing
- They help define the key of a song
- They build the structure behind melodies and chords
It’s like naming ingredients before cooking. You need to know what you’re working with.
The Piano View
The letters A to G repeat on the piano keyboard. Each key is a note with a letter name. That repeating pattern stretches across the whole instrument.
This video shows how the musical alphabet repeats on the keyboard.
Keyboard Map
Imagine the piano as a party. Every key is a guest with a letter name, and the musical alphabet is the guest list. It looks like this:
This group repeats across the entire keyboard. After B, you go back to C. That’s how the musical alphabet moves in a loop, just like on the staff.
If these letters are the who, the next lesson will dive into how they sound and how they behave in melodies.
The Basics: ABCs of Music
If you have no idea where to start, The best starting point is to learn the letters used for the notes in music.
Take the time to master the notes and how they repeat.
The Musical Alphabet uses 7 letters of the alphabet to name the lines and spaces placed on a music staff.
The 7 letters used are
A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
There is no H or I or J, etc.
After the note G… The next note will be A.
The image above shows all the notes on the grand staff.
See how the letters on the bottom represent the notes of the lines and spaces on The Grand Staff.
This is how the 7 Letters are used in music.
Quick Review
The Musical Alphabet uses 7 letters of the alphabet to name the lines and spaces placed on a music staff.
Pitch: the quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone.
The 7 letters used are A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
There is no H or I or J, etc.
The notes repeat hitting their Octave.
Mini Games
SYLBiT Interface
Training Module
Seven letters. 60 seconds. Pick the correct letter before or after the prompt. Wraps after G → A.
About this game
• Alphabet Sprint: Drills the seven letters: A B C D E F G — then repeats.
• Piano Challenge: Drills identifying the white keys on the piano.
• Staff Climber: Drills identifying notes on the treble clef staff.
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