The Keyboard and the Musical Staff In music notation, the letters from A to G are used to name the diatonic pitches (the lower row of bars on the marimba). Flats (b) and sharps (#) are used to name the accidentals (the upper row of bars). The accidentals each have two names. The “sharp” name is up one half step from its diatonic and the “flat” name is down one half step. The musical staff has lines and spaces that correspond to the diatonic pitches, The accidentals must be marked on the staff by the placement of sharps or flats in the key signature or next to the note heads in the music. DbEb Gb ab Bp Pe OER BE Gta ee eee op GHAt C# Hy Ae Bb DbEb i I 25s Gpapee DEFGA ez DEF GAG rer Sob SSE RF GABC DEES ber Foe GO me Cb BE _ B G F —E Spaces D Lines c B A 2 F E a 8 A G F E D —ec B G A =z F € D x BThe Staff as a Drawing One way to think about the musical staff is to imagine it as a drawing of the marimba keyboard. The lines and spaces of the staff represent each of the diatonic bars of the marimba. Up and Down, Left and Right When the noteheads on the staff move from lower to higher position they represent sounds moving from lower to higher pitches. When you play these notes on the marimba, your physical movement is actually from left to right. While the notes on the music move up and down, your hands at the marimba move left and right.The Lines and Spaces Lines The lowest note on a four octave marimba that is shown by a line is D. It is on the middle line of the bass clef. The lines show every other bar and are shaded on the drawing below. Another way to say this is that the space between the pitches shown by the lines is the interval of the third. 2 A Cc Spaces F The lowest note on a four octave marimba is C. This note is on the second space from the bottom of the bass clef. Just like the lines, the spaces show every other bar. The spaces on the drawing below are not shaded. The interval between the notes here is the third. cEGB