A system of written symbols that represent musical sounds and their properties, such as pitch, duration, rhythm, and dynamics.
Here's a breakdown of why this definition is accurate:
* Symbols: Music notation uses a specific set of symbols, like notes, rests, clefs, time signatures, and key signatures.
* Musical Sounds: These symbols represent the actual sounds of music, including the pitch (highness or lowness) and duration (how long a note is played) of each sound.
* Properties: Notation also captures other essential musical properties like:
* Rhythm: How the sounds are organized in time, using note values and rests.
* Dynamics: How loud or soft the music is, indicated by symbols like *p* for piano (soft) and *f* for forte (loud).
* Tempo: The speed of the music, shown by markings like "allegro" (fast) or "adagio" (slow).
* Articulation: How a note is played (e.g., staccato, legato).
Examples:
* A staff with notes on it represents the melody of a song.
* A time signature tells you how many beats are in each measure.
* A dynamic marking like *crescendo* indicates a gradual increase in volume.
In short, music notation allows musicians to read, write, and understand music in a standardized way, enabling communication and performance across different times and places.