The staff and the clef
Music is written on a staff of five lines. The higher the note, the higher it sounds. The symbol at the start is the clef: it tells you which note sits on each line.
Notes on the lines and spaces
In treble clef, learn the lines first and then the spaces, always from the bottom up:
Lines: Every Good Boy Does Fine. Spaces spell FACE. Notes above or below the staff use ledger lines, short extra lines added just for that note.
Flute notes on the staff
The lowest note on a standard flute is C4, just below the staff on a ledger line. This is the first octave:
High notes climb above the staff with several ledger lines. Don't worry: they rarely appear in beginner music.
→ See the fingering for every note in the flute fingering chart
Rhythm: how long each note lasts
The shape of a note tells you how long it lasts. A bar of 4/4 holds four beats:
| Note | What it looks like | Beats |
|---|---|---|
| Whole note | open head, no stem | 4 |
| Half note | open head with a stem | 2 |
| Quarter note | filled head with a stem | 1 |
| Eighth note | filled, with a stem and one flag | ½ |
| Dot | adds half of the note's length | + ½ |
→ Full lesson on rhythm and time signatures
Sharps, flats and key signatures
A ♯ sharp raises a note by a half step; a ♭ flat lowers it by a half step; a ♮ natural cancels both. When they appear right after the clef they form the key signature and apply to the whole piece: a ♯ on the F line means every F is played as F♯.
Symbols you'll see in flute music
- Comma or ✓ above the staff: a breath mark. Pencil in where you will breathe before you play.
- Slur (curved line over different notes): play them all in one breath without tonguing.
- Dot above or below a note (staccato): short and detached: a short “tu”.
- Line over a note (tenuto): hold it for its full length with a gentle tongue.
- 8va: play an octave higher than written.
- p, mf, f: dynamics: piano is soft, mezzo forte medium, forte loud. On flute, change the speed of the air, not just its strength.
Step by step: reading your first song
- Check the clef, key signature and time signature before you play.
- Say the note names of the first line out loud, without playing.
- Clap the rhythm while counting the beats.
- Play slowly, one phrase at a time, without stopping when you make a mistake.
- Repeat until it flows, and only then speed up.
→ Start with easy sheet music that has the note names · → General lesson: how to read sheet music
Practice free in the app
The app shows the fingering for every note as you play and checks you through the microphone. Free, no sign-up.
Open the app →Frequently asked questions
What clef does the flute read?
Only treble clef. It sounds exactly the notes that are written, with no transposition.
Do I need to read music to start the flute?
No. In the app you see the fingering for every note while you learn to read, at the same time.
Can I use recorder sheet music on flute?
Usually yes: the notes are the same. Just check that the music doesn't go below C4.