Turning sound into notation goes better when you split the job: find the rhythm first, then the pitch. This lesson shows the routine on an original four-beat melody.
It belongs to the SPM subjects and learning resources collection. Once you can write what you hear, move on to explaining a musical pattern using notation and a listening observation.
What is the beat-first, pitch-second routine?
- Find the pulse. Tap a steady beat while the melody plays.
- Write the rhythm. Decide how many notes fall on each beat and how long each lasts.
- Check the bar. Add the note values. They must equal the bar length.
- Write the pitch. Decide whether each note goes up, down or stays, then name it.
Each step is small. If an error shows up at step 3, you fix it before any pitch is written.
Worked example: an original melody
Listening example (original). A four-beat bar in 4/4 time. You hear: a short note, a short note, then a longer note that lasts until the end of the bar. The pitch rises by a step from the first to the second note, then by a step again.
Step 1 and 2: rhythm. Suppose the first two notes each last one beat, and the third lasts two beats. In note values that is crotchet, crotchet, minim.
Step 3: check the bar. Crotchet is 1 beat, crotchet is 1 beat, minim is 2 beats. 1 + 1 + 2 = 4 beats, which fills one bar of 4/4.
Step 4: pitch. The melody rises by a step twice. Starting on C, the notes are C, D, E.
Written result. Bar in 4/4: C (crotchet), D (crotchet), E (minim).
If the third note lasted only one beat, the bar would total three beats and need another beat of rest or note. The check catches that.
The mistake: doing pitch and rhythm together
The common slip is to write every note head and stem at once, then discover the bar adds up to five beats. By then you have to rub out and rebuild.
| Step | Weak | Stronger |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Write pitch and rhythm together | Rhythm first, bar check, then pitch |
| Bar check | Skipped | Add values to match 4 beats |
| Pitch | Guessed by ear for every note | Direction first, then name |
Direction before name
If you are unsure of a pitch, decide only the direction first. “Higher”, “lower” or “the same” is easier to hear than a letter name.
Once the direction is settled, use the previous note as a reference and count steps up or down the scale.
Check yourself
Listening example (original). One bar of 4/4. You hear four equal notes, each one beat long. The pitch goes up, up, then down by a step.
Start on D. Write the notes and check the bar.
Answer
Rhythm: four crotchets, each one beat, so 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4 beats, which fills the bar.
Pitch: start on D, up a step to E, up a step to F, then down a step to E.
Written result: D, E, F, E, each a crotchet.
What to study next
Practise with short melodies you can play or sing yourself. Check your written reasoning with the structured-answer self-review tool, then continue with explaining a musical pattern using notation and a listening observation.
If you want a teacher to play examples and check your notation, see online one-to-one Aural and Music Theory tuition.