Grades K–2
Line Note or Space Note?
A line note has a line running through it. A space note sits between two lines. Write L or S under each note.
Music theory worksheet · The staff and music symbols
Number the Lines and Spaces
A staff has five lines and four spaces. Number them from the bottom to the top, then fill in the facts.
- Grade level
- Grades K–1
- Time
- About 10 minutes
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- Naming the five lines and four spaces, Telling line notes from space notes, Recognizing clefs, bar lines and measures, Counting from the bottom up
What kids do
Printed on the sheet:
- Music is written on a staff. We count the lines and the spaces from the bottom to the top, like climbing a ladder.
- Write 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in the boxes for the lines. Write 1, 2, 3, 4 in the boxes for the spaces. Start at the bottom!
- Use the word bank to finish each sentence.
- 1. A staff has lines.
- 2. A staff has spaces.
- 3. Line 1 is at the of the staff.
- 4. Line 5 is at the of the staff.
Words on this sheet
LinesSpacesbottomtop
Teacher tip
Before pencils come out, have kids touch each line with a finger and count from the bottom: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Then slide the finger into each space and count 1 to 4.
How to use it
- Hold up a hand sideways: five fingers are the five lines and the gaps between them are the four spaces.
- Always count lines and spaces from the bottom, the way notes climb.
- Make the sound first. Clap, sing or play the idea before kids see it on paper.
Watch for
Counting the lines from the top down. The bottom line is always line 1.
Talk about it
- Is this note on a line or in a space? How can you tell?
- How did you figure that out?
Take it further
Toss a beanbag onto a floor staff and name the line or space where it lands.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More the staff and music symbols worksheets
Grades 1–2
Label a Line of Music
Use the word bank to name six parts of a line of music, from the treble clef to the final bar line.
Grades 1–2
Count the Measures
Bar lines split music into measures. Count the measures in each line and write the number.
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