Key Stage 3 music · Notation

KS3 music: chord symbols, tab and graphic scores

Not all music is written on a five-line stave. In Years 7 to 9, pupils meet other ways of writing music down, such as chord symbols, tablature (tab) and graphic scores, and learn to choose the notation that suits the style they are working in. The National Curriculum asks for “staff and other relevant notations”, so schools decide which ones to use, but the aim is the same: to read and write music clearly enough for someone else to perform it.

Chord symbols, tab and graphic scores, explained

The curriculum does not name the notations. It says pupils should use “staff and other relevant notations appropriately and accurately in a range of musical styles, genres and traditions”. Chord symbols, tab and graphic scores are common choices because they suit styles in which staff notation is not the normal tool. Your child’s school may use some of these and not others, or add its own, such as drum notation or the grid of a computer sequencer.

Chord symbols are letters written above the words or a melody. A capital letter on its own, such as C, means the major chord on that note: C, E and G. A small “m” means minor, so Am is A, C and E. A number such as the 7 in G7 adds a further note, here G, B, D and F. Chord symbols tell a performer which notes to build on but not how to play them, so a pianist, a guitarist and a ukulele player may each play the same symbols differently. A melody line on a stave with chord symbols above it is often called a lead sheet.

Tab is a notation for fretted instruments such as guitar, bass and ukulele. Instead of notes, it shows where to put your fingers. The lines are the strings, and a number on a line is the fret to press. A zero means an open string. Chord boxes work in a similar way, with dots showing finger positions. Tab is quick to learn but, in its simplest form, it does not show how long each note lasts, which is why it is often paired with a rhythm line or a recording.

Graphic scores use drawings, shapes and symbols to show how sounds move over time. A rising line might mean rising pitch, thick lines may be louder, and a cloud of dots may be lots of short, quiet notes. There are no fixed rules, so every graphic score needs a key explaining the symbols. Pupils often make one when they compose, and then perform each other’s. Graphic scores show that notation is a tool for communicating: the test is whether another person can play the music you meant.

Teachers also link these notations to the rest of the curriculum. A pupil may pair chord symbols with a melody in staff notation, strum chords while singing, read a bass riff from tab, or use a graphic score to plan a free-form piece before writing anything on a stave. Choosing the most useful notation for a purpose, and using it accurately, is the skill being taught.

Words your child will hear

Chord symbol: Letters above a song that name the chords to play, for example C, Am or G7.
Lead sheet: A simple score showing the melody and chord symbols, used in many pop and jazz styles.
Tab: Short for tablature, a notation that shows which string and fret to play on a guitar or similar instrument.
Fret: A raised strip on the neck of a guitar that marks where a finger presses the string.
Graphic score: A score made of drawings, shapes and symbols rather than standard notes.
Key (or legend): An explanation of what each symbol in a graphic score means.
Open string: A string played without pressing any fret, shown as 0 in tab.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 3 says:

Pupils should be taught to use staff and other relevant notations appropriately and accurately in a range of musical styles, genres and traditions
Pupils should use technologies appropriately and appreciate and understand a wide range of musical contexts and styles.

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

A worked example

Read this guitar tab and name the notes. The lines run from the thinnest string at the top to the thickest at the bottom, and the numbers are frets.

Look at the layout. There are six lines, one for each string. The top line is the thinnest, highest-sounding string and the bottom line is the thickest, lowest-sounding string. The notes are read from left to right, like words.
```
e|--------------------|
B|--------------------|
G|--------------------|
D|-----------2--------|
A|--0---2--3----------|
E|--------------------|
```
Find the first note. The 0 is on the A string, so it is the open A string. The note is A.
Read the next two. On the A string, the 2 means press the second fret, which is two semitones up from A, giving B. The 3 means the third fret, three semitones up, giving C.
Read the last note. The 2 is on the D string. The open D string is D, and two semitones up is E.
Say the whole line: A, B, C, E. This tab gives the pitches but not the lengths. Without more information, you would need to hear the music, or be told the rhythm, to play it as intended.

The tab shows the notes A, B, C and E, played in that order. Tab tells you where to put your fingers, but not how long each note should last.

Common mistakes and how to help

Reading a chord symbol as a single note

A capital C looks like a note name, and children naturally play just one C.

What helps: A chord symbol names a group of notes played together. C is a three-note chord built on C. Ask your child to say the notes in the chord before playing.

Thinking tab shows the rhythm

The numbers appear at set places along the lines, so they look like they are timed.

What helps: Basic tab only shows string and fret. The spacing on the page is only a rough guide. Rhythm usually comes from a recording, a teacher or an added rhythm line above.

Getting the tab strings upside down

On a guitar held to play, the thickest string is closest to your face and the thinnest is lowest, the opposite of tab, where the thinnest string is at the top.

What helps: Remember that tab follows pitch: high notes at the top, low notes at the bottom, just as on a stave. Label the lines with the string names until it is automatic.

Believing a graphic score means “anything goes”

Without standard symbols, pupils assume there are no rules and so no wrong answers.

What helps: A graphic score needs a clear key, and a performer should be able to follow it. Ask your child to explain what each shape means and perform it twice. If the two performances are completely different, the key needs more detail.

How to help at home

Chord of the day. Choose one chord symbol each day and ask your child to say which notes are in it. If there is an instrument at home, they can play it. Over a couple of weeks they will start to recognise the common ones, such as C, G, Am and F.
Draw the sound. Play a short sound or piece of music and ask your child to draw it: dots for short sounds, a wavy line for a siren-like sound, thick marks for loud ones. Then swap, and see whether someone else can perform from the drawing.
Follow the chords on a song sheet. Find a song sheet with chord symbols above the words. Sing together while your child points to the chord names as they change. This builds the link between written symbols and sound.
Make a key first. Before your child makes a graphic score, ask them to write a key. What does a rising line mean? What does a thick line mean? This is the same habit as labelling a map.
Ask which notation fits. When your child is learning a piece, ask why it is written the way it is. A choir piece, a guitar riff and a band chart each use different notation. Choosing the right tool for the job is the skill.

Builds on

Key Stage 2: Rhythm and note values
Key Stage 2: Pitch on the stave