Musical notation

"Musical notation" means "the way music is written down". It is very useful to be able to read and write music because this is how composers (who may have lived a long time ago) can tell the person playing their music how they want their music to be played. Music is written on five parallel lines called a staff.
Notes are put on the lines and in the spaces between the lines. It can be seen from the shape whether the music goes up or down. The lengths of the notes (how long they are played for) are shown by making the note-heads black or white, and by giving them stems and flags. Reading music involves being able to tell what the note is called and where to find it on the instrument, and being able imagine the sound, as well as learning about music theory (how music works: all about scales, intervals, ornaments, form, etc.). This all helps someone to become a good musician.
It is also useful to be able to play "by ear" (when people try to play music they have only heard). Most rock musicians, blues musicians, and folk musicians play "by ear." This means that to learn a song, they listen to other people singing it, or to a recording, until they know how the tune of the song goes