Beginner's Corner: Measures

What is a Measure?

Music is organized into measures (they are also called bars.) A measure is like a little box that holds a certain number of notes (or rests). Without measures, the music notes would just go on and on. Measures help musicians keep track of where they are in the music. Barlines show where the measure stops and the next one begins. (They are the lines that go through the 5 lines of the music staff).

Measures are also helpful when musicians play together. Each measure is given a number which is often written in the music, so that if someone makes a mistake, the leader can tell everyone to start at measure 20, for example.