Topmusicanswers
- Do stems go up or down on B?
- What is the stem rule?
- Why do some notes go up and some down?
- Which way do stems go in chords?
Do stems go up or down on B?
If you are writing a single melodic line, stems should go up if the note is below the middle line and down if the note is above the middle line. If the note is on the mid- dle line, the stem may go up or down, depending on the stems of adjacent notes (example B. 13a).
What is the stem rule?
The stem rule tells us which direction the stem of a music note must be written on the music staff. You may have noticed that sometimes you see stems going up for some notes and going down for others. This is not just random. There are two compositional rules musicians follow when writing notes on the staff.
Why do some notes go up and some down?
It's just to prevent the stems from extending too far away from the staves. If the note is below the middle line of the staff then it'll point up, otherwise it'll point down. If there are groups of notes then it depends on whichever way extends less.
Which way do stems go in chords?
The stem direction for a chord in a single voice is determined by the balance of notes above/below the middle line of the staff. If the note furthest from the middle line is above the middle line, the stem of the chord points downwards.
