Topmusicanswers
If the stem points up from a notehead, the stem originates from the right-hand side of the note, but if it points down, it originates from the left. If there are multiple notes beamed together, the stem's direction is defined by the average of the lowest and highest notes in the beam.
- What are the stem rules in music?
- When a note is on the third line which way does the stem go?
- Why do some notes go up and some down?
What are the stem rules in music?
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.
When a note is on the third line which way does the stem go?
Notes on or above the third line have down stems. Notes below the third line have up stems. 4.
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.
