Musical Notation Coordinate Plane
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Just like the mathematical coordinate plane, the musical coordinate plane has a horizontal (x) and vertical (y) axis. We give them different names but their functions are very similar.
The horizontal axis (x) in the musical coordinate plane is used to measure time. Musicians measure their time in "beats."
The vertical axis (y) in the musical coordinate plane is used to determine what we call "pitch." A pitch can be high or low, just like on the mathematical coordinate plane.
Click on the "Overview..." button below to see how this works.