Notation is the system of symbols used to write music down so that it can be read and performed by others. Western staff notation is the most widely used system, but many other forms exist, including tablature, graphic scores, and various cultural notations.

Standard notation indicates pitch by the vertical placement of notes on a staff, duration by the shape of the note heads and stems, and other parameters by additional symbols and words. The system has evolved over centuries from early neumes to the detailed scores of the present.

Notation makes complex music preservable and shareable across time and distance. It also shapes how musicians think about music. Some traditions rely primarily on oral transmission and use notation only as a memory aid. Learning to read and write notation is a core skill in formal musical education.

Even imperfect notation captures enough information for skilled performers to recreate a composer’s intentions.