The notes are written in order on two staves, each with five ruled lines. The pitch of each note is shown by its position on the stave. Its length is shown in a simple code. The tune is split into short periods called bars. For an even rhythm there must always be the same number of beats in a bar.
Music is written in a key, shown by symbols at the beginning of each stave.
The key system is based on sequences of notes called major or minor scales. Different notes are made by changing the shape of the mouth, blowing hard or soft and by altering the length of the tube with press button valves. Notes are varied by pressing a finger on the string to alter its length. He played bebop in the 1940s, and later became famous for his jazz-rock fusions. In the 1950s, Black guitar groups played frantic rock'n'roll.