Printable worksheet
Stem Direction Worksheet (Printable, with Answers)
Free printable stem direction worksheet: decide if each stem goes up or down in treble, bass or alto clef. Middle-line rule explained, answers included.
Stem Direction Worksheet (Printable, with Answers)
Sheet #
Name Date Score /
Answer key
Stem Direction Worksheet (Printable, with Answers) · Sheet #
How to use it
- Choose the clef and whether to include notes on the middle line.
- Choose a difficulty and press New worksheet.
- Each note is shown without a stem. Write “up” or “down”, or draw the stem.
- Check the key, which also shows the finished note with its stem.
What this worksheet practises#
Stem direction is a writing skill used whenever you notate music by hand. The rule is about where the note sits relative to the middle line of the staff. Each question shows a bare notehead; decide which way the stem should go, then check the key.
The rule#
- Below the middle line: stem up, attached to the right side of the notehead.
- Above the middle line: stem down, attached to the left side.
- On the middle line: stem down by common convention. Some publishers choose up when it fits the surrounding notes, and beamed groups follow the note farthest from the middle line. If you are working for an exam, use the convention your syllabus teaches.
Choose Leave them out to practise the clear-cut cases first.
How the levels differ#
- Easy: notes on the lines and spaces of the staff.
- Medium: adds up to two ledger lines, where the same rule applies.
- Hard: up to three ledger lines, with sharps and flats, which do not change the rule.
Tip#
Find the middle line first: B in treble clef, D in bass clef, C in alto clef. Anything lower is up, anything higher is down.
Frequently asked questions
What is the stem direction rule?
Notes below the middle line have stems pointing up, on the right of the notehead. Notes above the middle line have stems pointing down, on the left.
What about a note on the middle line?
The usual convention is stem down. Engravers may write it up to match neighbouring notes or beams, so either can be acceptable in real music. The answer key here uses stem down.
Does the rule apply to ledger-line notes?
Yes. Notes below the staff have stems up, and notes above the staff have stems down.
Do whole notes have stems?
No. Whole notes have no stem, which is why the questions here are shown as whole notes and the key shows the same note as a quarter note.