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In this guide, we will discuss the role of clefs in music. We’ll cover their use in musical notation, why clefs are important, and the most common types. Most importantly, we’ll guide you through how to understand and use them in your own music. Let’s dive right in!
In This Guide
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A clef is the first symbol on a staff, used to indicate the correct pitch for the following notes. There are many different types of clefs within musical notation, each with its specific pitch range.
Clefs allow composers to write music in both high and low pitches while keeping the number of lines on the staff to a minimum. This is vital in keeping musical notation easy to read and legible for musicians.
Types of musical clef
Although there are several different clef types in music, the most widely used are:
- Treble clef
- Bass clef
- Alto clef
- Tenor clef
We’ll now run through each of these in a little more detail, to highlight the relationship between them and common use cases.
Treble clef
The most commonly used clef in western music is the treble clef. Also known as the G clef, due to the symbol encircling the second from the bottom line of the staff, showing where G4 (the G above middle C) falls.
Notes of the treble clef
Now we know the position of G on the treble clef, we can determine the rest of the surrounding notes on the staff.
Here are the notes of the treble clef next to their corresponding note on the piano for additional context.
To read more on the treble clef, check out our comprehensive guide to the treble clef.
Bass clef
The bass clef (otherwise known as the F clef) is used to notate pitches below middle C. It is sometimes called the F clef, as the symbol shows that the F below middle C sits on the fourth line of the staff.
Piano players will be familiar with the bass clef as it is commonly used to notate lower-pitched notes, often played with the left hand.
Notes of the bass clef
As we know already know the fourth line of the bass clef staff is F, we can populate the rest of the notes on the staff accordingly.
Here are the notes of the bass clef next to their corresponding note on the piano for additional context.
Alto clef
The alto clef sometimes referred to as ‘The C Clef’, is most commonly used for violas. One trick to help remember the notes of alto clef is quite simply the fact that middle C is the middle line of the staff – hence it being called ‘The C Clef’.
Notes of the alto clef
Now we know that middle C is right in the middle of the staff, we can work out which pitches the surrounding notes correspond to.
Tenor clef
The tenor clef is often used for instruments such as the bassoon, cello, and double bass.
As you’ll see below, the tenor clef uses the same symbol as the bass clef, however, centered on the fourth line up on the staff. As with the bass clef, this points to where middle C is on the staff.
Notes of the tenor clef
Knowing that middle C sits on the fourth line up on the staff, the rest of the notes on the tenor staff fall as below.
Clef Changes
The vast majority of music is written using the same clef throughout. However, in rare instances where a small number of notes fall far above or below the staff, it is possible to change the clef mid-way through. This has the advantage of avoiding the need for too many ledger lines and keeping the music clear and easy to read.
Here’s an example of how changing from the treble to the bass clef would look:
Notice that when a clef is changed in the middle of the staff, it is smaller than the clef at the beginning.
One tip worth remembering is that when a clef is changed at the beginning of a new line, you will see the clef we’re changing to is written at end of the previous staff and the start of the new staff for added clarity.
In Summary
That’s it, you’ve mastered the basics of the most commonly used clefs. For a deeper dive into each clef type, check out our in-depth guides linked in each section above.
Frequently asked questions about clefs
What is a clef?
A clef is the first symbol on a staff, used to indicate the correct pitch for the following notes.
How many clefs are there?
In Western music, there are 4 clefs that are most commonly used. These are:
What clef does the viola use?
Music for the viola is most often written in the alto clef.
Alex Martin
Alex is a professional musician, with a BSc from Leeds Becketts University in Creative Music & Sound Design Technology.
