Staff & Clefs

Octave

(octa = eight) spans eight notes, beginning and ending with the same letter name

The staff is a system for

notating pitch developed in the West during the Middle Ages (sixth century CE–1450).

The development of a precise system of notation enables

a person to read and perform music without hearing it first.

The use of notation in Western Classical music contrasts with

the absence of precise musical notation in genres like jazz, blues, and global music, which frequently are not notated.

If the music is written down, the notation may specify only

the contour of the melody, previously known by the performer.

In modern notation, pitch is written as

notes on a staff.

Initially (around the ninth century), only one line was used and

higher pitches were placed above this line, and lower pitches were placed below the line.

By the eleventh century, four lines were

utilized with one line designated F or C.

The staff today (plural: staves) consists of

five lines and four spaces numbered from the bottom to the top.

The seven letters of the musical alphabet represent

pitches in ascending order from lowest to highest.

The staff lines and spaces may represent any letter as determined by

the clef, but the letters must always be in their consecutive order.

A clef sign drawn at the beginning of each staff indicates

the letter name of each line and space. These clef signs represent the pitches F and G.

When the G clef (usually called the treble clef) is placed at the beginning of the staff,

the second line from the bottom of the staff represents the pitch G.

G Clef: All other pitches follow in alphabetical order,

ascending (forward) or descending (backward) from G.

The G clef is usually used to indicate

higher sounding pitches.

G-Clef Lines:

EGBDF

G-Clef Spaces:

FACE

The five lines and four spaces of one staff can represent

only nine letter names.

In order to extend the range of the staff,

notes above and below the staff are written using ledger lines

The ledger line for one note does not connect to

the ledger line of another note.

The distance between the lines and spaces of ledger lines is

the same as those of the staff.

Ledger lines are used

only when needed.

Notes written above the staff only use

the ledger lines that pass through or below the note

Conversely, notes written below the staff only use

ledger lines that pass through or above the note.

Ledger lines can extend the range of

the grand staff higher than the F line of the treble clef, lower than the G line of the bass clef, and can accommodate notes between the treble and bass clefs.

Middle C can be written both as

a ledger line below the treble staff and as a ledger line above the bass staff.

Pitches normally written in the treble clef may also be written

in the bass clef using ledger lines. Likewise, pitches normally written in the bass clef may also be written in the treble clef using ledger lines.

A pentatonic melody only uses

five different pitches

The F clef, usually called the bass clef, is used to indicate

voices or instruments that sing or play low pitches including male voices, the cello, and the tuba.

When the F clef is placed at the beginning of the staff,

the fourth line from the bottom is named F. All other pitches follow in alphabetical order above or below the F.

F Clef Lines:

GBDFA

F Clef Spaces:

ACEG