music theory basics

When we read music we are looking at notes on a staff. Most music is notated on the traditional 5 line staff, and the clef tells us exactly what pitches each line and space of the staff represent. Each clef pinpoints a certain note, and all the others can be figured out from there. The most common clefs in modern usage are the G clef (treble), F clef (bass), and C clefs (alto & tenor).

Octave Designation

Clefs tell us more than just the note name, they specify exactly what pitch is to be played, and that includes which octave. The system of octave designation I use on this page is the one described in Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians. It uses upper and lower case letters, and superscript markings. For instance, C is one octave lower than c. c¹ is one octave higher than c, CC is one octave lower than C, etc. All the notes from one "C" to the next higher "B" are given the same octave number, and the new octave starts at the next "C." Below is complete chart of the 4 octaves which encompass the grand staff.

Octave Designations

If you're familiar with this system of octave designation you may notice a few subtle differences. For instance I use superscript 1 or 2 instead of the original method of using one or two hash marks (c² instead of c ^|^|). I have seen this nomenclature used in a number of places, and it just seems easier to read on the computer screen.

The Grand Staff (Ledger Lines)

The Grand Staff developed out of an eleven line staff. The problem with so many lines was that it was difficult to keep track of where you were in the middle of the staff. The solution was to simply remove the middle line, creating a pair of 5 line staves. The upper staff is marked with a treble clef, and the lower staff with a bass clef. The note on the middle line (middle C) is now drawn with a ledger line. This means just adding the part of the old staff line that actually runs through the note. Ledger lines can also be added above or below the grand staff to extend its range. If you use more than one ledger line in the middle of the grand staff, you are writing notes that could have been written in the other staff. For instance, two ledger lines above the bass clef is the same as the bottom line of the treble clef. The grand staff is still in common use for keyboard parts.

the Grand Staff

The Treble Clef

Treble clef is often called a G clef because it "wraps around" the line for g¹. The note names for the lines of the treble clef are (starting from the bottom) e-g-b-d-f. The note names for the spaces are f-a-c-e.

the Treble Clef

The Bass Clef

Bass clef is often called F clef because the two dots surround the line for f. The note names for the lines of the bass clef are (starting from the bottom) g-b-d-f-a. The note names for the spaces are a-c-e-g.

the Bass Clef

The Alto Clef

Shown first on the line below the alto clef is often referred to as a C clef because the line for c¹ runs through the center of the clef. The note names for the lines of the alto clef are (starting from the bottom) f-a-c-e-g. The note names for the spaces are g-b-d-f.

Alto and Tenor Clefs

The Tenor Clef

The tenor clef is also referred to as a C clef because the line for c¹ runs through the center of the clef. It is shown second in the line above. The note names for the lines of the alto clef are (starting from the bottom) d-f-a-c-e. The note names for the spaces are e-g-b-d.

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