1 The Staff, Grand Staff, and Clefs

A staff is a series of five lines and four spaces on which music can be written.

Figure 1.1 A staff.

When combined with a clef, the staff is used to determine notes and pitches used in music. While there are many different clefs, we will be focusing on the two most commonly used clefs, the treble and bass clef.

The treble clef, also known as the G clef, is commonly used to create and identify notes and pitches that sound higher whereas the bass clef, also known as the F clef is used to create and identify lower sounding notes and pitches.

Figure 1.2 Treble clef. Image description available.
Figure 1.2 Treble clef. [Image description – See Appendix C Figure 1.2]
Figure 1.3 Bass clef. Image description available.
Figure 1.3 Bass clef. [Image description – See Appendix C Figure 1.3]

While both clefs are used independently, a common use in music theory is to combine the two staffs and clefs into what is referred to as the grand staff. 

 

Figure 1.4 Grand staff. Image description available.
Figure 1.4 Grand staff. [Image description – See Appendix C Figure 1.4]

The grand staff combines the treble and bass clefs to allow musicians to write and identify notes from low to high pitch. Notes can be written on the lines of the staff, in the spaces between the lines, or above or below the staff using leger lines.

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Introduction to Music Theory and Rudiments Copyright © 2024 by Devin Hart is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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