There are lots of different types of clef but the most common ones are:
- The treble clef
- The bass clef
- The alto clef
- The tenor clef
Why do we need different clefs?
When you play violin and viola or cello or another instrument, you have to read in different clefs. For example I play violin, viola and piano, so I have to be able to read in three different clefs. This can be quite confusing from time to time. The notes you are used to find in a certain place are now in a different place of the bar.
What are the different types of clef?
Until the 19th century, the most common arrangement for vocal music used the following clefs:
- Soprano = soprano clef (first-line C clef)
- Alto = alto clef (third-line C clef)
- Tenor = tenor clef (fourth-line C clef)
- Bass = bass clef (fourth-line F clef)
What are all the existing clefs?
Versions
- Treble clef — G-clef [2nd line]
- Bass clef — F-clef [4th line]
- Alto clef — C-clef 3 rd line
- Tenor clef — C-clef 4 th line
- Soprano clef — C-clef 1 st line
- Mezzo-soprano clef — C-clef 2 nd line
- French-violin clef — G-clef 1 st line
- Baritone clef — F-clef 3 rd line
What are clefs used for?
clef, (French: “key”) in musical notation, symbol placed at the beginning of the staff, determining the pitch of a particular line and thus setting a reference for, or giving a “key” to, all notes of the staff. Three clef symbols are used today: the treble, bass, and C clefs, stylized forms of the letters G, F, and C, respectively.
What are the two clefs used in piano?
Piano music is written in the bass and treble clefs, though other clefs are used in other instrumentation. The treble clef, or G clef, is used for the higher sounding notes, usually played with the right hand. The bass clef, or F clef, is used for the lower sounding notes, usually played with the left hand.
Why are there two different clefs?
Different instruments play in much different ranges so having only one clef will make things difficult. Using the same clef for double bass and flute would be silly as you would have and instrument whose lowest note is C1 use the same clef as an instrument that can get up to D7.
How many clefs are there?
four clefsIn modern music, only four clefs are used regularly: treble clef, bass clef, alto clef, and tenor clef. Of these, the treble and bass clefs are by far the most common.
Why are bass and treble clefs different?
Music is written in different clefs because the range of notes that exist is far greater than what can fit on one five-line staff. If music were notated in the same way for every instrument, the highest-pitched and lowest-pitched instruments would have to read an absurd number of ledger lines.
How many clefs are there in music?
Each of these clefs has a different name based on the tessitura for which it is best suited. In modern music, only four clefs are used regularly: treble clef, bass clef, alto clef, and tenor clef. Of these, the treble and bass clefs are by far the most common.
What are the three clef symbols used in modern music notation?
The three clef symbols used in modern music notation are the G-clef, F-clef, and C-clef . Placing these clefs on a line fixes a reference note to that line—an F-clef fixes the F below middle C, a C-clef fixes middle C, and a G-clef fixes the G above middle C.
What clef is used for tenor voice?
The viola also may use the treble clef for very high notes. The treble clef is used for the soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, contralto and tenor voices. Tenor voice parts sound an octave lower and are often written using an octave clef (see below) or a double-treble clef.
What is the treble clef?
This is the most common clef in use and is generally the first clef learned by music students. For this reason, the terms "G-clef" and "treble clef" are often seen as synonymous. The treble clef was historically used to mark a treble, or pre-pubescent, voice part.
What does a dagger after a clef mean?
A dagger (†) after the name of a clef indicates that the clef is no longer in common use.
What is the G clef?
In modern music notation, the G-clef is most frequently seen as treble clef (placing G4 on the second line of the stave), and the F-clef as bass clef (placing F3 the fourth line). The C-clef is mostly encountered as alto clef (placing middle C on the third line) or tenor clef (middle C on the fourth line).
What is the middle C on a treble clef?
A clef (from French: clef 'key') is a musical symbol used to indicate which notes are represented by the lines and spaces on a musical stave. When a clef is placed on a stave it assigns a particular note to one of the five lines.
What is the middle part of the C clef called?
When the middle part of the C clef points to the third line of the staff, it is called the alto clef. The alto clef is used when playing the viola. When the middle part of the C clef points to the fourth line of the staff, it is called the tenor clef.
What is the F clef?
Another type of clef is the bass clef. The symbol used for the bass clef is like a stylized apostrophe with two dots to the right of it. Between the dots is the fourth line of the staff indicating the placement of the note F below middle C. This is why the bass clef is also known as F clef.
What is the C clef on a viola?
The line that meets the center part of the C clef becomes middle C. When the middle part of the C clef points to the third line of the staff, it is called the alto clef. The alto clef is used when playing the viola. When the middle part of the C clef points to the fourth line of the staff, it is called the tenor clef. Musical instruments like the double bass and bassoon use the tenor clef.
What is the treble clef?
Treble Clef. The treble clef is the most common clef in music. The symbol used for the treble clef looks like the letter "G" with the bottom part encircling the second line of the staff. This indicates that the note on the second line is a G. That's why the treble clef is also known as G clef.
What is a rhythm clef?
The rhythm clef is also known as the neutral clef and percussion clef. Unlike the other clefs, the rhythm clef shows rhythm and not pitches. This type of clef is used when playing non-pitched instruments such as a drum set, gong, maracas, tambourine, or triangle.
What is the note on the second line of the piano called?
This indicates that the note on the second line is a G. That's why the treble clef is also known as G clef. Many woodwind , brass, and tuned percussion instruments with higher ranges use the treble clef. On the piano, the treble clef is played by the right hand. 02.
What are the different types of clefs?
There are lots of different types of clef but the most common ones are: 1 The treble clef 2 The bass clef 3 The alto clef 4 The tenor clef
What does a clef mean in music?
In music, a clef is a musical symbol that indicates what pitch a note should be. There are a huge range of different pitches available and clefs tell us which note is represented by each space and line of the stave.
What is the treble clef?
The treble clef. The treble clef is one of the most common and recognisable types of clef used to indicate the pitch of notes. It’s also known as the G clef as it shows us where the note G is on the stave. It’s called the G clef because it loops and wraps itself around the note G on the stave.
What does the alto clef look like?
The alto clef looks like a capital letter B and sits right in the middle of the stave. Although it looks like an uppercase letter B, it’s actually what we call a C clef because the middle of the arches show us where middle C is on the stave.
What is the last clef?
The Tenor Clef. The Tenor Clef. The last of the four common clefs is called the tenor clef. Like the alto clef, it’s a type of C clef as it shows us where middle C is on the stave.
What is the baritone clef?
The baritone clef. The baritone clef is another type of F clef. But, instead of being written like the bass clef – wrapping around the second line of the stave, it sits a bit lower down wrapping around the third line of the stave.
Which part of the bass is sung by the soprano?
The top stave is sung by the soprano, the second by the alto, the third, the tenor and the fourth the bass. You might notice that the tenor part has a number eight below the treble clef. This indicates that the actual pitch should sound an octave below.
What is the C clef?
The C Music Clef (Alto Clef and Tenor Clef) The C Clef is so called because the the C clef establishes pitch of middle C on the line bisecting the clef. The two C Clefs in use today are the Alto Clef and the Tenor Clef. The Alto Clef has the 3rd line bisecting the clef, showing the third line to be Middle C.
Why is the G clef called the G clef?
The G Clef is so called because it establishes the pitch of G above middle C on the staff. Whatever line the G clef is curled around is G above middle C.
What is the primary aim of a music clef?
The primary aim of a music clef is to establish the pitch of a particular line. There are 3 main pitch clefs in use.
Overview
History
Before the advent of clefs, the reference line of a stave was simply labeled with the name of the note it was intended to bear: F, C, or sometimes G. These were the most common 'clefs', or litterae clavis (key-letters), in Gregorian chant notation. Over time the shapes of these letters became stylised, leading to their current versions.
Placement on the stave
Theoretically, any clef may be placed on any line. With five lines on the stave and three clefs, there are fifteen possibilities for clef placement. Six of these are redundant because they result in an identical assignment of the notes to the lines (and spaces)—for example, a G-clef on the third line yields the same note placement as a C-clef on the bottom line. Thus, there are nine possible distinc…
Individual clefs
This section shows a complete list of the clefs, along with a list of instruments and voice parts notated with them. A dagger (†) after the name of a clef indicates that the clef is no longer in common use.
The only G-clef still in use is the treble clef, with the G-clef placed on the second line. This is the most common clef in use and is generally the first clef learned …
Other clefs
Starting in the 18th-century, music for some instruments (such as guitar) and for the tenor voice have used treble clef, although they sound an octave lower. To avoid ambiguity, modified clefs are sometimes used, especially in choral writing. Using a C-clef on the third space places the notes identically, but this notation is less common.
Further uses
Clef combinations played a role in the modal system toward the end of the 16th century, and it has been suggested certain clef combinations in the polyphonic music of 16th-century vocal polyphony are reserved for authentic (odd-numbered) modes, and others for plagal (even-numbered) modes, but the precise implications have been the subject of much scholarly debate.
Reading music as if it were in a different clef from the one indicated can be an aid in transposin…
Further reading
• Read, Gardner (1964). Music Notation: A Manual of Modern Practice. Boston: Alleyn and Bacon, Inc. Second edition, Boston: Alleyn and Bacon, Inc., 1969, reprinted as A Crescendo Book, New York: Taplinger Pub. Co., 1979. ISBN 0-8008-5459-4 (cloth), ISBN 0-8008-5453-5 (pbk).