clef d'ut 4e

ˈklef. : a sign placed at the beginning of a musical staff to determine the pitch of the notes.

The Notation of Notes, Clefs, and Ledger Lines chapter introduced four clefs: treble, bass, alto, and tenor. A clef indicates which pitches are assigned to the lines and spaces on a staff.

Also known as the bass clef, the F clef is used to indicate pitches below middle C. The pitch "f" is indicated by placing a note on the 4th line.

First, we will discuss the Treble Clef (also called the G Clef). The staff line which the clef wraps around (shown in red) is known as G. Any note placed on this line becomes G.

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.

As an "F" clef, the bass clef shows which line of the staff is F₃ by surrounding it with two dots. As a "C" clef, the alto clef shows that C₄ is the middle line of the staff by centering on it. As a "C" clef, the tenor clef shows that the second-highest line of the staff is C₄ by centering on that line.

Pitch in Western musical notation is designated by the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, which repeat in a loop. Different clefs make reading different ranges easier. Each clef indicates how the lines and spaces of the staff correspond to pitch.

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.

Individual clefs

• Treble clef.
• French violin clef†
• Baritone clef†
• Bass clef.
• Sub-bass clef†
• Alto clef.
• Tenor clef.
• Mezzo-soprano clef†

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.

The treble clef is positioned so that the curl of the clef surrounds the 2nd-lowest line on the staff: So the 2nd-lowest line is the note G4: Nowadays it's common to interchange the term G clef with treble clef, since the treble clef is the only G clef used anymore.

The treble clef is typically used for higher voices and instruments, such as a flute, violin, trumpet, or soprano voice. The bass clef is usually utilized for lower voices and instruments, such as a bassoon, cello, trombone, or bass voice.