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Piano Module - Clefs

Piano Module - Clefs

A mini-lesson on how to read piano music clefs. 3 min read (299 words)

The information provided in this blog post is for educational purposes only. Please review our Disclaimer.

Clefs

Musical clefs are symbols on top of lines and spaces, which show readers which notes should be played.

Here is an example of the two most common clefs,

Piece by Notes Machine and a circle showing where the clefs are in the line of music.

On a piano, you generally play with both hands and generally in the middle of the keyboard. 

Treble Clef

The right hand usually plays in the treble clef which is this symbol,

Treble Clef symbol with 5 horizontal lines under it. Treble clef is characterized by a swirl with a line that curls around the G line of the staff.

It’s sometimes referred to as the G-clef as it circles the G line. 

The treble clef generally covers from middle C or C4 (the fourth C key in an 88 keyboard) up to F5 (with some more keys below and above)

Treble clef staff with whole notes starting from middle C all the way up to F.

Each of those notes links to the keyboard, as such

Treble clef staff with whole notes starting from middle C all the way up to F and then linking those notes with a line down to a keyboard showing which keys relate to which note.

Easy way to remember the notes, 

Treble clef staff with whole notes starting from F to A to C to E and then linking those notes with a line down to a keyboard showing which keys relate to which note.

This spells out face!

Treble clef staff with whole notes starting from E to G to B to D to F and then linking those notes with a line down to a keyboard showing which keys relate to which note.

Every Good Book Does Fiction

Bass Clef

The left hand usually plays in the bass clef which is this symbol,

Bass Clef symbol with 5 horizontal lines underneath it. It looks like a backwards 'c' and has two dots around the F line.

Its two dots are always drawn around the F line.

The bass clef generally covers from G3 (the third G key in an 88 keyboard) up to B3 (with some more keys below and above)

Bass Clef symbol with 5 horizontal lines underneath it. It has whole notes starting from G to A.

Each of those notes links to the keyboard, as such

Bass Clef symbol with 5 horizontal lines underneath it. It has whole notes starting from G to A and with a line linking the note to a key on a keyboard indicating where the note can be played.

Easy way to remember the notes

Bass clef staff with whole notes starting from A to C to E to G and then linking those notes with a line down to a keyboard showing which keys relate to which note.

All Cows Eat Grass

Bass clef staff with whole notes starting from G to B to D to F to A and then linking those notes with a line down to a keyboard showing which keys relate to which note.

Good Books Do Fantasy Action

Grand Clef

The grand clef is the two clefs above combined, which is normally shown 

Grand Clef with whole notes starting from G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F.