Clefs

There are different clefs used in music. The clef used depends on the pitch of the music. The most common ones are; treble, bass, alto and tenor.  The clef is written on the left hand side of every stave before the key signature and the time signature.

The music below is in the treble clef. It is used for instruments that play high notes such as violin, flute and guitar.

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The next piece of music is in the bass clef. It is used for instruments that play low notes such as tuba, trombone and cello.

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The music below is in the alto clef. It is used for instruments that play notes between the treble and the bass such as the viola.

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The final piece of music is in the tenor clef on the third stave (third line of music). It is used for instruments that play low notes such as the cello and bassoon. This picture shows treble, alto, tenor and bass clefs.

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Baxter, Harry and Michael Baxter. The Right Way To Read Music. Tadworth: Right Way, 1993. Print, pp. 7, 8, 10 and 11.