Notation of Notes, Clefs, and Ledger Lines

A note on the staff consists of a notehead placed on a line or in a space, optionally with a stem, flags, or beams that indicate duration. The five lines and four spaces of the staff can only represent nine distinct pitches at a time, so clefs and ledger lines extend the range.

A clef is a symbol placed at the left edge of the staff that assigns specific pitch names to specific lines or spaces. The treble clef (G clef) curls around the second line from the bottom, marking it as G4. The bass clef (F clef) places two dots around the fourth line, marking it as F3. The alto and tenor clefs (C clefs) place middle C on the third or fourth line respectively.

When pitches exceed the range of the five-line staff, ledger lines — short horizontal lines above or below the staff — extend it as needed. Middle C, for example, sits on one ledger line below the treble staff or one ledger line above the bass staff. Reading ledger lines fluently is an essential skill, particularly for piano and orchestral instruments with wide ranges.