This walks through the basic staff and the clefs that designate them. It shows how to find your part.

1. Clefs and Finding Yours

2. The Different Clefs
● The two clefs you should know are:
– The Treble or G Clef
– The Bass or F Clef

3. Treble Clef
● The Treble Clef looks like a fancy
G script.
● In standard notation, it sits with
the circle surrounding the second
line from the bottom of the staff.
● The second line of this staff is
then called G (hence it's second
name: G Clef)

4. Bass Clef
● The Bass Cleff looks like
backwards C.
● In standard notation, it sits with
the dot on the second line from
the top of the staff.
● The second line from the top of
this staff is then called F (hence
it's second name: F Clef)

5. Grand Staff
● In order to cover all the notes
(bass and treble) we can create
what is called the Grand Staff.
● Note that the line added in the
middle is shared by both the top
and bottom staff.
● The middle note is called “Middle
C”

6. Tenor Clef
● The Tenor Clef is exactly like the
Treble Clef accept it has an 8
below it.
● The 8 indicates all notes are
played an octave below the treble
cleff
● The second line from the bottom
of this staff is still called G but an
octave below.

7. Parts
● In SATB Music, the
parts are usually
separated out with
individal lines.
● Here we see that
Alto's and Soprano's
have a Treble Clef,
Tenors have a
Tenor Clef and
Basses have a Bass
Clef

8. Parts (continued.)
● In condensed choir staff, Soprano's and Altos are on the top
line, Tenors and Basses are on the bottom.
● The stems indicate which voice sings which part: Sopranos
have stems going up; Altos going down; Tenors going up;
Basses going down.
Soprano
Alto
Tenor
Bass